1. What thoughts and feelings do you have about heaven?

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1 Sermon Summary There is an already to our holiness, but there is also a not yet. We are already holy, but we are not yet glorified. Before Christ, we couldn t help but sin. After we met Christ, we had power over sin, but find it still possible to sin. But, one day, we won t be able to sin! Getting to Know Each Other 1. What thoughts and feelings do you have about heaven? Leader s Notes: The passage through which Chris preached has to do with heaven, or glorification, and the perfect holiness from Christ we will experience at that point. As such, it may be good to start your group by hearing from folks regarding heaven. As the text itself will answer many questions about heaven and the glorified state, the Getting to Know Each Other section probably isn t the place to correct errant thoughts and feelings about heaven; rather, allow people to get what they really think and feel on the table and let God s Spirit and word take it from there Getting Into the Bible 1 Corinthians 15: So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 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 Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being ; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 1. Paul opens the passage in verse 42 by saying So is it with the resurrection of the dead. About what is he talking? Look back at verses for the idea to which Paul is referring. Leader s Notes: In verses Paul sets forth the idea of sowing and reaping and establishes at least two points: 1) the seed sown must first die before it can be sown and become what it ultimately will become (verse 36) and 2) just as the plant differs vastly from its kernel (though in some ways there is continuity between the kernel and the plant), so the glorified body of heaven differs vastly from the earthly body (verse 40). Thus, Paul says in verse 42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead, that is, the resurrected body differs vastly from the earthly body (though in some ways there is continuity between the earthly body and the resurrected body). Then

2 Paul goes on to tell his readers how the resurrected body differs (i.e. is better) than the earthly body. 2. In verses 42b-44, Paul makes four contrasts between the bodies of believers now and the bodies of believers in glorification: Bodies Now Is perishable Sown in dishonor Sown in weakness Sown a natural body Bodies in Glorification Is imperishable Raised in glory Raised in power Raised a spiritual body Discuss the contrasts. Which is the most powerful contrast to you? Leader s Notes: Wayne Grudem s comments are helpful on these contrasts. See below: Perishable/Imperishable The fact that our new bodies will be imperishable means that they will not wear out or grow old or ever be subject to any kind of sickness or disease. They will be completely healthy and strong forever. Moreover, since the gradual process of aging is part of the process by which our bodies now are subject to corruption, it is appropriate to think that our resurrection bodies will have no sign of aging, but will have the characteristics of youthful but mature manhood or womanhood forever. There will be no evidence of disease or injury, for all will be made perfect. Our resurrection bodies will show the fulfillment of God s perfect wisdom in creating us as human beings who are the pinnacle of his creation and the appropriate bearers of his likeness and image. In these resurrection bodies we will clearly see humanity as God intended it to be. 1 Sown in dishonor/raised in glory Paul also says our bodies will be raised in glory. When this term is contrasted with dishonor, as it is here, there is a suggestion of the beauty or attractiveness of appearance that our bodies will have. They will no longer be dishonorable or unattractive, but will look glorious in their beauty. Moreover, because the word glory is so frequently used Scripture of the bright shining radiance that surrounds the presence of God himself, this term suggests that there will also be a kind of brightness or radiance surrounding our bodies that will be an appropriate outward evidence of the position of exaltation and 1 Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology, Zondervan: Grand Rapids,

3 rule over all creation that God has given to us. This is also suggested in Matthew 13:43, where Jesus says, Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. 2 Sown in weakness/raised in power Our bodies will also be raised in power (1 Cor. 15:43). This is in contrast to the weakness which we see in our bodies now. Our resurrection bodies will not only be free from disease and aging, they will also be given fullness of strength and power not infinite power like God, of course, and probably not what we would think of as superhuman power in the sense possessed by the superheroes in modern fictional children s writing, for example, but nonetheless full and complete human power and strength, the strength that God intended human beings to have in their bodies when he created them. It will therefore be strength that is sufficient to do all that we desire to do in conformity with the will of God. 3 Sown a natural body/raised a spiritual body Paul says that the body is raised a spiritual body (1 Cor. 15:44). In the Pauline epistles, the word spiritual (Greek pneumatikos) seldom means nonphysical but rather consistent with the character and activity of the Holy Spirit (see, for example, Rom. 1:11; 7:14; 1 Cor. 2:13, 15; 3:1; 14:37; Gal. 6:1 [ you who are spiritual ]; Eph. 5:19). The RSV translation, It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body, is misleading, and a more clear paraphrase would be, It is sown a natural body subject to the characteristics and desires of this age, and governed by its own sinful will, but it is raised a spiritual body, completely subject to the will of the Holy Spirit and responsive to the Holy Spirit s guidance. Such a body is not at all nonphysical, but it is a physical body raised to the degree of perfection for which God originally intended it In verse 45 Paul refers to the first man Adam and the last man Adam. About whom is he speaking? Why is this important to his overall argument about glorification? Leader s Notes: The first man Adam is the Adam of Adam and Eve; the last man Adam is Jesus Christ. Paul goes on to say in verse 47 The first man was from the earth (that is, God created Adam from the dust), a man of dust; the second man is from heaven (that is, Jesus is eternally God who became a man). 2 Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology, Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Ibid. 4 Ibid.

4 The point is that both Adam and Jesus are representatives. God created Adam by breathing life into him in order that he might obey God and remain in perfect community with God. Because of Adam s disobedience, however, he forfeited this ability. All of us, accordingly, have been born of Adam and have borne the image of the man of dust (verse 49) unable to realize relationship with God both now and forever. In this way Adam represents us all and we are all in Adam. For those who trust in Jesus, however, they move from being in Adam to being in the second Adam (or, in Christ). Whereas in Adam we are unable to obtain relationship with God both now and forever, the second Adam is a life-giving spirit (verse 45). In and of ourselves, because of our sin nature inherited from Adam, we are not able to reach out and grasp hold of God; so, the second Adam came to give life by dying for our death and rising for our life. Then, when we die at the end of this life, if we are in the second Adam, we will rise like him and experience the glorified state with him. This point, therefore, is crucial to Paul s argument about experiencing the glorified state with God. We must be in the second Adam to do so; we must have Jesus, the perfect Adam and life-giving spirit, as our representative. 4. In verse 49, what does it mean that we have borne the image of the man of dust? Accordingly, what does it mean that we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven? Leader s Notes: We have borne the image of the man of dust As noted, the man of dust is Adam. We have borne his image on the positive side as ones created in the image of God and a little lower than the angels. On the negative side, we have inherited Adam s sin nature, rendering us unable, in and of ourselves, to fully regain our God given identity in perfect, holy relationship with him. In the gospel of Jesus Christ, however, as has been preached in this series, when a person trusts in Jesus he or she is definitively made holy. God pardons them from all of their sin; no punishment for sin remains though the saint continues to sin until glorification. God changes their nature, making them one able to sin but also able not to sin; making them one who desires, loves, and longs for holiness, restoration, and purity. And, God gives, by the deposit of the Holy Spirit, the hope of glory We shall also bear the image of the man of heaven Though a person is definitively made holy at conversion, God completes his sanctifying work at the person s death or Jesus return, whichever comes first. In other words, at death the believer s holiness is completed. She no longer has the ability to sin and takes on fully the image of the man of heaven, Jesus. It is, indeed, the image of which she had demonstrated glimpses in this life but is completely

5 recognizable then. As John says, When [Jesus] appears we shall be like him (1 John 3:2) and Paul For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known (1 Cor. 13:12). Application 5. How could focusing more on the believer s glorification help in our current circumstances? Leaders Notes: Forever with God has everything to do with how we live in the here and now. Paul says, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). The idea is that glorification with God forever is so much greater than the sufferings of this world that we can approach our circumstances with heavenly hope, resolve and even joy. The surety that comes by dwelling on the fact that God will complete his good work of salvation in believers is more powerful than any lesser assurance. Another thought is that Paul says if Jesus hasn t been raised our faith is futile and we re still in our sins and that we should simply eat, drink, and die (1 Cor. 15:17, 32). That is, if Jesus hasn t been raised there is no hope, life is meaningless, and we who trust in Jesus should be pitied above all men. BUT, Paul asserts that Jesus has been raised and therefore he was willing to die every day and fight beasts in Ephesus (1 Cor. 15:32). Simply stated, the hope of resurrection and obtain the glorified body gives purpose to our lives.