Timeless Truths: What Christians believe about… #4-The Resurrection (Part 2)
13. What Christians believe about… #4-The Resurrection (Part 2)
April 7, 2016
All Scripture quotations are from the NIV.
The Apostle Paul makes that resurrection is a certainty. Not just for Jesus, but for all who believe and die before His second coming.
15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
Verses 16-17 provide two insights into resurrection.
- All believers who die before Christ returns will rise from their graves.
- They will have life restored as they join those “who are still alive” and meet Jesus.
Jesus spoke of the certainty of an afterlife and the awareness of our spirits during that eternal time.
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Matthew 25:31-46
This is known as the “Parable of the Sheep and Goats.” Jesus’ message is very clear: There is life after this life AND how we spend it depends on our life on Earth.
Careful reading of the parable teaches us that true faith is recognized by the love it produces.
- We either love or we don’t.
- Goats are NOT separated by sin they have committed. They are separated because of righteous actions they did not perform.
- Neither sheep nor goats were aware of doing or not doing. The righteous did what came naturally to them because of the faith relationship with Jesus.
Search your soul. Are your natural inclinations sheep-like or goat-like? Those are the only two choices. Each choice is linked to a specific outcome. As Joshua prompted the Israelites:
“…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” Joshua 24:15
Choose wisely. The decision has eternal implications.
Thanks to Rev. Beverly Stanton Cook for the central teachings used in this blog.
Next Thursday's Timeless Truths Series: What Christians believe about… #4 - The Resurrection (Part 3)
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