The Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus, part 10

This amazing chapter moves from the resurrection of Jesus to our resurrection and it will return as Paul continues to give us amazing promise after promise. Here’s another:-

“I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15 v 50-54)

All of your weakness and decay and all that is fragile and limited will not enter the realm that God has prepared for you. Isn’t that amazing?! If you are waking today and life is just one struggle then look ahead to what is before you.

There is a mystery (v51), a divine secret that is beyond our understanding:- Some Christians will be alive when this event happens. (Paul uses sleep as Jesus and the other apostle did for those who have passed away; it’s a much better description!) The alive Christians and those that are ‘asleep’ will be instantaneously, miraculously, transformed  and our mortality is swallowed up by LIFE.

God has prepared a complete transformation for His people and yet our humanity though fundamentally different will still be recognisable.

This means today we live with hope. We may have struggles, limitations and we may grieve for those who have died. But sorrow lasts only for a night. There is a morning, a sounding of the trumpet when all things will be changed but our very essence, our personality, our core identity remains. We will not be replaced but renewed.

At the sound of the trumpet transformation will come. And victory, complete, total, overwhelming victory will be ours! Amen!