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As a follow up to the just concluded three part formerly published Commentary series, “Raised To Immortal Glory” and especially part three, the Lord has led me to repost this edited June 2013 blog that originally posted in the same month as the series. All are now in this same blog category, God’s Creatures. This repost seeks to extract more details from Scripture about the glorious, immortal spiritual bodies God is to provide His eternal sons after the likeness of Christ’s.
Originally Posted June 2, 2013
The bodies of the dead in Christ are raised up and those of the living remnant are transformed in less than the blink of an eye at His coming according to 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. The form and function of their bodies will be like Christ’s own glorious, immortal spiritual body which is equipped for God’s purposes through the endless ages of eternity (Philippians 3:20-21)! And while John in His epistle is clear we on this side of glory will not have a precise picture of what we as glorified immortals will look like until Christ is revealed, he too assures us that we will be like Him (1 John 3:2).
Based on the revelation of the glorified Christ John later saw (Revelation 1:10-17), there are some similarities between the natural body we now have and the glorified spiritual body in the masculine likeness of Christ we will receive at the resurrection. There will also be some tremendous qualitative differences with a few new (to us) features included! With all praises to our God, we do not have to guess or fill in the blanks with a lot of wacky speculation about the immortal spiritual bodies He has prepared for His eternal sons; what He wants known now is in His Word! My mission is to only briefly examine what God’s Word says about our future glorious, immortal spiritual bodies to inspire our further study, reflection, excitement and praise to God!
Scripture gives three sources of knowledge about the future immortal spiritual bodies of the eternal sons of God: our present natural bodies, Christ and the angels. From our natural bodies and Christ’s glorified likeness seen by John, we understand that along with a head featuring hair, a chest, arms, hands, legs and feet, the general frame and form characteristic of the natural human body are to be preserved as will ethnicity (Revelation 21:22-26) in our spiritual bodies. Also, we will retain the five senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching with all of the corresponding body parts to include teeth. Raised in His immortal spiritual body that had not yet been glorified, our Lord interacted with His disciples normally using the senses.
He used His and invited His disciples to use their senses and associated natural body parts in His company (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:24-29). In a third post-resurrection meeting with His disciples recorded in John 21:1-14, notice in verse 9 how smell would have played a role in the experience of everyone present including the Lord who cooked breakfast. Indeed, the prophets and the Lord speak of eating and drinking as a fixture in the Kingdom of God (Isaiah 25:6; Luke 22:14-18, 28-30). Of the fruit eaten will be that of the “tree of life,” (Revelation 2:7, NKJV). Now, consider how superior your sensory abilities and experiences will be in perfect spiritual bodies where every sense and body part functions perfectly!
It was our Lord that taught in the resurrection to immortal glory the sons of God will be “equal to the angels,” (Luke 20:34-36, NKJ). In likeness to the eternal existence of God’s spirit creatures, angels, the sons of God will never again marry, procreate or die. Unlike in their previous natural, mortal bodies, there will be no more hormones or bodily features that arouse sexual desire leading to proper sex or that which in sin leads to evil seduction, promiscuity or perversions (Hebrews 13:4). However, this will not be the end to pleasure. By divine design, in immortal spiritual bodies with form and functions fitted to a new, eternal creation, the righteous in Christ will experience new kinds of pleasure in the presence of our holy God forever (Psalm 16:11, 36:7-9; 2 Corinthians 5:16-17)!
As with the holy angels too, the new spiritual bodies of God’s sons will be indestructible as well as impervious to physical pain, sickness, disease and calamity (Revelation 21:4). Like our Lord and angels, the sons of God will be able to appear and disappear (Judges 13:1-14; Luke 24:28-31). We will also be able to fly without wings (Psalm 104:1-3; Isaiah 60:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) as well as travel back and forth between the spiritual and physical dimensions (Judges 13:15-21; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 11:11-12). We will travel between two dimensions only until the day our God makes the two dimensions, one (2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1-3)!
The Lord Jesus instructs it is the divine intent that the Holy Spirit should be with the sons of God forever (John 14:16-17)! For faithful Christians, then, the same Holy Spirit who has been our Companion in this life will be with us when these natural bodies die and forever! At the moment of death, whatever have been limits to the Holy Spirit’s display of the eternal divine life and power in the inner man of our mortal experience (Ephesians 3:14-16; Hebrews 6:4-5) are removed. We will henceforth enjoy the overflowing outpour of His life into us up through our embodiment into immortal spiritual bodies and evermore (John 3:34, 6:63, 7:37-39, 10:10; Revelation 21:6, 22:1)!
We will also have direct access, be perfectly attuned to, enjoy and express the inexhaustible riches of God’s knowledge and wisdom. And as we had to be equipped by the Holy Spirit with enabling power in spiritual gifts on this side of glory to do God’s will, in the day of our immortal glory we will also be outfitted by Him with supernatural abilities to carry out the purposes, assignments and work of God for eternity (Ephesians 3:20-21)! Too, well beyond the limitations of the mortal body in sin, doubt and fear, we will routinely do things like walk on water as Peter did and as our Lord showed, exercise the power of God to move mountains in accord with His purposes (Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 11:20-24).
Finally, because of the indwelling presence of God in us, like our Lord the glory of God will shine out from our immortal spiritual bodies as His eternal sons and with even new names, we shall reign with Christ forever (Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 13:43; 2 Timothy 2:10-13; Revelation 2:17, 3:12-13, 21-22, 21:5, 22:3-5)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
This blog post is an edited and expanded version of supplemental articles the Lord led me to write in the June 2012 and 2013 Strong Man Of God Monthly Newsletter that immediately followed “Man As God Designed Him” and “Raised To Immortal Glory, Pt. 3” when those Commentaries were respectively published in the same publication. Clearly, the glorious immortal destiny of the saints of God is infinitely greater than those that choose to reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the mercies of God, I cry out to the reader outside of Christ by any means including as a professing Christian impostor or spiritually dead religionist to repent now and turn to Him while you have the opportunity!
Originally Published June 2013
Scripture teaches every single human being that has ever lived and died will be raised from the dead by Jesus Christ: some to immortal glory; some to immortal condemnation (Daniel 12:2; John 5:25-29)! In accord with God’s will and purposes as the apostle Paul teaches, the resurrection of all deceased humanity to immortality will be in ordered sequence. Thus, Jesus Christ is the first glorified immortal followed by those that by faith belong to Him at His Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). Paul is led by the Holy Spirit to narrowly discuss only the resurrection of the saints directly following Christ’s as the focus of His instruction on the topic to the church at Corinth.
However, the apostle John reveals that between the resurrection of Christ to immortal glory and that of the saints, there will be a select number of persons that are raised to immortality. The next immortals after Christ will be the “Antichrist” (1 John 2:18; Revelation 13:1-10, NKJV), God’s two witnesses (Revelation 11:3-12), the false prophet (Revelation 13:11-18) and as “firstfruits” to God and Christ before the full harvest of all the saints, 144,000 men who had been lifelong celibates in the Lord’s service and now form His new and unique innermost circle as I write in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics (Revelation 14:1-5, NKJV).
Three and one half years after the resurrection to immortality of the Antichrist, all of the Lord’s saints are raised to immortal glory (Revelation 14:14-16, 20:4-6). One thousand years after this, all of the wicked are resurrected to immortality to be judged on the Day of Judgment and immediately condemned to “Hell” or if you will, “the lake of fire” with “Death and Hades” (Matthew 18:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15, NKJV). The two evil human immortals, Antichrist and false prophet, will have actually preceded Satan and his fallen angelic hosts and the main body of wicked immortals as the first to be cast into the lake of fire (Daniel 7:11; Revelation 19:19-20, 20:7-10).
The clear evidence the Antichrist is truly slain and resurrects an immortal (Revelation 13:3) is his single handed take down of the Lord’s supernaturally empowered two witnesses. Until the Antichrist, no human force on earth is able to get near them as they carry out God’s campaign to protect Israel during their reinstated temple worship complete with animal sacrifices and plague assisted call for humanity to turn to God in repentance. “The beast” or Antichrist is described as he “that ascends out of the bottomless pit” (which is another name for Hades, the realm of the dead awaiting judgment) to kill the two witnesses, stop temple sacrifices and launch his God shortened 42 month reign of desolation (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15-22; Revelation 8:12-13, 11:1-7, NKJV).
Those obsessed with their worldly brand of gender equality are surely stymied and disappointed to know the beast and later the resurrected false prophet along with all of the pre-Second Coming immortals are men and retain a masculine form in their immortal spiritual bodies. Hence, the immortal Antichrist in appearance “greater than his fellows” and “fierce” of face is called the “man of sin” and “son of perdition” since his masculine form indicates this is what he is (Daniel 7:19-20, 8:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, NKJV). Consistent then with the immortal spiritual bodies of the saints, the spiritual bodies of the immortal wicked will retain the general frame and form of the natural, mortal human body. Wicked immortals will not marry, procreate or even desire sex either.
Besides transformation from natural to spiritual, the immortal bodies of the wicked as seen in the Antichrist share indestructibility in common with those of the saints. He is able to kill God’s two witnesses because they cannot kill him with their God granted power of fire that destroys mortal flesh. This is perfectly consistent with what our Lord Jesus teaches about Hell’s torment as He stresses that the worm of the wicked immortals there never dies in the fire that is never extinguished (Mark 9:42-48). Unlike God’s glorified immortal sons, wicked immortals in Hell will have the ability to shed tears and experience pain as they forever weep and grind their teeth in agony (Matthew 13:41-42, 47-50, 24:48-51, 25:41-46; Revelation 21:4).
Too, the immortal spiritual bodies of the wicked are stripped down from those of the saints. They have no glory. And while Scripture does not specify whether or not the Antichrist or false prophet are able to fly, appear or disappear, it does declare that Satan and all of his hosts will have been confined to earth at this time precluding any travel in the spiritual realm by anything evil beyond it (Revelation 12:7-12). Save what God grants these two evil immortals to temporarily do by the power of Satan (Revelation 13:11-15), they will not have any supernatural abilities--the glorified immortal saints by contrast, eternally operate in the power of the Holy Spirit! Indeed, all that these two evil immortals do is orchestrated, empowered and overseen by Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:9).
For this reason, the Antichrist will fully honor only the devil as a god above himself--therefore, understand, he will not advocate for any major religion or preside over any form of ecumenicalism as some teach (Daniel 8:24-25, 11:36-39; Revelation 13:4). Truly, as seen in the Antichrist, the wicked are not done at all with evil after death. Returning from his short stay in Hades very bitter knowing his eternal fate--as do all at death, his first major act is to kill men who are plainly God’s servants fully showing no repentance. Conversely, he is eternally hardened into his evil mindset in which God’s just end for him and all that reject Christ is “outer darkness” in Hell forever (Matthew 22:1-14, NKJV)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
The millennium reign of Jesus Christ as the first part of God’s eternal day fulfills His promise of comfort and restoration to Israel beyond Jewish imagination after suffering His punishment under the tyranny of the Gentiles so long.1 For as the Gentiles had their “times” in this present world and age, the Jews in the millennium reign of Christ will have theirs as part of God’s eternal day (Deuteronomy 28:58-68; Hosea 6:1-3; Zechariah 8:11-23; Luke 21:20-24, NKJV).2 Truly, all of the surviving nations on earth will bountifully benefit from the Kingdom rule of Christ and His glorified immortal saints since there will be peace, justice, fairness and prosperity (Psalm 99:1-5; Isaiah 2:1-4, 11:1-9, 25:6-9).3
Even so, this first part of God’s planned eternal day is limited to only a millennium by design because one of His major objectives is the restoration of holiness to all of His Kingdom forever! This necessitates an end to the first part of His eternal day and bringing in of a second which follows His complete crushing of Satan, sin and death. For this cause Satan and his demonic hordes were only temporarily incarcerated under the earth, while mortals still as sinners are present on it during the millennium. It is amazing how without the instigating efforts of evil, but with the fear of the Lord the sinful deeds of mortal mankind are curtailed during the millennium (Micah 4:3; Malachi 3:4-5)!
Satan must be crushed because in the second part of God’s eternal day He will no longer tolerate His fallen angel as a continuing futile rival and instigator of rebellion and opposition against Him (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-16; Romans 16:20). Hence, an '“everlasting fire'” away from God was long ago '“prepared for the devil and his angels'” in which men only join them because of refusing to repent from their evil works of sin and turn to Christ in faith for salvation (Matthew 25:41, NKJV). Indeed, because of their evil works of sin not forgiven, mortal human sinners cannot enter the Kingdom of God and eternally dwell in His presence for three important reasons.
God is holy as the first reason (Psalm 99:9; Isaiah 6:1-5; Revelation 4:8-11)! Because God is holy, He is absolutely offended by sin and reflexively condemns its source. God loves man, but when our forefather, Adam, sinned, God followed through with His forewarned consequence of death (separation) both spiritual and physical upon him and us his progeny (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:17-19, 22-24, 5:1-5). Sin in our bodies then, separates us from the presence of God Most Holy (Isaiah 59:1-8) who would instantly breakout upon and destroy the unholy sinner that dares approach Him (Exodus 19:10-15) or transgress in His face as happened to two sinning priests of Israel (Leviticus 10:1-3)!4
This leads to the second reason mortal men “cannot inherit the Kingdom of God:” His natural realm is spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:50, NKJV). Finally, the body, spirit or soul could not endure nor will God keep His anger toward sinners forever (Genesis 6:3; Isaiah 57:15-16). This is why He never considered such a thing. But from eternity as God planned for the creation of man it was purposed that his first form be mortal to suffer death for his foreknown sin and after, become immortal; Christ preeminently unveiling and making the metamorphosis possible through His experience in the Gospel proclaimed to the world we Christians await (1 Corinthians 15:35-49, 51-57; 2 Timothy 1:8-12)!5
Therefore, in accord with the foreknowledge and infinite wisdom of God, Satan is released from his prison at the end of the millennium reign of Christ and His glorified immortal saints and the first part of God’s planned eternal day. He immediately instigates a rebellion against the Lord by the mortal Gentile nations and gathers them to Jerusalem to also attack Israel (Ezekiel 38:1-17; Revelation 20:7-8). However, God the Father from Heaven intervenes to destroy all of the rebels and the entire physical creation with holy fire, while Satan is thrown into the “lake of fire,” (Ezekiel 39:5-6; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20:9-10, NKJV).6 This is followed by Christ resurrecting and judging the unsaved dead; casting them with “Death and Hades” into the fire too (Revelation 20:11-15, NKJV).
Then, the Father as foretold creates “a new heaven and a new earth” and brings down “the holy city, New Jerusalem;” launching the second part of His plan from eternity that He should dwell up close and Personal with His redeemed creatures (Revelation 21:1-3, NKJV). In this ‘“new’” and final part of His eternal day, God eliminates every vestige of relational separation, grief and hurts from the ‘“former’” mortal ages and again certifies His actions with ‘“It is done!’”7 He assures the overcoming saint he ‘“shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son,’” (Revelation 21:4-8, NKJV). We will live together with, learn from and serve God and Christ in the indescribably glorious and beautifully Jewish accented New Jerusalem “forever and ever,” (Revelation 21:9-22:5, NKJV)!8
1 Read the August 13, 2023 post, There Is A New Beginning!, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
2 See the June 12, 2016 post, The Day Of Israel’s Comfort, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
3 See the September 24, 2017 post, Christ To Restore All Things, under the categories Bible Prophecy and The Cause.
4 Professed Christians practicing sin in the face of Christ are assured of His chastening in Scripture (1 Corinthians 11:23-32; Revelation 3:19). This being so, He calls for His wayward sheep in the pews and pulpits to turn back to Him in this Ministry’s latest Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, on YouTube. Isn’t your life worth thirty minutes?
5 The Lord led me to write on the topic of His design of man to be mortal as a first stage, then, immortal as a second in posts that run from July 3, 2016 through August 14, 2016.
6 For more on these events read the December 27, 2015 post, People And Guns, under the category, Biblical Worldview and the one on November 13, 2022, Jesus Christ: God’s Perfect King, under the category, Glory To God!
7 Read the August 6, 2023 post, The Last Day Of The End, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
8 Being eternal sons, disciples and servants is the destiny of every aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:7) as He leads me to unflinchingly write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. It is available in the Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Editions along with the companion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
Happy Father’s Day first and foremost to my heavenly Father who has taught me from His Word and perfectly modeled what He the original Father designed us men in this present mortal age to be after Him and then to every human father that will read this edited 2013 blog repost. On this same day this year, I also celebrate Juneteenth with fellow black Americans. God the Father has big and eternal plans for all mankind that are His adopted sons by faith in His only begotten Son revealed in His Word and which we begin to examine in this blog.
Originally Posted May 19, 2013
On top of all else being done in rebellion against God, His Anointed and Word in these latter days, professing Christian women as feminist rebels and their male sympathizers are re-translating the Bible to make it less offensive to females written as it is by men inspired of God to men as its first audience. These new translations of the Bible have ranged in their changes from the use of gender neutral words to diminish male references all the way to the blasphemous and idolatrous re-casting of God as either feminine or androgynous in Person and voice. To say this is grave iniquity is understatement to the extreme!
The Bible is the special record of God’s Self-revelation to and purposeful acts in dealings with His creature, man. As such, the Word of God is sacred and forever settled (Psalm 119:89; Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:22-25). Therefore, why would anyone not fear to tamper with it? Rather than waiting until the end of this writing, in accord with the warnings of God in His Word, let every person be warned now that all efforts to change or twist the Scriptures (even for the cause of the Gospel) are evil in His sight and the guilty will not go unpunished (Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Jeremiah 23:33-40; 2 Peter 3:14-16; Revelation 22:18-19)!
Knowing then, that I too must fear corrupting the Word of God, receive the following instruction which in some instances expands what is presented in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. God is the Author and Editor of the Bible that used men as inspired writing instruments by way of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). God used men in writing the Bible and targets them as His first audience because they are His chosen leaders in the home, the service of His house and larger society (Genesis 1:26, 2:7; 17:1-14; Exodus 28:1, 40:12-16; Deuteronomy 6:1-9, 16:16-17; Matthew 1:1-25, 4:18-22; Luke 6:12-16; 1 Corinthians 11:1-3; 1 Timothy 2:12-14, 3:1-7).
Many professing Christians will and should accept the foregoing without question because it is God’s Word! However, for any number of worldly reasons with fear of feminism’s rebels, some stumble over and resist the Bible’s presentation of the culture and creatures of Heaven along with God and man in the masculine and masculinity as the source cause of the divine paternal interest in eternal sons. Truly, masculinity is the norm of spiritual reality, existing eternally without physical form. Angels in Scripture called “sons of God” are always referred to in the masculine and with appropriate names,” (Job 1:6; Luke 1:19, NKJV). They never appear as females, engage in romantic relationships or procreate. Interestingly, fallen angels that breached divine restriction long ago took only human male physical bodily form as a preference (Genesis 6:4; Jude 6).
God has descriptive names such as “Lord of hosts” suitable to the ancient masculine business of battle (1 Samuel 17:45-47, NKJV). Heaven’s worship culture heaps expressions of praise upon God fitting to the divine masculine Person (Revelation 4:9-11)! The One God of Scripture is revealed to us in three Persons: Father, Son (Word) and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-2, 14-18, 14:16-17). The three Persons of the triune God are purposely represented to us in their masculine Person and voice since from eternity this is who God is (Psalm 90:2)! If this is how God is revealed to us, then who are we for any reason to make the divine over as we want (Exodus 3:13-15)?
Man in person is made in the masculine image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). Man as male and female share the masculine image and likeness of God divided in physical body by divine design and order (Genesis 1:27; 1 Corinthians 11:7-9). Thus, the natural inner qualities of females historically considered uniquely feminine are actually those embodied in masculinity. For example, generally speaking, human females are more empathetic and tender hearted than males. However, Jesus Christ, God and fully male in mortal, bodily form thoroughly empathizes with sin weakened humanity and describes Himself as “gentle and lowly in heart” toward us (Matthew 9:35-38, 11:28-29, NKJV). Was He presenting Himself as a female or quite naturally displaying the masculine nature of divinity?
The Father is the original Father figure, Supreme Head and Chief Ruler of His forever family as well as all existence (Ephesians 3:14-15)! The Son of God joyfully submits to and expresses the Father’s will while the Holy Spirit (referred to in Scripture as “He”) in power gladly carries out the unified will of God (Genesis 1:1-3; Psalm 33:6). The divine Father-Son relationship from eternity continued after the Son added Man the creature to His being and dwelt among 1st century Israel. Their relationship is plainly as well as repeatedly presented throughout the New Testament (Matthew 3:13-17, 17:1-5; 2 Peter 1:16-18; 1 John 1:1-3). Indeed, the Lord Jesus did not flinch or shrink back from publically asserting His familial relationship to God the Father.
I write in my book that Christ, the eternal Son of God, honored His Father in everything to the death (John 14:28-31; Philippians 2:6-8)! He revealed how as a Son, His Father had taught Him to perform in His many responsibilities including that of raising the dead and judging men (John 5:16-30). He also spoke only the things His Father taught Him to say; looking up to, honoring and loving His Father (John 7:15-19, 8:26-30, 37-59). The Lord taught His disciples to relate to God as Father in the same way He did (Matthew 5:16, 48, 6:1-18; John 16:25-28) for He had come to bring those who believe in Him into the divine family (John 17:20-26; Hebrews 2:5-18). Hallelujah!
As adopted sons by faith, the male and female disciples of Christ become real spiritual sons of the family unlike angels who as servants to the heirs of salvation were honored with a title only (Galatians 4:1-7; Hebrews 1:13-14). On this side of Christ’s return, His men and women disciples without discrimination are being made over into His divine masculine image in nature and character as sons of God (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). The transformation of the eternal sons of God will be completed in their bodies at the resurrection to immortal glory when Christ returns. Whoever stumbles over and resists these truths, stumbles over and resists God’s Word and should repent (Psalm 119:128)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
As the Lord leads, in this post for now, I wrap up talking about His Father’s planned eternal day very near; that day He has prepared for those He has saved from His just wrath against sinners by grace through faith in Christ which launches it.1 Professed Christians have been the first audience for the posts discussing His eternal day as the culmination of those the Lord led me to write July 2-23, 2023. Depending on whether or not the professed Christian reader was truly saved and faithful, the posts I pray were hope inspiring! If not, then, the Lord made clear His call to return lest you miss out on God’s eternal day.2 As always, unsaved sinners were an important second audience for the posts.
For the sake of the unsaved sinner, as the Holy Spirit gives words and power I humbly yet again declare the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ; that out of God’s love He came into the world to die on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day. All who repent of their sins and place their faith in Christ’s atoning work announced in the Gospel will be forgiven and saved from eternal condemnation and God’s approaching just wrath against sinners. Too, the believer is brought to spiritual birth and eternal life by the Holy Spirit who also marks him out for God’s eternal day (John 3:16-21, 36; Acts 2:36-40; Romans 10:11-13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 1:3-14).
Beyond superficial intellectual assent to the Gospel announcement as belief in its content, the Lord instructs that the one truly saved came to it and Him with the heart of a humble little child. He said, ‘“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven,’” (Matthew 18:1-4, NKJV). To be converted is to experience a real change of heart first toward one’s sins from calloused acceptance to grief they exist with appeal for rescue granted (Matthew 5:2-6)!3 Second, it is to appreciate from the heart what God has done in Christ to deliver us from our sin guilt through unmerited forgiveness (Romans 3:9-4:8, 5:6-11, 6:23).
The Holy Spirit would have me also review what is at stake for the unsaved sinner as one who never accepts the Gospel or one of the many impostors that proliferate within professing Christianity at this hour. If you never receive the Gospel and become converted before dying, at your death you will be sent to Hades under the earth to await the judgment of your works. And not being found in the “Book of Life,” you will be excluded from God’s eternal day in Hell forever (Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15, NKJV)! Concerning religious folk as impostors in and outside of the churches that even in His ‘“name’” do astounding works, the Lord is clear the same fate is yours (Matthew 7:21-23, NKJV).4
The same fate also awaits ‘“anyone’” who ‘“worships the beast (Antichrist) and his image, and receives his mark…’” or who remains hardened to the Gospel up until God in wrath launches His eternal day (Revelation 14:9-11, 16:1-21, NKJV). If it is all like that for unfaithful Christians, the unsaved and religious impostors, how could it be those that abandon the faith as apostates have a place in God’s eternal day? They don’t (John 15:6; Hebrews 3:7-19, 6:4-8, 10:37-39)!5 The Word of the Lord as it is written could not be plainer: ‘“But he who endures to the end will be saved,’” (Matthew 10:22, 24:13; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:19, NKJV). We then, who are by faith truly saved must faithfully endure in it with all perseverance to the end to enjoy God’s eternal day (Hebrews 10:35-36)!6
(I am taking Labor Day off next Sunday, September 3rd with thanks to God for the privilege to labor in His Kingdom causes! He willing, my next post appears September 10th. Enjoy your Labor Day.)
1 Read the following posts: July 30, 2023, There Is An End!, August 13, 2023, There Is A New Beginning! and August 20, 2023, God’s Eternal Day Firmly Established, all un- der the category, Bible Prophecy.
2 As it is referenced in each of the posts noted in the above footnote and now, this one, the Lord is calling His dull of hearing sheep among others as well to turn back to Him with a whole heart through this Ministry’s Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, featured on its dedicated YouTube Channel.
3 Indeed, the transformation of heart in biblical conversion is so thorough, the person saved is described as “a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new,” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV). If that is not you in heart, then, you are not saved!
4 Read the September 4, 2016 post, Christianity The Religion American Style and the related two-part post that begins September 11, 2016, American Culture’s Religion, both under the category, Call To Repent to consider the truth that Christianity as a religion of human invention and practice does not impress God nor can it save!
5 Let every professed Christian and any self-anointed “good person” claiming a spot in God’s eternal day and holy city carefully consider who is excluded by Him and Christ (Revelation 21:8, 27, 22:12-17)!
6 This is most certainly the aim of every aspiring strong man and great woman of God I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. Pick up your Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Edition in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
Not just the possibility, but the reality of human immortality was powerfully unveiled by Jesus Christ when He unlike anyone before Him, rose permanently from the dead! And because the Father has glorified Him and exalted Him to have all authority in Heaven and earth, He now controls death and the realm of the dead (Matthew 28:18; Revelation 1:18). As a result, those that put their faith in the Gospel about Him for salvation are promised to be raised to immortality and glory like Him (John 11:25-26, 17:5, 22). The promise realized will entail sweeping changes in the human experience to that time including male and female as they have been known physically in their mortal bodies.
This is the conclusion of a three part celebratory treatise briefly exploring the resurrection to immortal glory first accomplished by the Father in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and promised also to His followers at His return to earth!
"But someone will say, 'How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come,'" (1 Corinthians 15:35, NKJV)? These questions appear to reflect the mocking tone of those rejecting the possibility of resurrection at Corinth (see 1 Corinthians 15:12). Still, the apostle Paul's answers are genuine, revelatory and authoritative.
First, concerning the body of the resurrected, Paul rebukes the evident unbelief in God’s power and wisdom any person has that ask such questions by calling them “foolish.” He then draws upon the scientifically verifiable reality of a plant seed to illustrate how it first dies before what is contained in its core can spring forth alive. Also, the form of the seed is not the same as the living plant that grows out of it. The dead seed and living plant both have bodies given to them by God. Similarly, our present bodies die and are buried. Our resurrection bodies spring forth alive from them but are not the same as the bodies that died in God’s will (1 Corinthians 15:36-38, NKJV).
The great apostle reminds us that the outer forms of things are not the same all throughout creation. As purposely intended and designed by God the flesh of men, land animals, fish and birds differ from one another. There is also the God designed and breath taking difference between the celestial bodies in the night sky and the unique form of the earth. Among the celestial bodies of the universe star differs from star and our sun has a very different form than the moon. In context, from these readily observable realities Paul instructs that the resurrection body of a Christian designed by God is going to be vastly different from the body that died (1 Corinthians 15:39-42a).
Our mortal bodies die and are buried; the resurrection body is raised immortal. Our dead bodies are buried in sin's disgrace; the resurrection body is raised in the glory of God's redemption and sinless perfection. Our dead bodies are buried in the weakness of sin's consequences; the resurrection body is raised endued by God with power! We now have mortal natural bodies God made from dust. However, the resurrection body God has prepared us is an immortal spiritual body; that is, a body composed of indestructible spiritual substance while also possessing material properties as we saw earlier in the resurrected, immortal body of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:42b-44).
The differences in the natural and spiritual bodies God has made for man are tied respectively to Adam and Christ. The first man, Adam, was created by God "a living being" with a natural body from dust. All sinful mankind has come from his natural body and bears his image. Christ is the second and final Adam from Heaven! After His death, burial and resurrection in the cause of saving those who will believe in Him, He became a "life giving spirit" imparting eternal life to His followers. We are currently being transformed inwardly to bear His image. At the resurrection, our natural bodies will be transformed to conform to the masculine likeness of Christ's own glorious, immortal spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-3, NKJV)!
Now, the apostle Paul makes it overwhelmingly clear that what the Lord first led me to write in my book is accurate when he writes, "flesh and blood (the natural body) cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption," (1 Corinthians 15:50, NKJV, emphasis mine). Our natural bodies are not fit for what is planned for us as eternal sons. Hence, God reveals a previously unknown fact through Paul that not every Christian will taste death, but "we shall all be changed" in an instant at Christ’s return (1 Corinthians 15:51-53, NKJV). The dead are raised immortals first. Then living saints are transformed into immortals and all take flight (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)!
At this point, we that are receiving such knowledge by faith ought to join Paul in his celebratory victory shout of praise and be encouraged to remain "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" assured it is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:54-58, NKJV)! Not only are we to be joyfully laboring to proclaim this good news of salvation, resurrection and immortal glory through Jesus Christ, but "the hope of glory" ought to inform every part of our present, mortal lives; enabling our heavenly perspective on all things and Christ-like living now (Colossians 1:24-29, 3:1-11). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
I am intrigued and staggered every time I read in God’s Word how all of what we have as history, taking place today and foretold for the future is the manifest unfolding of His sovereign purposes and plans prepared before such a thing as time--His purposeful construct for this present age and creation (Genesis 1:14-19; Joshua 10:12-15; Isaiah 38:4-8; Ephesians 1:3-14, 3:1-13; 2 Timothy 1:8-12; Titus 1:1-3). This continuum of purposes and plans originating with God the Father from eternity is all about His will to have sons after the image of God the eternal Son (Daniel 3:24-25; Luke 1:30-35; John 1:1-5, 14-18, 34, 8:54-58; Romans 8:28-29; Colossians 1:13-17)!
Sent to us from Heaven by the Father with His message, God the eternal Son and Word is Himself “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person;” “upholding all things by the word of His power,” (Hebrews 1:1-3a, NKJV). The Father’s message to mankind through His Son, Jesus Christ, is His love, grace and mercy motivated Good News of sin remission through forgiveness for all who will repent, believe in Him and His finished work of salvation on the cross (Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-47; John 3:16-18; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Hebrews 1:3b). He, as also the firstborn Son of the sons of God from among mankind stands greater than angels (Hebrews 1:4-12).
Though the holy angels were once titled sons of God for their devotion and loyalty to God (Job 1:6, 2:1), they were not created for this purpose. They were created to be servants of God in all of the divine will including ministering to His only begotten and “for those who will inherit salvation,” (Psalms 103:20-21, 104:4; Matthew 4:8-11; Luke 22:43; Acts 5:17-23, 27:22-25; Hebrews 1:13-14, NKJV). It is solely the inheritors of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God from eternity and Son of Man by incarnation that receive adoption and relationship with God the Father as eternal sons (John 1:10-13, 3:1-8, 14:6; Romans 8:14-15; Galatians 4:4-6).1
Indeed, from the dust God formed and gave life to Adam created in the divine image and likeness to be the first man and eternal “son of God” in mortal form to whom the Lord Jesus as a Man in the natural flesh is related (Genesis 1:26a, 2:7; Luke 3:23-38, NKJV). From Adam through his seed all to follow were intended to be eternal sons of God, but he sinned incurring God’s promised consequence of physical and spiritual death along with alienation from the Father upon himself and his progeny (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:6-11, 17-4:10). Now, sin was unleashed and permanently resided in mortal man’s nature. Only those with a heart for God called upon His name (Genesis 4:16-26).
This is how it was for millennia until at His perfect pre-planned moment God sent His eternal Son, Jesus Christ, into the world a second Adam to save the willing from among fallen mankind. And why? Again, is it not because of His intent in love from the beginning that man from the dust should be exalted to the glory of eternal sons of God? Yes and so, Christ came to suffer and die on the cross to atone for man’s sins and reconcile us back to God (Romans 5:6-21; 2 Corinthians 5:17-6:2). After His resurrection He brings “many sons to glory” from among those who believe to share in His (Hebrews 2:5-10, NKJV) and with Him receive God’s inheritance (Romans 8:16-17; Galatians 4:7)!
Only born again male followers of Jesus Christ have the experience of being both mortal and eternal sons of God in the image of the first Adam and Him, the second during this present age by His purposeful design.2 As I have repeatedly written, this does not make males better than our female counterparts, but all the more accountable to God for fulfilling His assigned roles and responsibilities as sons of this age. Males in the image of God the Father are His elect leaders and are to govern accordingly. This is no easy task when you are a sinner by nature and come up woefully short of His glory in character. In fact, without God’s help it would be impossible to do His will and please Him!
For this reason, I praise Him as a redeemed fallen son and aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics;3 who among His tasks during His first coming was to show males how to be men and sons in His eternal image as the Son as well as help us (John 5:16-20, 8:25-30, 13:12-17, 14:12-26, 15:1-8; Ephesians 4:17-24; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 2:11-18, 4:14-16). In my journey since 1977 I have needed and repeatedly called upon the risen Lord Jesus in weakness, sin and failure for His help to be the man and carry out the roles and responsibilities our Father has assigned both for this mortal age and the endless eternal ages to come. If you profess to know Him, sir, I urge you to also do the same!
1 Read the three-part post beginning January 29, 2017, Jesus, Son Of Man, under the category, The Cause.
2 See the July 3, 2016 post, Man As God Designed Him, under the category, God’s Creatures.
3 The book is published by Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. and available in print or digital formats at major internet booksellers. You can also purchase a print
copy in the Strong Man Store.
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