I like to pose this question to those that do not believe in God, do not believe Jesus Christ is the Savior or does not believe scripture: Do you believe in death?
Well, everyone has some sort of experience with death. We have all looked at a dead body in a coffin starring death in the face. First, we must understand that the dead are in the sleep state and are not conscious. The dead are not alive somewhere else. More on that in an upcoming article.
Well, scripture, giving an account of Christ’s work is the only place that specifically details not only with how death came to us but how it is abolished…practically! Anyone with eyes to see can come to the conclusion that death is as real as the scripture that shows how Christ abolished it. More on this in a moment.
The religious man looks at the brutality of the cross and asks, “What can I do to be saved?” The believer looks at the cross and says, “Thank you for saving me, Lord!”
The apostle Paul exhorts us to walk worthily because we are saved by grace, yet religion tells us to walk worthily in order to earn or maintain this saving grace. There is a big difference. The former relies on God through Christ’s work, the latter relies on human pride and accomplishment.
The sin of trying to perfect yourself does not understand that perfection comes from Christ, not human faith and behavior. Human faith is given to a person by God to bring them into a realization of what has been done for them by Christ. It does not make what Christ had done true.
Christ’s work on the cross killed the old humanity and was the ‘death’ of death. Death will eventually be overcome in all creation because of Christ’s work. He (Christ) is the Firstborn of everyone else. First, the believer, then everyone else through judgement.
1Timothy 4:10 (for for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers.
Death, separation from God, every single sin has been dealt with on the cross. It is a fact! Religion and Christians will have you believe that these evils have not been dealt with and will remain on a person if they don’t act right. What a misunderstanding of what Christ did on the cross. The old humanity of sin and death has been killed and in the fullness of time, will no longer exist as every single creature will put on Christ’s immortality.
1 Corinthians 15: 35-58 tells us how. These verses tell us about how death is done away with and how the dead are roused.
In these verses, Paul explains that immortality or vivification relies on dying when he writes, “What you are sowing is not being vivified if it should not be dying (1Cor15:36-37).” Paul goes on to explain that God gives to each its own body as He wills.
Then, on to the resurrection of the dead in verses 42 to 45:
42 Thus also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is roused in incorruption.
43 It is sown in dishonor; it is roused in glory. It is sown in infirmity; it is roused in power.
44 It is sown a soulish body; it is roused a spiritual body.
45 If there is a soulish body, there is a spiritual also. Thus it is written also, The first man, Adam, "became a living soul:" the last Adam a vivifying Spirit.
-1 Corinthians 15: 42-45
The above verses go hand in hand with the reason why the old humanity and death came to us. We are sown in corruption, dishonor, and infirmity in order to be roused in incorruption, glory, and power. Jesus Christ took our corruption, dishonor, and infirmity and God killed them on the cross, along with Christ. When our Lord was resurrected, He became the new creation of incorruption, glory, and power. This is exactly what happens to us through death and resurrection. They are conversely related.
Our corruption, dishonor, and infirmity was killed on Christ’s cross so that we will be resurrected in incorruption, glory, and power. The apostle Paul says that “If there is a soulish body, there is a spiritual also (1Cor15:45).”
Now don’t miss this: the spiritual body is the incorruption, glory, and power that will live forever showing Christ’s accomplishment. So, we all have a soulish body corrupted by death and sin. However, Paul says that if you have a soulish body you also have a spiritual body. This means that everyone that exists, everyone that has a body will one day be roused in incorruption, glory, and power because everyone has a spiritual body.
Remember, first comes the soulish body, then the spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:46). So if one has a soulish body, they have a spiritual body as well. Everyone you know has a soulish body so everyone you know will have a spiritual one.
This is the process of Adam and Christ. There is a reason Christ is referred to as the last Adam. The relationship between Adam and Christ is that those human beings that follow will inherit the work of both Adam and Christ. Adam produced death, the old humanity, the soulish body in all humanity that came after him. Christ produces immortality, justification, the spiritual body in all humanity that comes after Him.
We live this life with death operating in us until we die. This is what we got from Adam and it applies to all humanity. When we are resurrected at the appointed time, we get immortality and incorruption. This is what we get from Christ and it applies to all humanity. However, each in their own order as scripture declares. Believers come into immortality first and the rest through judgement later…some will have to go through the lake of fire. But rest assured, Christ will produce the spiritual body for the exact same all in which Adam produced the soulish body.
Now here you have it: How are the dead roused and how is death abolished?
First, we need to understand that death will be abolished and will NOT exist forever. 1 Corinthians 15:26 says so:
25 For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy is being abolished: death.
27 For He subjects all under His feet. Now whenever He may be saying that all is subject, it is evident that it is outside of Him Who subjects all to Him.
-1 Corintians 15:25-27
So now, how is death abolished? The same way the dead are roused. I present 1 Corinthians 15:53-55:
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality.
54 Now, whenever this corruptible should be putting on incorruption and this mortal should be putting on immortality, then shall come to pass the word which is written, Swallowed up was Death by Victory.
55 Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?
There you have it! Death is swallowed up in victory and is taunted in verse 55. Would scripture truly taunt death and claim victory of it if it still existed somewhere in God’s creation keeping creatures separate from God? No! Death is defeated and ridiculed because it no longer exists!
The only way to overcome death is by the corruptible putting on incorruption and the mortal PUTTING ON IMMORTALITY. The only way death can be abolished is if this happens to every one of God’s creatures.
This is what Christ did to become the Firstborn of a new creation and this is exactly what He gives to all humanity. Otherwise, death would continue to exist. Scripture says it doesn’t.
What a wonderful God and Savior we have. Grace and peace to you all.
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