Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20010506.htm

1 CORINTHIANS: MINISTERING TO BELIEVERS WITH DEEP PAGAN BACKGROUNDS
Part XXIX: Encouragement To Live Righteously TODAY
(1 Corinthians 15:35-58)
  1. Introduction
    1. On any given day, a believer might think his functioning that day is insignificant in God's eternal plan!
    2. Paul addresses this issue with a great motivation regarding every moment of this life in 1 Cor. 15:35-58:
  2. Encouragement To Live Righteously TODAY, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58.
    1. Since some at Corinth taught this mortal body would not be raised, it left open the reasoning that one could grossly sin in this current, earthly body with no eternal consequences, 1 Cor. 15:12, 32b.
    2. Paul's reaction to this presumption was to show how the believer's resurrection body is related to his present, mortal body, making the believer currently responsible to live a holy life now, 1 Cor. 15:35-58:
      1. The glorified body will reflect the same person who resided in this present mortal body, 15:36-37:
        1. The believer's glorified body is but a new format of this present, mortal body, 1 Cor. 15:36-37.
        2. Hence, the glorified body carries many similarities to this present mortal one (as follows): (a) The glorified body has bones, skin and muscular structure like the old, Luke 24:38; John 20:26-28. (Since the believer will be like Christ in His resurrection body, we can use descriptions of Christ's glorified body to describe the believer's new body, 1 John 3:2.) (b) The glorified body contains organs that will assimilate food like the original body, Luke 24:41-42a; Revelation 22:2; Mtt. 26:29. (c) The glorified body has the ability to speak and to make cognitive decisions as does the old, Luke 24:36. (d) The glorified body will have a vocal pattern identical to that of the mortal body, cf. John 20:15-16 where Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus by His familiar vocal pattern! (e) The glorified body will be able to read human emotional patterns in others, Luke 24:38, meaning it will have the capacity to understand emotions. (f) The glorified body will retain the non-sinful personality habits and traits of the believer in his mortal life, cf. Luke 24:30. (g) The new body will be useful in comprehending Scripture truth, Luke 24:27, 44-45 with 1 Corinthians 13:9-12. (h) The glorified body will be used to express the same godly love as was expressed in the mortal state, 1 Corinthians 13:8, 13; Ephesians 1:3-4.
      2. The difference between the coming glorified body and the believer's present, mortal one is not one of identity, but one of ability and quality due to the way the glorified body will exist, 1 Cor. 15:38-57:
        1. The glorified body, being complete, will be asexual, for it will not need to reproduce in God's plan for the believer's future, Mark 12:25.
        2. The glorified body will be celestial, capable not only of earthly travel, but also of travel in the atmosphere at faster than the speed of light, Acts 1:9-10 with Hebrews 1:3.
        3. The new body will have no sin or sin nature: it will not contain the contaminating qualities of death or corruption in it as a result, 1 Corinthians 15:53-54.
        4. The glorified body will be free to express God's indwelling glory in an unveiled manner; the believer will thus shine as does a star for eternity, Daniel 12:2-3.
      3. Since the glorified body is merely an improved (sinless, glorified, immortal) format of the old, what the believer does in his current state is immediately influential on his eternal state, 1 Cor. 15:58. Paul applies this truth to one's works, and John and Luke provide added insight as follows:
        1. The works of righteousness done in this mortal body will be visible on the garment worn over the glorified body in the resurrection state, Revelation 19:8.
        2. The degree of faithfulness in the current life will affect the degree of station the believer will be assigned in the glorified state, Luke 19:16-27.
Lesson: Since our ETERNAL body and experience in it is BASED UPON our faithfulness to God in our current, UNGLORIFIED body, it is VERY important for us believers to use the PRESENT opportunity to the fullest advantage as NOW may be ALL the opportunity we have left to affect the outcome of heavenly REWARDS (if the rapture occurs soon)!

Application: Let us ALWAYS be ABOUNDING in the work of the Lord, ESPECIALLY TODAY, for our labor in THESE mortal BODIES RIGHT NOW is NOT in VAIN in the Lord!