FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES OF CHRISTIANITY
Perth Fellowship
LESSON TEN
FUNDAMENTALS OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES
Let us now see the fifth doctrine, Resurrection of the dead (Hb.6.1-3)
We have to think about two resurrections namely spiritual and physical.
Spiritual resurrection. (Born again or Born of the Spirit)
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they lost their communion and fellowship with God and became spiritually insensitive to God. This is the spiritual condition mentioned in the Bible as “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph2.1), “being dead in trespasses” (Col2.13). This is spiritual death. They were still physically alive and lived for so many years after they became spiritually dead. (Adam died at the age of 930 years). Physical death also ensued as a result of the spiritual death (Gen3.19).
Since the entire humanity is descended from Adam and Eve, all human beings are by nature spiritually dead and needs to be spiritually resurrected, in order to regain the lost sensitivity towards God. “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph2.1). In the Garden of Eden itself, God gave a way of escape from this spiritual death. The seed of the woman (Gen3.15, Gal4.4) will come and take away the sins of the fallen human race so that their dead spirits can be resurrected (made alive again). Those who acknowledge this promise of God (solution for the sin) and make God again the head of their life (pre fall condition), will get their dead spirits resurrected. (Rom10.9-10). “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God”. (Col3.1).This is the resurrection of the spirit which occurs when one is born again or in other words baptised by the Holy Spirit. (1Cor12.13). If the spirit is not resurrected before the death of an individual, that person would perish eternally (will face second death). (Rev20.14)
Physical resurrection
All human beings ever lived on the surface of the earth will be resurrected. (Acts24.15) Read 1Cor15.35-44). “But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Different celestial bodies have different glory and stars also vary in their glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
On the day of the death of the Lord, His physical body was in the tomb of the Joseph of Arimathea where as His spiritual body was in Paradise (Luke23.43, 53). On the day of resurrection the spiritual body and the physical body joined together. Jesus is the first fruit of resurrection from amongst the dead and began a new race upon whom the death and sin has no power. Many saints were resurrected after the resurrection of the Lord and appeared to many in Jerusalem. (Mt27.52-53) When Moses and Elijah appeared on the mount of transfiguration, Moses was with a spiritual body whereas Elijah with Physical and spiritual bodies, but both of them seemed same to the disciples (Mt17.1-3).
The resurrection of the just and the unjust will be at two different times (Acts 24:15).
Resurrection of the righteous (First resurrection)
This will happen at the return of the Lord Jesus. The children of God who are alive at the time of return of the Lord would be transformed to the glorious body and the saints (both OT and NT) died in the past would be resurrected. (1Cor15.51-55, 1Thes4.16-17, Phil3.21, Rev20.4-6) .This is the time when the righteous will be rewarded according to their deeds. (Luke14.14, 2Cor5.10)
Resurrection of the dead (Second death)
This is the resurrection of all people whose spirits were not resurrected while they were alive (Rev20.12-15). There will be a difference of thousand years between these two resurrections (Rev20.5). Bible calls it the resurrection of the dead (spiritually dead). (Phil3.11, Rev 20.5, 12-15).This is called the second death.
These are the essential things a Christian must know in regard to resurrection. Water baptism typifies the death burial and resurrection of a person (Rom6.3-4).
If you want to provide this Bible study to anyone you like, you can directly add them by going to this link
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!managemembers/perth-fellowship/add
Nb. Please read all the scriptures from the Bible preferably NKJV. For any clarification or doubt contact. perthfe...@gmail.com
Please do not respond directly to this article as it will change the configuration of it.