1 Corinthians 15. And of course,
Paul speaking here to the Corinthians, and evidently there had come
some among them saying that there is no resurrection of the dead.
And so Paul sets out in this chapter to say that if there
is no resurrection of the dead, then we have believed in vain.
And he said, if these things are not true, you've believed
in vain. If Christ be not risen from the
dead, then everything we've preached to you is just a bunch of baloney,
and you might as well go home and do something else. But he
said, you've not believed in vain, because these things have
been witnessed and testified among us by men who have seen
these things with their own eyes. And so these things from a historical
standpoint are true. I mean, do you realize that there
is more historical proof of the resurrection of Jesus Christ
than there is that George Washington ever lived? I mean, how do we know anything in history is
true? You know, we weren't there. I
mean, you know, after a couple of generations passed, you don't
even know who your great-grandma and grandpa were. I mean, you
might know their name, but you don't know anything about them.
You don't know who they were or whatever happened. But the
resurrection of Jesus Christ is testified to every time you
look at a calendar. This is 2017 A.D. and Odomani, which in Latin means
the year of our Lord. It does not mean that he was
the Lord. It means he is the Lord. Now,
if he is the Lord, that means that he is presently ruling and
reigning as the one that he came to demonstrate who he was to
begin with. And he is that one who was risen
from the dead. really rest all of our hope because
while we believe that Jesus Christ died on Calvary's cross and surely
had He not paid the price for our sin, we would not have any
grounds to stand on either. But had He died for our sin and
not risen from the dead, then we would not have any hope at
all because death would have claimed Him just like it did
It will us if there be no resurrection from the dead. And so Paul, he's
setting this forth and he's hammering away. You know, you think he's
through and then he comes back with something else. Because,
dear brethren, this is an important matter. This is one of the most
important chapters in all the Word of God. And if you tear
this one out and throw it away, then you don't have a gospel
because he says here, that 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 has 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." Now he has demonstrated,
that He is the God of very gods. Now, in the economy of redemption,
we see the Son manifested, or we see God manifesting Himself
in Jesus Christ. He came into the world. I mean,
the prophet said He shall be called Emmanuel, which means
God with us. He has come and dwelt among us.
And in the economy of redemption, He has demonstrated that He is
the ruler over all of these things and has purchased our redemption. But dear brethren, there is a
finality in all things, and though redemption is forever the song that the
saints of God shall sing through the ages, this is not a thing
that's going to keep coming up again. See, there is a finality
to it. Now, we haven't seen the finality
of it because, you see, death still reigns in a measure insofar
as the flesh is concerned. Now, we know death is a defeated
foe, but there is a demonstration of the putting away of death.
so that there is no longer the necessity of an economy of redemption
because redemption is complete. It is like whenever a man has a contract for the sale of a
piece of property. Now you sign that contract and
that contract is an agreement that you are going to do something.
But once you've got a deed in your hand and it's recorded in
the courthouse and you have taken residence up on that piece of
property, you don't need the contract for deed anymore, do
you? I mean, that's a done thing. It's over with. I mean, that's
already done and settled. By the resurrection of Jesus
Christ and the ascension back into the Father, He has sealed
the deal. Now, we don't know that yet because
there are still doubts and fears in our mind, is there not? I
mean, are we going to be raised from the dead? I mean, is any
of this stuff true? I mean, you know, really and
truly, there are doubts and fears that grip the minds of God's
people all the time. But you see, the Lord designed
it that way, that we might walk by faith and not by sight. But
we shall not walk by faith forever, for there is coming sight. And
that's what He's speaking about here, because He is going to
manifest who He is in completeness, that God may be all in all. That
is, you see, when He walked with His disciples, they didn't know
who He was, did they? I mean they were completely,
they were as close to him as anybody was. But when he stood
before them and he spoke to them, the fact that he was going to
come back, he was going away to prepare a place and he was
going to come back and Philip said what? He said, Show us the
Father. He said, Philip, have I been
so long time with you and you have not known me? He said, I
and the Father are one. He that hath seen me. Think about
that for a minute. He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father. So you see, no man hath seen
God at any time. What that means is that no man
has ever, could ever, possibly, enter into some situation where
he is more than simply a preacher. No man has ever seen God at any
time, but God, who is rich in mercy, has shown Himself to us. And how has He done that? Through
Jesus Christ. Now, you see, when religions
in the world say, well, we are all serving the same God, that
is not true. Dear brethren, if the Lord Jesus
Christ is not exalted and honored as the God of gods, then I don't
care what religion it is, they are not serving the same God
that I am. Now, be that divisive or whatever
you want to call it, that's just the facts. Because Jesus Christ
is God. He's not going to show us that
Allah is God. Or that Buddha or some of these
other outfits, I mean, He's not going to show us that, is He?
No, He's going to show us who He is. But He's already shown
us who He is. But yet we see it by faith. But
then by sight, and that's what He says, there is a fine outfit.
You see, there is a putting away of death, the last enemy that
shall be destroyed. Yes, 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?" Now, we talked a little
about that, and I'm not going to go into a great deal about
that. I believe what Paul is simply
talking about here is that when the Lord... Remember back when
the Lord Jesus Christ was speaking to His disciples, He said, ye
shall indeed be baptized with the same baptism that I am baptized
with. Now what was he talking about?
He wasn't talking about water, was he? He was talking about
that they were going to die. He said, you're going to be persecuted
for my name's sake. He said, you're going to go through
the same thing that I am. And so when Paul speaks here
about being baptized for the dead, he's not talking about
necessarily going through a ritualistic water baptism in the behalf of
the dead. No, what he is speaking about
here is the fact that death is always very prominent in those
who would serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Just listen to what he
says here. And why stand we in jeopardy
ever hour? Now what's he talking about?
He's talking about being persecuted being brought to death? And so
why would we do that, he says, if there be no resurrection of
the dead? He says, I protest by your rejoicing which I have
in Jesus Christ our Lord. I die daily. Now you often hear
this passage of Scripture brought up to promote the notion of dying
to self. You've heard that. I mean, you've
heard somebody preach on that and say, well, I die daily, so
I just go out and I serve the Lord and I do all these things.
That's not what he's talking about. He says, I've already
given myself over to death. He said, because I know that
is the thing the Lord has appointed me to. He says, so I die daily. He said, it don't matter to me
if I live or I die. He said that, did he not? He
said, whether therefore you live or whether you die, You're the
Lord. It doesn't make any difference.
He says, I'm already appointed unto death. So he said, I have
Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ I die daily. He says, if after the manner
of men I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it
to me if the dead rise not? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow
we die. Now there is evidence in the
Scripture. I think if you look over in II Corinthians, I'd have
to go back and get the reference. But Paul speaks about having
gone through things when he was in Asia. Now where is Asia? In
Greece, that's where Ephesus is. And it would appear to me
that he's literally speaking here about having been put in
an arena and fought with beasts at Ephesus. Now that was a common
thing, a practice of the day. I mean, the Romans, you know,
that was a big sport to them. And especially to put Christians
into these arenas, and either they would just turn the animals
in their arm and let them eat them, or sometimes they'd give
them a weapon to be able to fend themselves off, to try to defend
themselves, you know. And they made big sport of it,
to see if they would be able to kill the lion or whatever,
bear or whatever it was. But Paul said, You know, if the
dead rise not, he says, and I fought with beasts at Ephesus. Man,
that was a stupid thing, wasn't it? I mean, what would be the
accomplishment there? I mean, just go ahead and let
the thing eat me rather than, you know, make a big deal out
of it. I mean, he said, if after the manner of men I fought with
beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is there to me if the dead rise
not? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Because what
he's saying is, look, I could have denied Christ and I wouldn't
have had to fought the beast. I could have just walked free.
I could have said, no, I don't know nothing about that. That's
a bunch of baloney. But he couldn't do that, could
he? Because he believed that Jesus Christ was the Lord of
glory and he believed that the dead do indeed rise. And he said,
I'll fight the beast. He said, because I cannot deny
my Lord. I cannot deny those things that
are part and parcel of my life. And I cannot say as the world
says, well, let's eat and drink for tomorrow we die. Let's just
have a big time. You know, there used to be a
beer commercial. I forget which brand it was.
It doesn't matter. But they used to say you only
go around once in life and you've got to live it with all the gusto
that you can. That's the theory of the world,
isn't it? I mean, you've got to have a big time because you're
only here one time. Well, dear brethren, that's not
the philosophy of the children of God. Eat and drink, for tomorrow
we die. That's not it, is it? No, Paul
said, I die daily. But he says, I want to live.
But he says, I want to live for the glory of God and the declaration
of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and all of those whom
the Lord would bring with Him. Be not deceived, evil communications
corrupt good manners." Now, that's a bit of philosophy there that
is a lesson for the children of God. That is, if you get around
bad people, be corrupted by them as a general
rule. Why is that? Why is it that bad
people corrupt good people but good people seldom ever have
any effect on bad? Why is that? Because we have
a corrupt nature. Why is it that we don't need
to hang around with people that are bent on doing evil things? Because in time we'll begin to
do the very same things they do. We won't cause them to be
to do the things that we know to be right, we'll start doing
the things they know to be wrong. And we know to be wrong too.
Be not deceived. Evil communications, that is
evil company, corrupts good habits and understandings. And he's
speaking here about listening to those who would come telling
us false doctrine. Now false doctrine rears its
head in many forms, and none of them are good. I mean, false
doctrine is false doctrine. It doesn't matter what it is,
it's false. But it is especially an evil
thing, as he's speaking to them here, of those that would corrupt
them from turning aside from those things that they've learned
and known concerning the resurrection of Christ. Awake to righteousness
and sin not, for some have not the knowledge of God. I speak
this to your shame. He said, some don't have an understanding
of God. Now, he's speaking about people
who are in the church. He's talking about people who
assemble together, who have had a professional faith. Now, because
somebody claims to be a follower of Christ does not make it so.
Now, I know in the present day in which we live, that is kind
of the thing that everybody says. They say that salvation is all
a matter of free will, and so if you decide to be a Christian,
you are just automatically a Christian. Well, that is not what the Scripture
says, because there are many that walk among the saints of
God that do not have faith. There are many that produce false
doctrine. Now, if you looked at him, you
might say, well, he says he's a Christian. Well, if he's denying
these things, what's wrong? He's corrupting people's minds
if he's denying the truth of God. Some have not the knowledge
of God. You say, I speak this to your
shame. That is, that you pay attention to them. What are you
listening to them for? You don't have any business doing
that. Some man will say, because he says, see, here's the questions. that people bring up and then
they make light of. Well, the resurrection could not be true
because some men will say, how are the dead raised up? I mean,
they are already dead. They are over in the graveyard
and they turned to dust. I mean, there is nothing left.
How are they going to be raised up? How foolish a thought! See, that is what the Sadducees
said. They say they don't know the same thing as angels and
spirits and people being raised from the dead and all of that.
That's just foolish. We just need the facts, the practical
truth, things that we can see. Thou fool, he answers these questions. How are the dead raised up and
with what body do they come? Now they're in the ground, and
their body, as we know it, as we look at it, it's deteriorated. I mean, after you've been in
the ground for, you know, 25 years, would you want to come
back in that body? Huh? There was a movie one time
I saw where these women were like 100 years old or something.
I don't know how old they were. Anyway, they still had made some
kind of a deal with the devil, of course, in this ridiculous
way that people think about things. But they would go along and maybe
their arm might fall off or something because, you know, they were
old, but, I mean, they still, you know, were alive, but their
bodies were still, you know, susceptible to all those things.
We're not going to be raised up in some corruptible body,
something that's rotted and is nothing. He says, what body do
they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest
is not quickened, except it die. Now he's using an illustration
of seed here. He said, that which thou sowest,
thou sowest not the body that shall be, but bare grain. Now
when you're holding a piece of corn, in your hand, you don't see the stalk, do you? All you see is that little old
piece of corn. But now, when that corn is put
in the ground, and according to the miracle of God that causes
it to grow, of course the scientists tell us that's just a natural
process, But isn't that an amazing thing that you can take something
that's as inanimate as it could be? I mean, it's dead, isn't
it? Sure, I mean, you take a living seed, take a piece of corn, go
get you a roasting ear and get you a kernel of corn and go throw
that in the ground and guess what happens? It just rots. Nothing happens to it. But you
let that thing dry completely out and it's dead. And you go put it in the ground
And according to the miracle of God, what happens? A stalk
of corn comes up. He said that is the same fashion
in which that which is sown in the ground as the body is going
to come forth. That which thou sowest, thou
sowest not that body that shall be but bare grain. It may chance
of wheat or some other grain. It might be any kind of grain
you want to talk about. But God giveth it a body as it
hath pleased Him. Now it's the same corn, isn't
it? I mean, that corn that you put in the ground is the corn
that came up, isn't it? Of course it is. It's the same
one. And so he said that's the way
it will be of some other grain. But God giveth it a body as it
is pleased in man to every seed his own body. Now here's the
death knell to the evolutionists. Right here, if what Paul says
is true, which I believe it is, He said, all flesh is not the
same flesh. Now that's not what the evolutionists
say, is it? They say we all came from the
same thing. We all, you know, we was a tadpole
and then we grew legs and we became this and that and the
other and pretty soon we're up here, you know, singing songs
and stuff. But I mean, that's what they
say. That's what they tell us. But he says here, that all flesh
is not the same flesh, because God didn't make all flesh the
same. But there is one kind of flesh of men, another kind of
flesh of beasts. Now, does not the world teach
us that we came from beasts? I mean, one day we were beasts
and the next day we were men? That's not what the Scripture
says. Well, it took a long time. It
wasn't one day, but it was a period of time. It doesn't make a difference
how long it was. But he said here, all flesh is
not the same. There is one kind of flesh of
men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another
of birds. All you have to do is go back
and read how the Lord created the world. Now, I know the scientists
tell us, oh, you know, Bill Nye, the science guy, he says, well,
that's just foolish. It couldn't possibly be, but
you know, he'll have to find out on his own. In other words,
there are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial. The glory
of the celestial is one, the glory of the terrestrial is another.
He said there are bodies that are fitted for heaven and there
are bodies that are fitted for earth. He said the glory of one
is not the glory of the other. They are not the same in the
sense in which that which is of the earth is earthy. That
which is of heaven is heavenly. There is one glory of the sun,
another glory of the moon, another glory of the stars, for one star
differeth from another star in glory. Now when you look at the
heavens and you see the stars, every star is not exactly the
same. I mean, they tell us, and of
course, we take this on face value, and I guess it's true,
because they, I mean, I wouldn't get into a dispute of this, but
like, you got all the planets in our solar system, and you
look at each one, and every one of them is different, isn't it?
I mean, they can look at Saturn, and they know that's Saturn.
They can look at Jupiter, and they know that's Jupiter. And
every one of them, the planets are different. And every one
of the stars are different. They're not the same. They tell
us there's all kinds of suns out there. You know, and our
sun, it's just a little old small sun compared to some of them.
I mean, I don't know. It could be true. I don't know
about that. But they're not all the same. They're all made by the same
one, but they have different purposes and different glory
attached to them as the Creator intended and purposed. That's
the same way that it is with the resurrection of the dead.
We don't all come forth as clones. You know, we're not all marching
along. Why? Because God made diversity
in the world. And He made diversity among His
people. And though we are unified in
Christ, we are as different as night and day in many ways, and
there is no reason to believe that that same thing is not true
throughout eternity, because the Lord assigns glory. Now, as He sees fit, now as you
look at the stars, You don't go and say, well, man,
I like that star, but I don't like this one. No, they're just
stars. Why? Because God just made them and
put them up there, and you and I, while we might see differences
in them, they're still all stars. And each one of them has its
own glory and its own realm according to the purpose of God. So also
is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, but
it is raised in incorruption. That which is put in the ground,
though it is corruptible, when it comes out is incorruptible. Because it is not a corruptible
body in the sense that it is a body that can decay, but it
is that which is set free from that. But it is the same body
nonetheless. It comes from the same corn of
wheat that was put in the ground. It's the same person. It's the
same woman. See, we're not going to become
somebody else. We're going to be who we are. God formed and
fashioned you just like He wanted you to be. And if you belong
to Him, you will be just exactly like He wants you to be from
now on according to the good pleasure of His will. Sown in corruption, raised in
incorruption. Sown in dishonor, raised in glory. Sown in weakness, raised in power. Sown a natural body, it is raised
a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there
is a spiritual body. And we are going to stop right
there. There is a natural body. We are in it right now. And this
natural body, I did some work yesterday afternoon, and I can
sure tell it today, because that's the way a natural body is. It has aches and it has pains
and it deteriorates and things go wrong with it and all of those
things. That's just the way that a natural
body is, but that's not the body, which is raised. because it's
sown in corruption, but it's raised in incorruption. Same
corn and wheat. It's going to sprout again, but
it's going to sprout in glory. It's going to sprout a heavenly
body. May the Lord give us grace, because
you know indeed, in believing that... See, we don't just believe
that just like a thing we just hope is true. Because everything
that we believe rests on that. Because if the dead don't rise,
then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then
brethren, we are of all men most miserable. We don't have any
hope whatsoever. That's why that's important.
And that's why we rejoice. And we believe that the dead
shall rise. Because Christ is what the first
fruits of them shall be. He is that One who has set the
standard and marked out the course for all who should come after
Him.