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Off the voice of mercy sounded sweet as music to the ear.
Grace abounds where sin abounded. This the word that soothed our fear.
Grace, the sweetest sound we know. Grace to sinners here below #138.
So the voice of mercy.
Something.
Sweet as you said today.
Pray for us.
What is that?
Praise God.
Praise somebody.
Only.
Accompanying him, we just have sung him #47.
Gray's daughter, 100 feet.
And the sun wise, it's our rainy wild fried.
Pray I.
Won't go. There is grace, Water Lord.
We have one, but again.
Verse 20 where the parenthesis begins and refer back.
Be all right, brother Chuck.
Other verses we want.
First one is a good place this morning.
First Corinthians, chapter 15.
First Corinthians chapter 15, beginning at verse 20.
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that's left. For sins. By man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam or die, Even so in Christ shall all be made alive, but every man in his own order, Christ the first fruits afterwards.
They that are Christ at his coming, then cometh the end.
When he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father.
When he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power, for he must reign till he had put all enemies under his feet, The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, for he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is accepted which did put all things under him.
And when all things shall be subdued unto him.
Then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be All in all else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead? If the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for the dead? And why stand we in jeopardy? Every hour I protest by your rejoicing, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I die daily if after the manner of man. I have fought with beasts at Ephesus. What advantage it me if the dead rise not let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die, but be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness and sin not, for some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
But some men will say, How are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come thou? For that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it died. And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bear grain. It may chance of wheat, or some other grain, but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of man, and other flesh of beasts and other of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies and bodies to terrestrial, but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon.
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And another glory of the stars for one star different from another star in glory.
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is soon in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. It is song in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power.
It is song, a natural body. It is raised, a spiritual body.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written. The 1St man Adam was made a living soul. The last Adam was made a quickening spirit. How Beeth? That was not first which is spiritual, but which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual. The 1St man is of the earth earthy. The 2nd man is the Lord from heaven.
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy, and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, neither does corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption.
And this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallow up in victory. Oh, death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren.
Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Had before us the different witnesses that saw the Lord in resurrection, and last of all of them was Paul who saw him. I'd like to call attention to distinction in the way that Paul saw the Lord, because all the rest saw the Lord in his resurrected body here on earth, but Paul didn't see him on earth.
Paul saw him in heaven. This is the same man who was on earth and appeared. And this characterizes Paul. His view, his presentation of Christ is the man in heaven. And it's significant, I think, to us in improving.
The Lord Jesus as a man in heaven.
There's another distinction about the Lord Jesus resurrection to that I think is important to notice that there were others who were raised from the dead before the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament even and Lazarus and others in the New Testament, but they were not raised in a in a body like.
The Lord Jesus, they were raised in the same earthly body and presumed to have died again. The Lord Jesus was distinct in that. That's why one of the reasons it calls him the first fruits here. This is singular. This is different. When the Lord Jesus was raised, there was a new creation, there was a spiritual body and the chapter develops this. This was a whole.
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New order, a whole new beginning in the Lord Jesus.
Resurrection. So I think it's important to see that. It's nice to see that the Lord had the power to raise the dead.
Other prophets in the Old Testament exercised it. One of them is significant in Elisha, who lay in the grave a while, and when another man was cast into that grave, he came alive. He was quickened.
Perhaps a picture of the Lord, the death of the Lord Jesus, a quickening spirit. Our faith in him as the man who died and rose gives life, the same life that the Lord Jesus had in his resurrected body.
That's interesting. It's a life that can no longer die.
And as you say, the others, as far as we know, that were raised from the dead in the Old and the New Testament.
Died again, but the Lord Jesus rose in the power of a life that cannot die any longer. As mentioned yesterday, there's a verse in Romans 7 that's very clear that way. Just like to read it in verse nine. I'm sorry. It's Romans 6 and verse 9, knowing that Christ being raised from the dead.
Dieth no more death, hath no more dominion over him.
I'd like to just mention that really the life of the believer today is a is resurrection life. It is a life that can never die.
Death may touch this physical body because this physical body is what connects me with the first creation, but the life of believer in the Lord Jesus has is a life that will never die when death touches this body.
We are translated into the presence of the Lord Jesus to be with Christ. So we really, in that sense of the word, will never die. The life we have can never die. And it's beautiful to get that. And that's why the Lord Jesus is the first fruits. He's the first one who came to life in the power of a life that cannot die.
And so he's called the first fruits here in these verses that we started out in verse 20, and in verse 23 he's called the first fruits.
In this verse we begin with slept, or as Mr. Darby says, those that have fallen asleep. He's become the first fruits of those that have fallen asleep.
And I think it's helpful when we take up the Scripture to realize the different words and expressions are taken up in different contexts. We know what the word sleep means in a natural sense, but it's really used in three different ways in the Word of God. Sometimes it does refer to physical sleep. When the Lord Jesus was here, there was an occasion when he was so weary that he lay his head on a borrowed pillow in a borrowed boat and he slept.
He physically slept, and so sleep in scripture often has to do with lying down and physically sleeping Sometimes, like in Romans chapter 13 I believe it is. Well, let's just read it to get it.
Romans, chapter 13.
And verse 11 and that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Now this is not physical sleep here. This is an exhortation to every one of us. We're sitting here wide awake this morning in these seats, but we have an exhortation that it's high time to awake out of sleep. This sleep refers to the spiritual lethargy.
And dullness that can come in to our souls if we're not careful.
And what he's telling the Saints here is the Lord's coming is near, and we don't want to be just drifting along in a state of lethargy or.
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Spiritual sleep just drifting along with the current of the world. No, we need to be awake to these precious things and awake to our testimony and living for Christ and our heavenly calling and so on. But sleep in this chapter is taken up in a little different way. It's mentioned three times. Just go back to the.
1St we noticed yesterday verse six of our chapter.
At the end of the verse he says of whom the greater part remained to this present.
But some are falling asleep. And then just jump ahead to the 51St verse. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. And in the 20th verse where we begin, he uses the expression again, What is the sleep here? Well, sleep here is the temporary state of the body when a believer dies. Now it's interesting that in Scripture, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
It is only those that die in faith that are referred to as asleep and it's always in connection with the body. The spirit is always in the conscious sense of something beyond this, this life. The Lord Jesus pulled the curtain aside and Luke and told about the rich man and Lazarus and how one was in the conscious sense of torment and the other in the conscious sense of bliss. And so it never refers to soul sleepless. There are those who have taught over the years, but it's the sleep of the body. Now why is the are the bodies of those who have died in faith referred to as being asleep?
Because sleep is only a temporary state of things. When we lay a loved one who's died in faith in the grave, it's not the end of the story. That body is sleeping, is laid there only temporarily. We lay down and slept last night and in the normal course of things that we considered it a temporary measure that we were going to get up this morning, which we did, and go on our way. And so we lay the body of a loved one in the tomb. It's a temporary measure waiting for the resurrection.
Of that body. And that's why he says at the end in the 51St verse, we shall not all sleep. In other words, you and I aren't looking for death. We're not looking to be late in the tomb. We're looking for the change. And we'll all be changed whether we have fallen asleep in Christ or whether we're waiting for the rapture. We're all waiting for the same thing, just in a different waiting place. We're all waiting to have changed bodies, but we shall not all sleep.
So I think it's just helpful to see that sleep is taken up in these three different ways. Physical sleep of the body. We need rest for our bodies here in this world. Sometimes it's in connection with the spiritual lethargic nests of the that we can fall into as believers, and it's high time to awake out of sleep. And sometimes it's in connection with the death of a Saint of God temporarily laid in the grave, waiting for the awakening at the shout.
Connection with what's just been said.
When God created man, he created his body 1St and having created a body suited to earthly life.
He then breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul.
Sin comes into the world, and after that, that is a body of death.
Because of sin in it and so that body of that first creation of God.
Even though that person continues to have the life that was.
Placed in the body at the time of its creation, as it says in Romans, it's a body of death.
When we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are born from above.
That's what new birth is. We receive a new life and that new life resides in the same physical body that we were born with. But, and that to me, this is the wonderful thing. From that point, before we put our trust in the Lord Jesus, God looked at us as dead.
Dead in trespasses and sins. No life toward God. And so God's viewed us as dead.
But when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus.
We have a new life, we belong to a new creation, but we still live in those bodies that were part of the first creation. However, from that point on, that is from the time we put our trust in the Lord Jesus and receive life eternal, God never looks at us as dead again.
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We can if we physically die. God still says we're alive and we are consciously alive in his presence. But as Jim just said, as to the body, it's looked at as asleep.
And is asleep until the resurrection day of the rapture for us. So it's a wonderful thing. And John 11, the disciples didn't understand that. And so the Lord says of Lazarus, he sleeps. He's giving God's view of it. Lazarus was just asleep because Lazarus had new life from God.
But they didn't understand, so he changes the point of reference for them and he says, well, Lazarus is dead.
That is, he turned it back to the the point of reference from looked at as from the earth and from the present condition of things. And he said, well, OK, to help them. Lazarus is dead. But it's a wonderful thing for us to enter into and enjoy that we are alive forevermore and while our bodies may sleep.
That's all that as far as it can go. And then we await the resurrection day when we receive a body, which is.
In keeping with the life that has been given to us.
I think it'd be helpful to go back and notice the source of the reference that Paul speaking about here in the first Fruits if we go back to Leviticus 23 and read a couple verses there.
Which is a prophecy, the feast of Jehovah, of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the third feast.
A feast of first fruits.
In Leviticus 23 verse 10 it says, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them.
When you become into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priests, and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you. On the Morrow after the Sabbath, the priest shall wave it, and ye shall offer that day when you wave the sheep.
And he lamb without blemish of the first year.
For a burnt offering unto the Lord, and then a drink offering also follows.
This is a prophecy of the resurrection.
Of the Lord Jesus which followed the Morrow after the previous feast of the Unleavened bread and Passover, which were a prophecy of the death of the Lord Jesus the Lamb. And so you have it referred to here in our chapter. And what that they did on that feast is they.
This was in the springtime when the wheat was still growing.
And before they could partake of it, they were to take and cut a sheaf of the wheat and present it to God and wave it before the Lord. This was a picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And they were to take this sheaf and wave it.
And then they could eat of the new grain that was just being ripe to an edible. And so it's a picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Paul in our chapter is taking this wave sheaf and he's waving it before our souls before the Lord too, in in a sense. And he's making much of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus because Christianity depends on that.
And this is the beginning of where Christianity really begins and the resurrection of the Lord, Lord Jesus, this new creation. And so it's it's good that we take this subject up.
Part of the answer to the parentheses here that begins with verse 20 and it ends at the end of verse 28. And we can mark it as a parentheses by noting that then they also which are falling asleep in Christ are perished and then go to verse 29 as though there's no break in the subject. They'll sweat, shall they do, which are baptized for the dead.
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I believe what our brother Doug is given a nice introduction to this parentheses, but I think it ought to be emphasized just a little bit more.
I'd just like to suggest what our brother London mentioned one time about this parentheses, he said.
That in this parentheses we learn to know God as our Father.
The father has been introduced to us in Christianity not known before, and so that's a lovely feature. And so there's the someone will have to help me out that when they when somebody stole.
For sheep, they had to add a fifth part to it beside restoring.
That which had been taken away. And so he likened that to the restoring that which he took not away in his death to bring the Father, God as our Father to our hearts. And I enjoyed that as something very rich to my soul to learn God as my Father. Like to just refer back to Christy Coleman that she had a terrible upbringing.
Not even to be talked about.
And consequently, through her life, she never could call God her Father because of her earthly father and the terrible torments that that dear one passed through. But at the close of her life, she penned in this book that she wrote up that she said, I know God is my father, and that's the one that I'm going to. So how wonderful to know the Father in Christianity.
In the first creation, it began with life.
And it ends in death. Everything in the first creation dies and is replaced and is removed from God's sake.
What a wonderful thing to see in contrast to that.
New creation begins with a man in death.
Who is raised from the dead?
And in life, and there in life, begins new creation, But it is a creation which is triumphant from its very beginning over death.
And it remains forever. What a wonderful thing that God was dishonored in man.
In that first creation, but God in the man Christ Jesus, who rises from the dead, alive forevermore.
Life giving spirit is to God's honor forever and it will never be replaced. And nothing, absolutely nothing in new creation will ever face death. Everything in the first creation dies or is removed from God's sight, but everything that comes from the new creation remains and that forever. And God is honored in it. God is glorified in it.
That's what we have in verse 23, isn't it? As in Adam.
All die, that's that first creation. Even so in Christ shall all be made alive. So in new creation starts with Jesus and resurrection beyond the power of death, in the power of a life that cannot die. Death has no more power over that position.
Of those who are in new creation.
But there's an order, isn't there? And that's what we have in verse 23. Then every man in his own order.
Doesn't all happen instantaneous, but it's Christ, the firstfruits. That's where it began, the Lord Jesus and resurrection. Oh, brethren, it's wonderful to meditate on the power of God in resurrection. You know, we look at creation as such, and it's a tremendous display of God's power. He spoke and it was done.
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Think of those millions upon millions upon millions of Galaxy that are out there, and he spoke them all into existence. What tremendous power. But we're talking about a power that is different, completely different. It's a power of God in resurrection. It's mentioned, and I'd just like to refer to it in Ephesians chapter one in Paul's prayer for the Ephesians believers.
In verse 19 forward it says what is he wants them to know and here's one of the things he wants them to know. Verse 19, what is.
The exceeding greatness of his power to us word who believe according to the working of his mighty power, it seems like he runs out of adjectives, brother and then talking about this power.
That's working to us who believe towards us who believe which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion. In other words, when he began to raise Jesus from the dead, he did not quit raising Jesus until he was far above all principality and power. There is a man in the glory of God.
He occupies the highest place in the.
Heavens, it says in in chapter 4 of Ephesians, far above all heavens. That's the power that now works towards us, to believe and works in us as well. It's the power of God and as it says here in our chapter in verse.
22 Again it says, Even so, in Christ shall all be made alive.
So in the book of Ephesians we are looked at as raised with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places.
I thought we were seated here in Saint Louis this morning.
What's it talking about? It's God's eternal purposes that will never rest until.
It's full fulfillment, dear brethren. We're seen as occupying that place right here and now. Isn't that wonderful? That's the power of God and resurrection. Even so, in Christ all shall be made alive. God bless the rest.
Would always have an order and that's the topic that Bob just started off with. He would not do it haphazardly. It would have to have an order and it would starts out first, the first fruits if you wrote a paper.
You would put at the top of your paper the topic of what you're going to write about. And in First Corinthians 15 and 12, he wrote. Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? He states why he is writing chapter 15. Some were saying there was no resurrection among the dead. Now we have why he has written a chapter. Now he's going to show.
His facts and what takes place in God's order. And it starts out with first. And if you wrote a topic, you would state what it is in your first paragraph might say first, and then you would list your reasons why your second paragraph might say second and etcetera down the line. And that's why we have verse 23. Now if every man, but every man in his own order, God has an order on this resurrection and his final one is last.
Verse 26, the last enemy you see, he has a beginning, he has a middle section and he has an ending.
About his topic of resurrection. Now brother Jim Retta saw Hebrews 11 and 13 or 13 and 11. Excuse me now, is your salvation nearer than when you believed? I'm not correct? Quote exactly right, but that's real close. Turn with me to first Peter chapter one, please.
First Peter chapter one.
Let's look at verse 5 together. First, Peter one and five who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Our brother Bob was just talking about that power. It wasn't it. We have an omnipotent protector here, don't we? In salvation, originally, we were saved.
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From our sins, we were saved from the punishment of those sins.
Now we are currently being saved from the dominion and the power of sin, but there is a time coming when we will be saved, and there that says through faith unto salvation. That's what we read earlier in Hebrews or in Romans 13 and 11. Now are we closer to that salvation than when we believed? And So what the teaching is here, brothers and sisters, that there is coming a time.
When we will become exactly like Christ and our salvation will be complete, and that's what we're talking about here, is the completion of our salvation will be finished throughout the endless ages of eternity when we're resurrected with Him and our bodies changed like unto Him, and we are in heaven forever. It's the completion of our salvation.
Before we get too far with one of the brothers, go back for the younger people and discuss the difference in the headship of Christ and the headship of Adam and the guilt that we have in Christ as we come into the world.
We have in verse 22, isn't it Mark? It's as in Adam all die.
By Adam, death entered into this world and.
Everyone who participates of that first creation.
Die that ends in death like Don was mentioning, but in Christ shall all be made alive. There is a new creation. Let's go to 2nd Corinthians 5 and verse.
Want to read from verse?
16 It says, wherefore henceforth?
No way. No man after the flesh.
Yeah, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth knowing Him no more.
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, then I read it as it reads in Mr. Darby's translation. There is a new creation. It's not just that the believer in the Lord Jesus is a new creature, that's true, but at the point is that he's part now of a completely new creation.
Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.
Just like to say here, this is the reason when the Lord Jesus presented himself to Mary Magdalene in John chapter 20 in resurrection he says to her, touch me not, for I have not yet ascended unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.
Why did Mary want to touch him? She wanted him back as she had had him here in life. And he in effect was saying to her, no, Mary, you're not going to have me back as you knew me in this life. Now you're going to have me in a completely new relationship, in new creation. Sometimes people wonder about that because they did touch the Lord Jesus in resurrection, He did say.
In another place, handle me and see. But the point is that it's new creation. It's something completely new, and that's why it says in verse 16 here of 2nd Corinthians 5.
Henceforth knowing no man after the flesh. Yeah, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. That's the problem. One of the problems with pictures of Jesus. They're all, of course, fabrications of man's imagination.
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But we don't know Him after the flesh. We know him now in new creation. It's a completely new creation that we know the Lord Jesus in. He's the head of that new creation in resurrection.
Verse 47, The 1St man and the 2nd man. The 1St man was the head of an earthly race of people. That's Adam and everybody in this room.
Is a descendant of Adam.
But in verse 47 in our chapter, the second-half of the verse is the second man is the Lord from heaven. He is the head of a new race, having no as that race, we are all of him.
We who are part of the new creation are our life is of Christ, it is our life. And so He is the head of that new creation, which we might call a new race. There's the 1St man of an earthly race and there's the 2nd man a heavenly race. I'd like to mention two with respect to this matter of the verses in 23, four and five.
It is.
And Adam?
All dying in Christ, all be mating made alive. We have.
In God's work in power, in the first creation, a mighty expression of his power, we look at all the sky and so on. But it's well to remember that when God created all of that, it was before sin.
There was number sin involved. It was a work of God displaying His mighty power and His own glory, and He created it all and it all had perfect order connected with it. But then sin comes into it and now God has to do an even more mighty work of power to deal with that situation, if you will, in which sin had come into that first creation.
To display his own honor and his own glory in the midst of a creation that had been spoiled by sin. And man looks at God and he, he puts God down many times. And what he has to say about God because he only sees the first creation and it's spoiled condition. And he sees man and all his suffering at the present time. And so he's, he says, well, he doesn't think very much often times of God. It's because he does not see the mighty power of God.
Who has worked in that condition of things to send into it? A man.
To do a mighty work of redemption that will deliver man through that work into a new creation in which this man reestablishes, if you will, all the order that belongs to God and is necessary for God's own glory. And so he's the beginning of it. He's the first fruits of it. Into his hands are committed the administration of the new creation.
And he puts down everything that has been allowed to come into the first creation that was disorderly, and not according to God's own nature and being. And this man is put into that administration of things, until absolutely everything that had spoiled the first has been now established in the 2nd and perfect order the very last thing of disorder.
That is, removed from the sight of God is death itself, because it was never the will or the intent of God that there be death in his creation.
Even though man brought it into the first creation and yet the Lord Jesus, that blessed person established by God is the one that Himself is the first fruits. He is the quickening Spirit that gives life to us to participate in it. He then establishes all the order of things under God. He then takes away and the final thing of disorder which is death itself.
And then, as it were, as a man, he presents it to God, and he says.
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Here it is.
Everything is now ordered according to God's own character and God's own heart, and it's for God's glory and he presents it up to God. What a blessed man the Lord Jesus is for our hearts to see that what he is doing for God has done for God and the end result of it when it's delivered up to God. So these verses, this parenthesis, really crescendos with what we often refer to as the eternal state.
Because as you say, it's more than just our being brought into blessing. We have, as we sit here, the wonderful truth in our souls that we've been made a new creation, a new creature in Christ and so on. But God's heart is has already been said, will never really be satisfied until sin is removed from everything that has been created, until his man is the center of everything. God's man is going to be the center of everything.
And I say it crescendos here with the eternal state, because even the Millennium is not going to be a perfect state of things. The serpent will still eat dust in the Millennium. There will still be death in the Millennium. There will still be sin and judgment morning by morning because of it. And so he must reign, as it says, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. Just let's just take the time and go to Revelation for a moment where we have.
We're told very little about the eternal state, but I think it's precious just to read what we have.
And to see the heart of God completely satisfied with the removal of sin, Stoners said. From all that has been created and all that has been tainted and spoiled by sin. Revelation 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the 1St heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. I might just say before I read on that everything, all creation, has been tainted with sin.
And not only this planet as we know it, but man has sent his probes up into the to the universe. Satan is the Prince of the power of the air. All has been spoiled. All that God has created has been spoiled by sin. And so it's going to be all dissolved and done away with. You get it in Peter where he says the element shall melt with fervent heat, and that will introduce the day of God or the eternal state.
And so he's John sees this new heaven and the new earth. There's no more sea. And I, John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God shall be with them and be their God, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death.
Neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And he and he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, right? For these words are true and faithful. And when we read about no more pain and sorrow and death and tears and so on, it's not really talking about heaven. That'll be true of heaven, but it's really talking about a condition of things on the new earth. Finally those things are going to be completely removed.
And there's going to be a sphere of things, brethren, where sin will never be able to enter again. Sin came into the to the first creation. It spoiled the earthly paradise when the Adam eight of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. But God has a purpose and it's a place where sin will never be able to taint or come in again. And really the eternal state will be the fulfillment of what John the Baptist said.
When he saw the Lord Jesus walking, he said, behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. That hasn't happened yet, and it really won't happen in the Millennium either. And although it with Satan bound and the righteous reign and execution against evil work speedily executed, will be to a great degree suppressed and put down and kept at Bay, but it really won't happen until the eternal state. And it's really what the hymn writer referred to, all taint of sin.
Shall be removed, all evil done away, and we shall dwell with God's beloved through God's eternal day.
00:55:02
We are perhaps verses that would help us is younger want to understand what we were talking about the first one we mentioned already how Christ being the first fruit. That's the beginning of all these verse. We find that in verse 23. Well, why do we talk about resurrection Before I go to the next one, I'd like to turn to portion and 1St in Philippians chapter 4. The apostle Paul told us a little bit more about that.
That would encourage encourage us to learn more about the resurrection. Philippians chapter 3. I'm sorry Philippians chapter 3 we find Paul mentioned about his background and then he mentioned 7 new desires that he that he would like to have. And couple of this in verse 10 there he said that I might know him for he wants to know more about our blessed Lord and the power.
Of His resurrection, the apostle wanted to know what that does indeed, that I may know him, the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, and so on. Well, the resurrection leads to other things. That's the beginning of a few things. Let's go back to our chapter, verse 24.
He said another stage here that was alluded to and mentioned already about this millennial scene verse 24. Then cometh the end. We see the word cometh in italics so we can read this then the end. That's another phase of time, isn't it? So the Lord have risen from the dead. We know that is going through this day of grace and then we know and we mentioned about a soon returned and then it would usher into that that seed that millennial scene after that.
And then it will be the end. That's the end of that millennial time. What would He do at the end of that? He said, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, what? He shall have put all rule and all authority and power, for He must reign until he has put all enemies under His feet. Well, that was mentioned to us already, wasn't it? I want to point this out, the end. But is that it?
No, there's still more to that phase. I believe. The next verse in this parentheses section here is verse 28.
Then when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto him, and put all things under him, that God may be All in all. That's what it all going to be, isn't it, That God may be All in all. But the precious thing here is that.
Not Christ will continue to reign, but He will remain a Son in the eternal state. He will remain a man after all that He has done for us. He remained a man so that He can be with us. What precious thought that is when it speaks about rule, authority, power, reigning, its connection with the millennial day. He must reign until He put all enemies under His feet so.
In the millennial day, it tells us that righteousness will reign. It's because sin is still in the earth, and therefore to control that there is necessity of rule, authority and power.
But in the eternal day, righteousness will dwell. There will be no more sin.
To reign over or to control at all. No taint of sin in God's eternal day. What a what a day it will be when there will be absolutely no suggestion of sin. We live in a world so full of it we get used to it.
Oh, what a wonderful day when there will be absolutely nothing left. But what David was mentioning here in verse 28 is beautiful, brethren, when he, when all things be, shall be subdued unto him like Don was mentioning. The Lord Jesus is going to put everything back into order as a man, then shall the sun also be subject unto him that put all things under him.
That God may be All in all, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the Lord Jesus is that Son, but he is a man as well, and as a man he takes that place of subjection under him that put all things under him, and he remains a man forever to enjoy the company of His redeemed people.
01:00:22
What a future.
Call in writing to Timothy.
Speaks of the Lord Jesus.
In First Timothy, chapter 6 refers to him as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and I like the way Mr. Darby has put that.
In First Timothy chapter 6.
And verse.
15.
He speaks of him as the king of those that reign, and Lord of those that exercise lordship.
Which certainly impresses us with the thought that he will be above all.
He will have dominion.
And God will see to it.
That his own dear son, who here on earth was rejected by men.
Will obviously have the highest place.
And you know God, I believe, was delighted in His Son here on earth. You could say, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And how does he show favor to his Son who died? You know the Lord Jesus was obedient even unto death, and that the death of the cross, while God is highly exalted him. And God has shown favor to his Son for what he did.
By raising him from the dead, he's the first fruits of resurrection.
And he now sits at God's right hand. And of course, in that coming day.
During the Millennium, all will be subject to Him. But I was just thinking how that God shows favor to you and to me.
By raising us.
It speaks of Christ, the first fruits afterward, they that are Christ at his coming, referring to those that have died in Christ, trusting in Him. I believe what we have here is the first resurrection. Is it not Not the second resurrection? Because that takes place about 1000 years later. We read it in Revelation 20.
The terrible time when those that have died in their sins are raised, they stand before that great white throne and are judged according to their works.
But blessed are all they that have part in the first resurrection, and I believe it also includes those who in the tribulation.
Have been faithful to Christ, suffered for him even unto death. They're going to be raised.
They're part of those that are his that is coming. Am I right in saying that?
So the thought is that we have not only the Rapture in view, but His appearing in glory too. And.
I believe those that are faithful to Christ through the tribulation, Revelation 20 speaks of it will be raised and will enjoy heavenly blessing.
We noticed the epistle written to those Saints at Corinth and we know that this is about the resurrection of those that know Christ. But when we come to verse 22, verse 22 for as in Adam all died. Taking a look at the word, all all died, all become sinners and all die. Even so in Christ shall all be made alive. That's the question I want to bring up. Does that second all in that verse incorporate in.
The raising of the unsaved also or is that strictly because it is an epizzle? It is all referred to all those that are saved.
I think there's a beautiful order here. I'd like to go through the order in these verses. We've commented on it in brief, but not put the whole together. We have Christ, the first fruits. That's his resurrection in verse 2223. We we kind of skipped over the next one afterward. They that are Christ at his coming. That's when he comes to take his Saints home to heaven, where he has gone before.
We have the life, the new creation by faith in him. Now we're quickened with that life that takes place. It says afterward. There's an order here.
01:05:14
I think this is important because in the day we're living, brethren, there's an effort being put forth to undue dispensational truth.
To deny it, to just make all different time periods the same, and God's dealing in a moral way and without distinction of earth and heaven and so on. You get it here in these verses, the order that things will happen.
Christ the first fruits, that's the resurrection of the Lord Jesus afterwards, they that are Christ at his coming.
That's when he comes to take the Saints of the present time to heaven with him.
Then there's a big change that's going to happen.
And it says next then cometh the end.
It really jumps over the whole millennial period at first and goes to the end of the Millennium when He shall deliver up all to the Father. Why is it put in that order? It's because there's a change in what the Lord is doing. He is working with earth then, and at the end of that time working with earth and those who live on the earth at that time, which is the next verse.
He will deliver it all up.
As it says, the Kingdom, that's the kingdoms of the world, That's the kingdoms here on earth.
Going to be delivered up to God in having put it all back to order again.
On Earth.
And then it describes how he's going to do it.
Verse 25 really proceeds in time. Verse 24, verse 25 is the process of the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus, putting it back in order for 1000 years here on earth, and then at the close of it He delivers it all back to the Father in a perfect state. These are the dispensations of God, the plan of God.
The last thing is, the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. Well, that I believe is.
Yes, you're in the great White Throne, and I think perhaps this may be the answer to the brother's question about as in Edemald die, so in Christ shall all be made alive.
When God, when the Lord Jesus does away with death.
The ungodly appear in their body.
It's not called a resurrection exactly. It's called the second death, and I believe in that order. That's the answer to when they are included in made alive, they are not resurrected, they are.
In it, and more accurately they are death is done away so they have to appear before him to be judged. Am I right brother? Chuck, we haven't heard from you all meeting.
I know you have something to say.
I was looking at Genesis 1.
Verse 26 and God said, let us make man in our image.
After our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fall of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth.
And over everything that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image.
An image of God created him, male and female created he them, and then all that we've been going through, going back to that 28th verse in our chapter. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the sun as man is really what it is also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be All in all.
When he created man, he was to be the head of everything, and then he fell.
And now that's all been conquered by the one that became a man.
01:10:05
And he'll be a man forever.
I mean these things haven't said much because they just throw my soul of what He starts out with His initial purpose. He creates the earth and all. He puts man there and you're going to be the head. And what a mess he's made of it. But when Christ came there was the 1St and the only perfect man after Adam. I mean the only perfect one.
And everything is going to be placed under his feet.
And we're going to be associated in the closest, most intimate way with that man.
How can you say it better?
Just like to say in connection with what you said, Doug, in John Chapter 5, it does.
Speak of the resurrection of damnation, which I think shows that it is a resurrection but it is not the resurrection of of those in Christ, is it it's and I like the way you put it it says death will be destroyed so absolutely those people that have died and been put in graves there's no longer for them to be there in the grave. They're pulled right out and it's it's amazing to think that every.
Single.
Grave that has ever been dug in this world is going to be emptied. No human bone is going to be left. Every single soul that has ever lived will be resurrected. But there's the resurrection of life that we're talking about here in this chapter. And then there's the resurrection of damnation that will take place, like you said, Doug, at the Great White Throne when those that are dead, he said, I saw the dead.
Stand before God.
Do dead people stand up? They will then, because death.
That first death is going to be destroyed and then.
Death and Hades are cast into the Lake of Fire, which is the second death.
Connection with what we've had before us in Colossians Chapter 3.
Colossians chapter 3 and verse one.
If you be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection or your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
For ye are dead.
And your life is hid with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory.
In Adam all die, even as it says here ye are dead.
In identification with Adam, everything dies because Adam sinned. Adam stood in responsibility before God. He had life. But in that life that Adam had, he disobeys God. He already knew ahead of time the pronouncement. The consequence was death. And in Adam all die. And so those who know not the Lord Jesus Christ, yes, they're physically alive at the moment, but they're dead.
Toward God and if they die in their sins.
They're put in the grave, but they're accountable to God for the deeds done in the body. Man is not only a soul and a spirit, but he has his body and all that we do and all the sin that we commit is done in the body. And so the whole man, body, soul and spirit, is responsible to God.
He's died once. James tells us what that means. He says the Spirit, the body without the spirit, is dead. The first death for a Sinner in his sins is the separation of his soul from his body. That's the first death. But that dead person is raised to stand before God, to be judged in the whole body, soul and spirit, because that's the whole man that was responsible.
Once in his living condition before God, but he stands before God is dead.
01:15:05
And he's judged. And the second death is the separation of that whole being, that person and body, soul and spirit, forever from the presence of God. That's what second death means. It's the separation of the whole man, body, soul and spirit from God's presence. And so he's born once into this world. He dies twice.
But the reason for reading the verses in Colossians, which to me are wonderful.
Is.
When we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we receive what we call eternal life, and it's His life.
We're bound with him in the same bundle of life. We have his life. Previously it might be said we had Adam's type of life, but now it's even more closely linked with the Lord Jesus. We had Adam's type of life, but our own addition of it or something, our own instance of it.
That we receive from our parents, but it's more intimate, It's closer. When it comes to the Lord Jesus, my life is not independent of Him. It's His life that I share in that life. Why is that wonderful? Well, it's wonderful in itself, but it's wonderful in another way, brethren, That's why the new creation will never fail.
We might say, well, what happens if somebody in heaven decides to rebel or sin?
And then spoil everything in the new creation. It can't happen. It won't happen because everybody in heaven has life in Christ. And if that were to happen, he would have to fail.
But he won't fail. We know that it's impossible that he failed in that life. And so it's impossible for us to fail in it either, because Christ is our life. And consequently, when the Lord Jesus presents everything to the Father in the end, he presents it to him in a state of things that will never, ever fail. It will remain to God's glory through that man.
Forever.
And it's our joy to be part of it. It's our joy to be in it and rejoice in it with Him.
And I for myself at least, would add the thought in in this verse, when it says in Christ shall all be made alive.
Adam had life which he forfeited, and everyone after him, having received from him, forfeits. And all life in the first creation in man starts with Adam, but it all fails. But all life in new creation is from Christ. There's no other source of life and new creation but Himself.
And in Christ shall all be made alive. He's the first fruit He rose from the dead to begin the new creation in that life in which he rose from the dead. And in that life everyone who will have life forever receives it from him.
In connection with that life that we have through him, this is kind of a practical a word. I think it's very helpful to see.
As we are linked with the resurrection life of Christ as believers now.
There's a tremendous effort in the world today. Every time I look at the educational books that today I'm impressed with how much emphasis is in the educational system. And there's a great movement onward to fix this world up and to Greenpeace and to make things put things back to in order. It's a tremendous effort. And it lest we get caught up in that, I believe we have the remedy to of our condition, our position here.
Identified with Christ in resurrection life and that the old order is the end of it is all death to see that the Lord is the only one that can put it back together again and he has demonstrated that and his resurrection is is the is the proof of it among other things and we've we've noticed here how he's going to do that in the coming age.
01:20:03
This, brethren, should help us.
And give us peace as we still live in the first creation. And it's true, things are out of whack and it's getting worse. We even talk about the weather being out of whack and so on. These are all results of man's fall and of sin. When we see the Lord Jesus is the one who demonstrated first of all the power to do it when he was here on earth but now in resurrection.
And the plan here of how he's going to do it and eventually deliver it all back to God in perfection. That's our answer, brother.
It's unbelief.
To join the movement to do it now.
So remember Our Calling, and the Lord Jesus is the one to do it. It's not that we're careless or unconcerned or wasteful with the things of the first creation. We shouldn't purposely.
Do harm to it and and drag it down further. But our admission of the fall and that we're dead.
Ought to ought to cut all that off, and turn wholly to the Lord in faith in Him.
And to be identified with him in the coming day when he does put it back together.
That is, reorder it.
I just want to make a comment on verse 29.
Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead?
If the dead rise, not at all.
Why are they then baptized for the dead?
To be baptized for the dead is to take the place of one that's been put to death because he was a Christian.
What's the point in that if there's no resurrection?
If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, you're yet in your sins, and they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most miserable. So what shall the those that are baptized for the dead to be identified with? With this, this order of things that is going to end in death, and that's the end of it. It's not the end of it at all. Verse 28 is the highest title. You can't go higher than that.
In the whole New Testament.
When all things shall be subdued unto him.
Then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him.
That put all things under him, that God may be All in all. If the Lord is going to be subject to the one that put everything under him, he must be a man to do that. And that's the first. That's the highest creature that God made there in the Genesis one, and that was Adam. And he fell. His humanity was innocence. Christ humanity was holy. Holiness cannot sin.
Innocence could did.
So.
What shall they do? Which are baptized for that and why for the dead? Why be identified by death by baptism? Have that name written upon me, so to speak, If that's the end of it. No, it's not the end of it. I, I think of the story of, you know, there's, there's millions of Christians that have that have been killed for their faith in the in the 1St century. There are many, many, many that were put to death.
And there were at Rome, this one man was in charge of doing that. And he saw, he saw the faith of those that were Christians and he put them to death. And then he came forward and he says, put me to death too. I'm a Christian now too. He saw the value of it, the reality of it. Death doesn't end everything, not at all.
What a wonderful chapter looking at.
01:25:13
1:15.
Every day on my heart.
Thereby thy side, thy smile, thy spring.
Shall run.
The one dress swell over again.
And let's call the beast forever and forever.
Praises the sweetest sound.
When the bones and stars and dust is brown.
Was strange.
Rain will die again.