Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Corinthians 15:35-49.  Here is a link to that Scripture – Click here: 1 Corinthians 15 NASB – The Fact of Christs Resurrection Now I – Bible Gateway  We will focus on the following verses 42 to 49.

 

“⁴² So also is the resurrection of the dead.  It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;  ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;  it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;  ⁴⁴ it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.  If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.  ⁴⁵ So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.”  The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.  ⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural;  then the spiritual.  ⁴⁷ The first man is from the earth, earthy;  the second man is from heaven.  ⁴⁸ As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy;  and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.  ⁴⁹ Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.”  1 Corinthians 15:35-49.

 

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There are many benefits of the resurrection to us.  Through the resurrection, we will obtain eternal life.  Through the resurrection, we will have no more tears and no more fears.  Through the resurrection, we will live in beautiful heaven.  Through the resurrection, we will no longer be affected by or even be around the wicked.  Through the resurrection, we will dwell with God.  See, for example, Revelation Chapter 22.

 

There are also many other benefits of the resurrection to us including the focus of today’s Scripture:  heavenly bodies.  Especially as we grow older and increasingly deal with the aches, pain, weakness, and other limitations of our frail earthly bodies, we look forward to receiving heavenly bodies.

 

We love to imagine what our heavenly bodies would be like.  We tend to base our imagination of our heavenly bodies on our earthly bodies:  stronger and free from such aches, pain, weakness, and other limitations.  In a certain sense, all of that may be true.  But, today’s Scripture gives us a better way to think of our heavenly bodies.

 

Rather than only basing our imagination of our heavenly bodies on our earthly bodies, we should think of our heavenly bodies in terms of different contrasts.  Our earthly body can be compared to a dead kernel of grain (“a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else” – verse 37) while our heavenly body can be compared to a living stalk of waving, beautiful wheat.  “So also is the resurrection of the dead.  It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;  it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;  it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;”  Verses 42 and 43.

 

^“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.  We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.  And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”  1 John 3:2-3.