A good many years ago, back when
I used to get calls from the paper when they were doing religious
articles, just before Easter, I had a call from someone. And
one of the writers for the Advocate Messenger was doing a special
about what the churches were going to do for Easter. And she
asked me, she said, what are your plans for Easter Sunday? I said, we're going to meet and
worship God. And she said, I mean, what are you planning special?
I said, I plan to preach the gospel Sunday morning. And she said, I don't mean to, I don't know exactly what you're
saying, you must not be understanding me. She said, what are you going
to be doing this different? I said, honey, you come Sunday
morning and you'll find out just how different it will be. She
didn't show up, but she didn't write it either. My subject this
morning is the hope of the resurrection. My text will be Isaiah 26 verse
19. Preaching through the book of
Isaiah, I had no idea that I'd be coming to this text on this
Sunday. I do normally try to preach messages
applicable to certain days in the year. When men are thinking
about the birth of our Redeemer, I try to deal with it. When you
think about the resurrection, I try to deal with it, but I
had not made such plans. We're just going through the
book of Isaiah, and today my subject is the hope of the resurrection. Isaiah 26, verse 19. God's saints,
from the beginning of time, have lived in hope of the resurrection. In the Old Testament, believing
men and women, I'm not talking about religious folks, believing
men and women, folks who were born of God and taught of God,
lived in hope of the resurrection. Enoch, who lived before the days
of Noah. Enoch, who was translated before
the flood. wrote of the second coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ, coming with 10,000 of his saints. Job,
who was... who wrote what is probably the
earliest book of inspiration. That is, it was written before
Moses wrote the book of Genesis. Job spoke of the Redeemer, his
Redeemer living, his Redeemer coming to the earth and raising
the dead, not just spiritually, but raising the bodies of the
dead. God's saints have always held
to and rejoiced in the blessed fact that there's a day coming
when the dead in Christ shall be raised into everlasting glory. Here in Isaiah 26, God's prophet
writes to encourage God's church, to encourage his saints in the
midst of trial and sorrow, to give us a word of comfort, of
hope, and of inspiration. Our text is addressed to God's
people, to God's church, in days much like our own. It was a day
of terrible spiritual darkness, a day of horrible apostasy. Men and women who professed to
know God and worship God had departed from the faith of God,
had been turned to idols, much like the day in which we live.
The result always being moral decadence, vile lifestyles, men
and women counting adultery and sodomy and fornication, nothing
more than taking a drink of cold water, just vile, vile lifestyles,
murdering of children, just common things, common things. And it
was a day of political strife and unrest. Relentless war was
everywhere. This chapter in Isaiah, could
not be written more personally to you and I than any chapter
in scripture. Ungodliness ruled the day. Israel, God's church, was greatly
diminished, both in number and in strength. God's church was
languishing. And in the midst of great sorrow,
in hopeless, helpless despair, God's church cries out to her
God. Verse 17. Like as a woman with
child that draweth near the time of her delivery is in pain and
crieth out in her pains, so have we been in thy sight, O Lord.
We've been crying like a woman who wants to give birth. We've
been with child. We've been in pain. We have,
as it were, brought forth wind. Nothing was accomplished. We
have not wrought any deliverance in the earth, neither have the
inhabitants of the world fallen. Now, read my text with me, verse
19. Here the Lord God our Savior
turns the eyes of his people away from themselves, away from
the world, away from their present sorrow to himself and to the
blessed hope of the resurrection. Oh, how wise, how gracious, how
good he is. Ever to turn our minds, to turn
our eyes, our thoughts away from the world, away from ourselves,
away from our trouble, away from our sorrow to himself. Children
of God, when difficulty turns, turn away from the difficulty.
When trouble comes, turn away from the trouble. When pain comes,
turn away from the pain. When sickness comes, turn away
from the sickness. When sorrow comes, turn away
from the sorrow. Turn away and look to the Savior. And nothing can so cheer and
comfort and encourage your heart as that. Look at the text with
me. The Lord God our Savior gives
these sweet comforting, assuring, encouraging words to a disconsolate
people. Thy dead men shall live. Together with my dead body shall
they arise, awake and sing. Ye that dwell in the dust, for
thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out
her dead. The Savior says to you and me,
thy dead men shall live. Together with my dead body shall
they arise. I take those words to be the
words of our covenant surety to God the Father. When he had
assumed total responsibility for his people, he says, your
dead men shall rise. Together with my dead body shall
they arise. And he speaks those words to
his church. He says, your dead men, those
who have not yet been born of God, they shall arise. Together
with my dead body shall they arise. And there's a day coming
when your dead men shall live. Together with my dead body shall
they arise from the grave. They shall all be made to live
by power and virtue of my death as their substitute. They're
redeemed. That means they must live. They're
redeemed. That means they must live. If
Christ bought them, they must live. Though they're dead by
nature, they shall be made to live because redeemed. Though
these bodies die and lie in the earth, they shall be made to
live because their very dust has been redeemed. They shall
live together with my body that was dead, that body that was
crucified that now lives forever. Where the eagles, where the carcass
is, there shall the eagles be gathered. He will gather his
elect to himself. And in the last day, all who've
been given life by his grace shall be raised up from the grave
to live forever with the Lord. That is the hope of the resurrection. Now, the scriptures speak about
this so very frequently. The hope of the resurrection
is what the Apostle Paul calls the blessed hope, the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Savior. There is no aspect
of gospel doctrine more important than the resurrection. It is
a gospel revelation full of comfort and one that inspires devotion.
I live in the hope of the resurrection. I live in anticipation of the
resurrection. Do you? Do you? With Paul, I say, if in this
life only we have hope in Christ, we're of all men most miserable. I was shocked as a young believer
when I heard someone refer to that statement in 1 Corinthians
15, 19, and say that if the believer's life in this world, being what
it is, if we had no resurrection, then this morbid existence we
have would be something that makes us miserable. It's really,
after all, more pleasurable to live the way we used to. It's
more pleasurable to live different from this, but we live now in
hope of the resurrection. What nonsense, what nonsense.
We don't serve God for gain. Life with Christ, oh, that's
life. That's life. I know what it is
to live without him, to live in death. I spent my life as
a young man with my fist in God's face, pretending to do what I
wanted to do, pretending to please myself. And all those things
that folks thought were Don Fortner living in pleasure was Don Fortner
living in misery. Misery. Every day I awoke was
misery. Every day I awoke was just another
day of pain, something I couldn't admit to myself or to anyone
else. And then God stepped in. Christ
came to live in me. Oh, what a life. What a life. These past 52 years, I have lived. If in this life only we have
hope in Christ, however, we're of all men most miserable. What does that mean? If there's
no eternal life in Christ, no eternal bliss of life with Christ
in heavenly glory in the resurrection, then the believer must be the
most miserably frustrated person in the world. If there's no resurrection,
that means we will never have that which we most earnestly
desire. We will never see the end of our hope. If there's no
resurrection, if we just live here and then die like dogs,
everything's over. If that's what it is, we will
never embrace our Savior and never be embraced by Him. We
would never see our Redeemer with these eyes. Such thoughts are unbearable. I can't imagine anything more
distressing than to be without Christ. Nothing could be more
cruel or more miserable than to live in hope of seeing Christ,
being like Christ, spending eternity with Christ, and then only dying
like a dog. Paul well stated it. If in this
life only we have hope in Christ, we're of all men most miserable.
What a horrible thought. What a horrible supposition.
But bless God, it is not so. It is not so. I live in hope
of the resurrection. And that hope that I have is
both sure and steadfast. Let me give you my words using
Job's words. I know that my Redeemer liveth. and that he shall stand at the
latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms
destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I
shall see for myself. And mine eyes shall behold and
not another, though my reins be consumed within me. Living
in hope of the resurrection, in sickness I'm calm. In sorrow, I'm peaceful. In trial, in affliction, I'm
at ease. In bereavement, I'm comfortable.
And I hope to die in confidence and joy because I live in hope
of the resurrection. I'm not talking about some theoretical,
theological point. I'm talking about something vital
to life. I live in hope of the resurrection.
That makes me calm, peaceful, at ease while I live in this
world, confident in the midst of sorrow and bereavement. And
I trust will give me grace to leave this world with confidence
and joy. Our assurance, I repeat, is much
more than a belief in a point of theological orthodoxy. It's
a very personal thing. As personal as anything can get.
You see, when I talk about the resurrection, I'm not talking
about a doctrine. I'm talking about a person. When
I think about the resurrection, I'm not thinking about a doctrine
or a fact. I'm thinking about a person. resurrection is Christ
himself. He said to Martha, I am the resurrection. I am the resurrection. I'm talking about life, eternal
life, everlasting life, real life, in with and by him who
is life, the resurrection, Jesus Christ the Lord. This blessed
hope of the resurrection is not some fool's philosophy. It's
not just a religious tranquilizer by which I'm able to cope with
trials and difficulties. This is the calm, confident assurance
of my heart. It's the necessary, inevitable
result of faith in Christ. Those who believe on the Son
of God and live in the comfortable, confident hope of the resurrection. Those who believe in the Son
of God do. Our Lord Jesus said to Martha, I am the resurrection
and the life. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. Believest thou this? I do indeed. I do indeed. The Lord Jesus is
the resurrection and the life of all who trust him. And all
who trust him shall be resurrected from the dead with him at the
last day. This is what our text says. Thy
dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they
arise. Let me make three statements. Give you three reasons why I
live in hope of the resurrection. And I'll wrap my message up with
those three statements. Here's the first one. I live
in hope of the resurrection because I had been representatively resurrected
with Christ the Lord. I live in hope of resurrection
because I was raised from the dead in union with Christ when
he arose from the dead. Turn to Ephesians chapter 2.
I want you to see what the scripture says. Ephesians chapter 2. National Geographic had some
kind of a special on yesterday. I think it was about the tomb
of Christ. And I thought, well, this might
be interesting. And they started out with some
papal relic. And I thought, well, they'd miss that. But if I could
find that tomb, I'm telling you the truth, if I could find that
tomb and I had the authority legally to do it, I'd take a
bulldozer and push it over and build something on top of it,
never tell anybody where it was. Because if I could find it, idiots,
fools will go over there and stand in the tomb and say, oh,
isn't this a holy place? Oh, I feel the Lord's presence
here. Because all men by nature are
idolaters. But the fact is, there was a
tomb. in which the Son of God was buried
after he died. And he lay in the heart of the
earth for three days and three nights. And on the third day,
he came forth with life by virtue of his accomplished redemption.
While he lived on this earth in obedience to God, he did so
as my representative. my representative. Are you a
child of God? Do you trust the Lord Jesus?
Learn to take these things very personally. Jesus Christ, Mike
Ginter, lived on this earth as your representative and you lived
here in union with him. Now we haven't half begun to
get our minds around what that encompasses. You see that finger? Just that little one, right there.
It's living right now in union with this man's body. Separate
from the body, and it has no life. More really, more truly,
you and I who are gods lived in union with Christ while he
walked on this earth, so that his obedience was our obedience.
When he died, I died in him. And when he arose from the dead,
taking his seat in heaven at the right hand of the majesty
on high, I arose with him. Do you see him yonder, seated
on the throne of grace? Do you see him? That man seated
in glory. Can you by faith see him? Understand
this. If you can see him and trust
him, you are there with him. Seated on the right hand of the
majesty on high. Look at Ephesians two, verse
four. God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith
he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us, look at the words, together with Christ. Quickened us together
in union with Christ. By grace are you saved, and hath
raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. Hail sacred union, firm and strong,
how great the grace, how sweet the song, one in the tomb, one
when he rose, one when he triumphed over his foes, one when in heaven
he took his seat, while seraphs sang all hail's defeat. Nothing in all this world is
more wondrous, more profound, more comforting, than the teaching
of Holy Scripture about our union with Christ. It is a real union,
a real union. It's the very heart of salvation.
It's central to everything revealed in this book. Without this union
of our souls to Christ and the union of Christ to our souls,
there is no salvation. Now this union with him is an
eternal union. Scriptures are explicit and clear.
Turn back to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. I want you to read it for yourself. We know that all things work
together for good, verse 28, to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. Now watch
this. And whom he called, them he also
justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. What? When He predestined us unto the
adoption of children, we were already called His sons, already
justified, already glorified. How can that be? Only in union
with Him who is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Turn over to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy 1. This is not a point of logic.
It's not a logical conclusion to what we believe about eternal
things. This is the plain statement of
Holy Scripture. Second Timothy 1.9, God hath
saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. It was
given to us in Christ before the world began, but is now made
manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who
hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality
to light by the gospel, through the gospel, whereunto I'm appointed
a preacher. That reads, it seems to me like,
Paul is saying, by divine inspiration, that we were saved before the
world began. Is that what you get from that?
That's what it looks like to me. I expect that's what he meant
for to me. That's exactly what the scripture
teaches. Our union with Christ was secret. We knew nothing about
it until God came by the power of his spirit through the preaching
of the word and in the new birth brings life to light by the gospel. so that the believer, when he
born of God, comes to know that union. But the union was from
everlasting. Our union with Christ is a legal
union. That is, he legally represented
us. He legally represented us. We
use the phrase power of attorney with legal matters. If you have
power of attorney with regard to me, and somebody finds out
that I popped my cork and I can no longer take care of things,
and they give power of attorney to my son-in-law, then whatever
he does in my name, legally, is what I've done. He is my legal
representative. Adam was that in the garden and
Christ was that when he walked on this earth. But it's more
than a legal representation. Our union with Christ is a seminal
union. Levi paid tithes in the loins
of Abraham. Levi paid tithes in the loins
of Abraham. That is when Abraham paid tithes
to Melchizedek. Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek. He wasn't around yet. He hadn't
been born yet. Nobody thought of him being born
yet, but he was in the loins of Abraham. He was his seed. And we are the seed of Him who
is the seed of woman, Jesus Christ our Lord. Not only that, this
union that we have with Christ now is a living, vital union. When God comes in the power of
His grace in the new birth, God the Holy Ghost puts Christ in
you. He forms Christ so that those
who are born of God are made partakers of the divine nature. And now we live in Christ and
Christ lives in us. It's a vital union. It's a union
of life. And this union is an everlasting
union. Turn over to John 14. Now John
17, look at this, John 17. This is our Lord's prayer. He says in verse 22, the glory
which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be
one. I can see the words, I'm just
waiting for you to get there so you can read them. Even as we are one. Is Christ one with the Father?
one with the Spirit, one God. Just to that degree, exactly
to that degree, God's elect are one with the God-man, our Savior. I in them Thou in me that they
in resurrection glory may be made perfect in one and when
that happens that the world may know that thou hast sent me and
the world will know that thou hast Loved them as thou hast
loved me God the triune Jehovah Loves
me as he loves his son? Loves me as he loves my mediator? That's the language our Lord
used. He said, therefore doth my father love me because I lay
down my life for the sheep. Now, obviously, in his everlasting
divinity, our Lord Jesus was loved of God because he is God,
because he is the Son of God, because he's one with God. But
in John 10, he speaks of earning God's love as a shepherd. The Father has given me commandment. Other sheep I have, them also
I must bring, that there shall be one fold and one shepherd.
I've come here to lay down my life for these sheep I must bring. Therefore, Doth my father love
me because I did what he trusted me to do, because I laid down
my life for the sheep. And the Lord God Almighty, having
received Christ as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,
loved him as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,
gave all things into his hands as the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world, and he loved us. for the very same reason, because
of Christ's perfect obedience unto him. Because, are you listening? Are you listening? Because of
our perfect obedience unto him. I'm talking about union with
Christ. A union with Christ. This man lived for 33 years on
this earth. in perfect righteousness, in
perfect faith, in perfect submission to God, in the person of my Savior. And this man, this one right
here, what are you looking at right here? This man was taken
out by the hands of wicked men and nailed to the cursed tree
and made a curse and God Almighty poured out on this man all the
fury of his indignation and wrath. Until his justice was completely
satisfied in this man's death. So that now, God Almighty says
to this man, fury is not in me. But Don, that can't be, you're
just a man. Oh, not only can't it be, it is. I was in the God
man, are you? I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless
I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me. That's the kind
of resurrection I'm talking about. That's the kind of death I'm
talking about. That's the kind of life I'm talking about. His
obedience to God was our obedience. His death was our death. Look
at Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. God said, the soul that sinneth,
it shall die. Now you're either gonna die personally
in yourself forever, or you're gonna die in a substitute once
to satisfy the justice of God. Paul's talking about believer's
baptism here. If you're a believer and you
haven't confessed Christ, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. You
need to confess him in the waters of baptism. Verse six, knowing
this, Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Christ. That the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Our old
man was crucified with Christ. Now if you read what people who
don't know this book say about it, our old man just, we keep
on crucifying ourselves and we beat ourselves and we take whips
and flagellate ourselves and we punish ourselves and we deprive
ourselves and we mortify the flesh and we're being crucified
with Christ. What stupidity, no. Quite literally, find any concordance
you want to and look it up for yourself. Quite literally, this
is what Paul says. Our old man was once and for
all with finality crucified with him. When Christ died, we died
in him. Look at verse seven. For he that
is dead is freed from sin. He that is dead is freed from
sin. Verse nine, knowing that Christ
being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion
over him. For in that he died, he died
in the sin once. But in that he liveth, he liveth
unto God. Now watch verse 11. Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Reckon yourselves
to be what God says you are, dead to sin, alive to God. When I was 17 years old, I took
my place in a watery grave, and I said to the world, I'm dead. I was buried with Christ, and
I rose with him. And now, I've lifted my hand
to God to walk with him in the newness of life. Our Lord's resurrection
was our resurrection. This is our life. This is important. Listen to me. The resurrection
of Christ is an indisputable fact of revelation and of history. It is an indisputable fact of
revelation and of history. 12 times in the New Testament. Our Lord appeared to men after
he was raised from the dead. 12 times he appeared to people
in the flesh who touched him. He appeared to people in the
flesh who saw it, not his flesh as it went into the grave. It
went into the grave a natural body. It came out a spiritual
body. How do you know? Because he walked
through walls. The disciples were gathering
up a room, and the Lord didn't come to the door. He appeared
in the midst of them. He raised a spiritual body, and
yet a physical body. And they touched him and felt
him. On one occasion, 500 people saw him at one time. 500 people saw him at one time.
You find me any fact in history that's more credible than the
resurrection, and I'll burn my head. It's just, this is an indisputable
fact, but it's more importantly a fact of divine revelation.
The bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus is that which necessitates
the resurrection of all who are in him, in union with him. You see, that which was done
for us mystically and representatively must be experienced by us personally. We are members of Christ's mystical
body, the church. If so much as one member was
to be lost, the body would be maimed. Christ is the head of
his body, the church, and we are the fullness of him who filleth
all in all. If so much as one member were
lost, the head could never be filled. The Lord Jesus Christ
was raised as the firstfruits of them that sleep. The firstfruits. The believers in the Old Testament
would bring their firstfruits of their harvest to the Savior.
They'd bring the firstfruits of the barley, firstfruits of
the cattle, bring the firstfruits of everything because the firstfruits
were the best of the crop and the promise of more to come.
And the firstfruits proclaimed that we shall be raised from
the dead. Christ was the last Adam. Paul argues in 1 Corinthians
15 on this standpoint, as we have borne the image of the earthly,
so shall we bear the image of the heavenly. As we have borne
the image of our father Adam, we shall surely bear the image
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the last Adam. Our Redeemer, the
captain of our salvation, has obtained victory over all that
could hinder the glorious resurrection of his people. Death, hell and
the grave, Satan and sin. All these things he has conquered
for us. And now we live as people who've
been quickened together with him. Above all else, if you'll
turn to John chapter six. Again, I want you to see what
the scripture says. John chapter six. The covenant engagements of the
Lord Jesus is our surety. will not be complete until the
hour of our resurrection. John chapter 6 and verse 37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. And him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven not
to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And
this is the Father's will which has sent me. that of all which
he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on
him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the
last day. Our Savior cried on the cross,
it is finished. That didn't mean that his covenant
engagements were finished. No, no, all that he came on this
earth to do was finished. He put away sin, satisfied justice,
brought in everlasting righteousness, made an end to transgression.
But he's still our mediator. He's still Jehovah's servant.
And his work as our mediator, as Jehovah's servant, will not
be fulfilled until in the end the son presents the kingdom
to the father. And God is all in all. He will bow as the obedient servant
of Jehovah and present all his ransomed in resurrection glory
and say, lo, I and the children which thou has given me. Not
one of them is lost. Here they are! As I promised
before the world was! Unblameable. Unreprovable. Holy. Pure. Perfect. Chaste virgins. Just like I promised. And the Son, presenting us to
the Father, has glory forever as Jehovah's successful servant.
Now, I've already said the bulk of what needs to be said concerning
the second thing. I live in hope of the resurrection. First, because
I was resurrected with Christ and in Christ representatively
when he arose from the dead. Second, I live in hope of the
resurrection because I have experienced it. I have experienced the resurrection
of Jesus Christ in the new birth. The hour is coming, and now is,
when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of Man, and
they that hear shall live. That's what our Savior said in
John chapter five. The hour is coming, and now is, when the
dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that
hear shall live. The dead. That describes all
Adam's fallen race. And among those dead ones, among
the fallen sons of Adam, dead in trespasses and in sins, there
is a people called God's people, thy people, thy people. Their dead bodies shall live. In the new birth, we are raised
from the dead. raised from the dead by the power
of God, by the power of Christ's shed blood, by the virtue of
his accomplishments as God our Savior. The new birth is described
in scripture as a resurrection from the dead. It's called the
first resurrection, the first resurrection. The Lord God comes to sinners
in the power of his grace and raises them from the dead. He had many illustrations in
our Lord's earthly life, but on one particular occasion, he
came to Bethany where Lazarus had been laid in the grave for
four days. And he said, this was for the
glory of God. Lazarus got sick, and Lazarus
died for the glory of God, that God might show his glory in his
work for Lazarus, in Lazarus, and with Lazarus. So it was with
the fall of man in the garden. It didn't happen by accident.
It happened just like Lazarus' death. Exactly according to the
purpose of God. That God might, in the saving
of sinners like you and me, show forth His glory. His glory as
God. Who can raise the dead? Who can
raise the dead? God alone. God alone. And the Lord Jesus came to Lazarus
too. And with a very personal call,
He said, Lazarus, come forth! And I had no idea how many people
were in that graveyard, but there was one man who came out of that
tomb. Just one man, just one man. His name was Lazarus. He came
out of that tomb because his Redeemer called him personally
out of the tomb. And by the effectual power of
his call, Lazarus was made to live. That, my friend, is how
sinners are made to live. Oh, may God be pleased today
to breathe into you the breath of life and cause you to live. One last thing. I believe the revelation of God concerning
his son. Therefore, I live in hope of
the resurrection. There shall be a resurrection
of life at the second coming of Christ. When our Lord Jesus
comes, he shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby
he is able even to subdue all things to himself. I don't know who wrote this,
but I thought it very good. Soon must this body die, this mortal
frame decay. And yes, my body must return
to ashes, air, and clay. Corruption, earth, and worms
shall but refine this flesh till my triumphant spirit comes to
put it on afresh. God, my Redeemer, lives. My Savior
from the skies looks down and watches all my dust till he shall
bid it rise. Arrayed in glorious grace, my
body then shall shine, united body, spirit, soul, and life
by power divine. This blessed hope I owe to Jesus'
dying love. My life and resurrection too,
I'll live with Christ above. Dear Lord, accept the praise
of this poor mortal song till tunes of nobler sound I raise
with an immortal tongue. Let us comfort one another with
these words. Thy dead men shall live. Together with my dead body shall
they arise. To you who are sick and suffering,
the Savior says, thy dead men shall live. To you who fear death,
child of God, the Savior says, thy dead men shall live. To you
who are bereaved, the Son of God says, thy dead men shall
live. Together with my dead body shall
they rise. Let us therefore be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Awake,
he says, and sing, ye that dwell in the dust. Thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the
earth shall cast out her dead. In the springtime, the dew of
heaven falls on the ground and those herbs that were just dried
and prickly and easily broken, dead. When the dew falls, the
herbs spring with life. So it is as we serve our God,
preach the gospel of his grace, faithfully serving him in darkness,
in chaos, in the midst of sorrow and trouble, in the midst of
apostasy and confusion. God pours out his spirit as the
dew of heaven. And when the dew falls in the
springtime of life, the dead arise. Oh, dew of heaven fall
here today and cause the dead to arise, to live. And then when Christ comes again, he pours out his power upon his
redeemed and the dead in Christ shall arise. The dead in Christ shall arise,
and then we shall be caught up together with them to meet the
Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Then shall I be satisfied when I awake
in his likeness. I live in hope of the resurrection. I'm going to lay down tonight
and go to sleep in hope of the resurrection. And when I close
my eyes for the last time, I will close my eyes with comfortable
confidence and peace and joy in hope of the resurrection. Oh, may God give you such hope
by giving you life and faith in Christ Jesus. Amen.