Resurrection Life 130407

1 Peter 1:3-5, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Our new birth is directly connected to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. When Jesus rose from the dead he had a new quality of life, a "resurrection life" in a human body and human spirit that were perfectly tuned to fellowship with and obedience to God forever. In his resurrection, Jesus earned for us a new life just like his. The aged Apostle John tells us that, though what we will be has not yet appeared we know that when he appears we shall be like him. Jesus, being raised from the dead, has a resurrection body that is no longer subject to weakness, aging and death. When God raised Christ from the dead he thought of us as somehow being raised "with Christ" and seated "with him" in heavenly places.

Our identification with the risen Lord gives us the promise of a resurrection like his. God has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Peter clearly identifies our new birth, our living hope and resurrection life as being tied to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Paul told the Corinthians, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you're still in your sins." People have tried to brush off the miraculous throughout the Bible because they live according to human philosophies. There is a very strong anti-Christian movement in secular higher education in America. It is bearing its results in skepticism raised on the part of American youth. We need to encourage our young people to think for themselves. There is a vast body of evidence that Jesus was raised from the dead. Not just from his friends but also from his enemies. For me, the simplest evidence is this — if Jesus was not raised from the dead the Romans would have produced his body and Christianity would have died before it was born. Since the authorities could not produce a body Peter could write, some 40 years after the first Easter, that our spiritual life depends on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Remember, a part of the "Roman Road" plan of salvation is found in Romans 10:9-10, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Not just a belief in Jesus, even as the son of God, but a belief in and acceptance of his resurrection from the dead is an essential part of our salvation.

Because of his resurrection we are able…

To be born again. And as such we are…

A new creation. Listen while I read, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, said that he came to Jesus because no one could do the miracles Jesus did unless God was with him. Nicodemus wanted to know what these miracles were all about. Rather than accept the implied compliment, Jesus abruptly said, "unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Jesus then began a discussion about the need to be born of the Spirit not just the flesh. The new birth brings a person to a new creation. The old creation is subject to sin, death and hell. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God — that is our natural condition in the original creation. The consequences of that are serious because the wages of sin is death. What mankind needs is not a new way of thinking but a new nature. We are born in the image of Adam and Eve. We need to be born again in the image of Jesus Christ. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Being born as children of Adam and Eve we need to be born again…

As children of God. Listen while I read, John 1:12-13, But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Two words in this passage sound alike, "receive" and "believe". When Jesus came into the world he was rejected by his own people. They refused to receive him but all who did receive him are given the right and privilege of becoming children of God.

When Jesus went to the cross he took us there with him. Somehow, we died with him to our old way of living. Satan has an indictment against us but it won't hold up. We used to sing a chorus: Satan remindeth me of the crimes that I have done. I know them well and thousands more but Jehovah findeth none. He findeth none, He findeth none, I've been washed in the blood of his Son. Satan's indictment was nailed to the cross, buried in the tomb and left there when Jesus rose from the dead.

We became a new creation as children of God. We were transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. We were taken legally out of the family of Adam and Eve and adopted into the family of God. Since we are now children of God we have been brought…

To a new quality of life. Let's return to first Peter and look at what he said a little further down the page, 1 Peter 1:22-23, Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

Since we have been born again by the power of the resurrection we have a new quality of life. There is a sincere brotherly love born in the heart of each believer. Since that is true, we should keep the commandment of Jesus to love one another as he has loved us. We have this new quality of life and it can never be taken from us because it is born of imperishable seed through the living and abiding word of God.

We have been born again a new creation, children of God with a new quality of life and because of that we come…

To a living hope. This is not "hope" the way it is usually used in day-to-day conversation. I might say, "I hope the weather turns warm and stays that way for a long time." What I mean by that is, I "wish" it would happen. I have no sure knowledge that it will. Biblical hope is quite different from that. Biblical hope reflects "now" and "not yet" at the same time. We have a living relationship with the living Lord Jesus but what we will be is not yet known. Nonetheless what we will be is assured by the power of God.

Our hope is built on Jesus' promises and and all the promises of God find their "Yes" in him. We are born again to a living hope…

Produced in affliction. What does it take to produce hope? Listen while I read, Romans 5:3-5, More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Rejoice? In our sufferings? How is that possible? James said almost the same thing in his little book. Except he began with, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds…" and he went on to show that trials produce a character that is lacking in nothing.

Paul says that we should rejoice, not because we're suffering, but because of the results of suffering. Suffering in the life of a Christian produces endurance. Endurance produces character. Character produces hope.

Not the kind of hope that says, "I hope the weather turns warm and stays that way for a long time." with no real knowledge of what might happen. Instead, the kind of hope that is built on the promises of God which cannot be broken. Our hope is not based on our human goodness or abilities. Instead…

The resurrected Christ is our hope. Listen while I read, Colossians 1:27-29, To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

The mystery hidden for long ages is that God had a plan that did not depend upon our ability to produce good works. The mystery is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Without Christ we are without hope! With him we have a hope that is built on a solid foundation. We have been born again to a living hope. This new birth is not based on our works of righteousness or any human works! Paul goes on to say that he proclaimed Christ — warning and teaching with all wisdom in order to present everyone mature in Christ.

Paul was a highly trained theologian before he became a Christian. He had lots of talent and training but he didn't do his work for Christ based on his ability or training. He didn't work hard in his own strength. He toiled and struggled with all the energy of Christ not the energy of Paul. It was Christ that worked in him to will and do his own good pleasure. Christ powerfully worked in Paul to bring about the results he wanted. The resurrected Christ works in the life of the believer to produce results that are…

Securely protected. Our security is not based on our abilities, our goodness, or our family heritage. We are able to hold fast to hope because of the work of Christ. Listen while I read, Hebrews 6:18-20, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

A sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that has entered into the holy place — anchored in heaven.

Remember our primary text: "According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,". Our inheritance is not kept in a safe or even a bank vault. Our inheritance is not in an offshore account on Cyprus. Our inheritance is kept in heaven and it is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is kept there because of the work of the resurrected Christ. He has gone before us into the most holy place in heaven, with his own blood, to atone for our sins and give us a secure hope of eternal life. We do not have any of this through our own efforts instead we have this assurance…

Through the resurrection. Jesus' resurrection is different in many ways from all those that came before. There are several examples of people being brought back from the dead scattered throughout the Bible. Most of them are focused in the life of Christ — the Gospels! Jesus' resurrection was…

Not like others who were still subject to weakness.

The widow's son, Jairus' daughter, Lazarus, and any others that were brought back to life, were brought back only to die again. They were still subject to weakness, grief and pain. Those earlier resurrections were not like his at all. You see…

Christ was the first fruit. Listen to the words of Paul in, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

"The first fruits" not a "fruit" in a continuous line of similar "fruits", but instead, he is the first of many millions, or billions, who will experience resurrection life because they belong to Christ. This passage certainly indicates that our resurrection body will be like his. As John wrote, "when he appears we shall be like him," and that should give us great joy and eager anticipation. The resurrection life of Jesus Christ is passed on to those who have believed in him. It is not just "eternal life" it is a higher quality of life. This higher quality is not represented in our present physical condition but awaits the fulfillment of his promises.

In his resurrection from the dead Jesus came forth with a perfect body. I believe his body is like the body of Adam before he sinned while he walked and talked with God in the garden of Eden! Jesus still retains the scars from the nails and spear and perhaps we will retain scars that we earned in his service. There is no question in my mind that we will know each other and we will know him. I recall the beautiful words written by Fannie J. Crosby more than 100 years ago, remember she was blind for all of her memory. She was asked by her composer friend how she would know Jesus when she got to heaven. The next morning she replied in this song, "My Savior First of All": Hymn 554 in our Hymnal.

When my lifework is ended, and I cross the swelling tide,
When the bright and glorious morning I shall see;
I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side,
And His smile will be the first to welcome me.

I shall know Him, I shall know Him,
And redeemed by His side I shall stand,
I shall know Him, I shall know Him,
By the print of the nails in His hand.

I am grateful to God that eternal life is not simply an extension of our present physical condition. Instead, eternal life, or resurrection life, will be enjoyed in a perfect body. It will look like our present body enough to be recognizable. But it will look so much better than our present body so as to cause hesitation in identification. Will we know each other in heaven? Yes, I believe so, but we will be surprised at how good we and others look. To be sure…

Resurrection is our victory. Let's continue reading, 1 Corinthians 15:53-58, For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Each of us have plenty of evidence that our body is perishable. Before his crucifixion, Jesus' body was perishable but after his resurrection his body was imperishable. Before his crucifixion, Jesus' body was mortal — afterward immortal!

Wayne Grudem, in his Systematic Theology, describes the change this way:

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. _{p 831}

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! As a result we can rejoice with a steadfast hope. We can know beyond a doubt that the work we do on earth in obedience to him will always be productive.

Jesus was sufficiently changed after his resurrection that people who had known him well did not immediately recognize him. It may be, of course, they were simply prevented from recognizing him until the right time. But it seems to me that the resurrected body of Christ would not be the tired, battered body they had last seen on the cross. He would have been restored to his full youthful appearance of perfect health. He was transformed from a perishable body to an imperishable one. His mortal body put on immortality. If you have recognized your condition as a sinner facing eternal death. If you have repented of your sins and turned to the Lord for salvation. Then there is an assurance that God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as he was raised with a heavenly body those who have put their faith in him will be raised also. If you have not accepted him as Lord and Savior please do so now!

All scripture quotes from:The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.