THE SIXTH FOUNDATIONAL TEACHING of Jesus is the resurrection of life. Resurrection is a promise of living forever with God.
People all over the world want to live forever. Throughout history people have followed religious rituals, hoping to get to heaven. Ancient explorers sought a fountain of life from which they hoped to get immortality. Today, Silicon Valley corporate leaders are trying to extend the human life span through advances in medicine, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
All these human attempts to find immortality are doomed to failure. There is only one way to get eternal life – as a gift from God. And the only way to receive this gift is to believe in Jesus Christ.
“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25).
The fundamental problem we have is not disease or aging. It is sin. Sin separates humanity from God, and it ultimately kills. The only way our sins can be cleansed is through faith in Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Resurrection
When we are born again, we are spiritually resurrected. Our spirits were dead in sin, but they are made alive and united to Christ who conquered death and hell.
We are “raised with [Jesus] through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Col. 2:12).
The resurrection power of Jesus operates inside each child of God. We need to know this stupendous power – “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:19-20).
The resurrection power of Jesus is the power to save our souls, and this power ought to affect every aspect of our lives, including our physical bodies.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Rom. 8:11)
Living by Resurrection Power
We are called to live our lives by this awesome resurrection power.
“Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).
Walking in “newness of life” means walking by the Holy Spirit. We are not to live according to the flesh (our own wisdom, power, and righteousness), but according to the Holy Spirit (the wisdom, power, and righteousness of Christ). The Christian life is supernatural, above our natural abilities. It depends on God’s power, not our own power.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).
To experience this newness, we need to “know Christ and the power of his resurrection” (Phil. 3:10). As we increasingly know Jesus and the power of his resurrection, we will increasingly experience God’s power working within us and through us.
Eternal Souls
Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we already have eternal life now.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Our souls became eternally alive the moment we were born again. We don’t need to fear death. Nothing can really kill us. We have victory in life, and we have victory in death.
“To die is gain… [I] desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Phil. 1:21-23).
When our bodies die, our souls will immediately go to be with Christ.
“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8).
With Christ, we will be spiritually more alive than ever.
Dead People Cannot Interact with the Earth
When our bodies die, our souls will go be with God, and that is something to look forward to. But we have a job to do on the earth, revealing the gospel to the world and building the church. That’s why Paul wanted to go be with God, but he said, “to remain in the flesh is more needful for you” (Phil. 1:24). Paul wanted to stay in his physical body so he could keep serving the church. Without a physical body, he would be unable to help anyone on the earth.
The New Testament describes the death of Christians as falling asleep.
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. (1 Thess. 4:13-14)
Sleeping refers to the relationship that dead saints have with the world. Dead saints can’t do anything on the earth. They can’t speak to anyone or appear to anyone. They can’t interact with us or help us in any way. Although they are more alive and conscious of God than ever before, as pertaining to the world, they are asleep.
Jesus is the only mediator between us and God. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). No dead saint can help us relate to God or get anything from God. Dead saints cannot answer our prayers. It’s impossible to communicate with them. No dead person can interact with us. The souls of dead people are either in heaven or in hell; there is no middle ground.
Supposed interactions with the dead are often imaginary, but they could be demonic. Any spirit that claims to be a dead person is a lying spirit – either a demon or a fallen angel. Satan often lies and pretends to be someone he’s not (2 Cor. 11:14). We should never seek to hear from any dead person or accept any communications from “dead” people. This will open the door to the devil. We need to hear from God alone.
The only way dead saints can interact with the world is for them to be physically resurrected.
Resurrection of the Mortal Body
At the end of the age, everyone will be physically resurrected. Even before the end of the age, several people have been physically resurrected in their mortal bodies. This happened several times in the Bible.
Elijah prayed for a dead boy, and his soul came back into his body by the power of God (1 Kings 17:17-24).
Elisha raised up a dead boy (2 Kings 4:18-37).
Jesus raised up a dead boy (Luke 7:11-17). He also raised a girl back to life (Luke 8:52-56). He raised Lazarus up from the dead (John 11).
Peter raised up Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-43).
Resurrections happen today in hospitals. Some people clinically die and then come back to life. Resurrections can also happen today through the power of God. When Jesus sent his disciples out to do ministry, he commanded them to raise the dead (Matt. 10:8a). It is possible even today to raise the dead by God’s power, according to the leading of God’s Spirit.
Everyone who was physically resurrected, whether medically or miraculously, died again.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Jesus’ resurrection is the greatest resurrection of all. When other people died, they died for their own sins, but when Jesus died, he died for the sins of the whole world. He “tasted death for everyone” (Heb. 2:9), and then he resurrected, defeating all sin.
The resurrection of Jesus is the dynamo of Christianity. Without it, our faith would be totally empty, devoid of power.
“And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty” (1 Cor. 15:14).
But Christ did rise from the dead, meaning our faith is full of death-destroying power. He crushed Satan’s head, demolished sin, and set us free from death.
Glorified Bodies
At the end of the age, all believers will be physically resurrected. Our souls will receive glorified bodies which will last forever.
“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1).
Job said, “And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:26).
Isaiah said, “Your dead shall live; together with my dead body, they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs” (Isa. 26:19).
God told Daniel, “But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age” (Dan. 12:13).
Levels of Eternal Glory
After the resurrection, the glorified bodies of the saints will be bright with God’s glory. Some glorified bodies will be brighter than others.
“There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead” (1 Cor. 15:41-42a).
Christ will give heavenly rewards to his people based on their level of obedience to him while living on the earth. Based on the amount of rewards received, each one will shine forth glory throughout eternity.
Jesus told his disciples, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20). We lay up treasure in heaven as we obey God and make sacrifices for him on this earth. Our glorified bodies will reflect the amount of heavenly treasure we have. Paul said the challenges he endured for the sake of Jesus created for him a more glorious eternal future.
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17).
As Paul took up his cross and followed Christ, he was laying up heavenly treasure. This weight of glory would be revealed in his glorified body.
Changed Into Glory At the Last Trumpet
Some believers will get their glorified bodies while they are still alive. At the end of the age, believers who are alive on the earth will be physically transformed.
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Cor. 15:51b-52)
At the resurrection, the living saints will put on glorified bodies.
“[God] will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Phil. 3:21).
We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thess. 4:15b-17)
At the last trumpet, three things will happen.
1. Jesus will return to the earth.
2. The dead in Christ will be resurrected.
3. The living saints will put on their glorified bodies.
There are 7 final trumpets, and obviously, the last one is the 7th.
In the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to [trumpet], the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. (Rev. 10:7)
The last trumpet marks the end of the age. When it sounds, time will be no more (Rev. 10:6).
We are spiritually resurrected now through faith in God, and our souls become eternally alive. We are called to live on the earth by the power of Christ’s resurrection. A few people are resurrected now on earth in their mortal bodies, but they die again. At the last trumpet, all the saints will be resurrected physically, and the believers who are alive on the earth will put on glorified bodies.
~ Prayer ~
Heavenly Father, praise you for the power of resurrection. When Jesus rose up from the dead, he conquered every enemy, including sin and death. The power of resurrection is at work in my life because the Holy Spirit is inside me. Help me to see this! Help me experience it! I want to live the supernatural life that you intended me to live. I’m tired of living a mundane life. Release me from every bondage. Heal my body and give me spiritual strength to do what you want me to do. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Victory Over False Teachings
- Soul Sleep. Some churches believe that the souls of Christians will fall asleep at death and only become conscious again at the resurrection. But the Bible says that to depart from the body is to be present with the Lord and that this is a conscious reality (Phil. 1:23). Although dead saints are asleep as pertaining to the world, they are very much alive and awake to God.
- Living Saints Will be Raptured Before Trumpet 7. Some churches believe that the church will be raptured before the 7th trumpet. But the Bible says that the dead saints will be resurrected, the living saints will be transformed, and the events of 1 Thess. 4:15-17 will all occur at the last trumpet.
Foundations Study 6: Resurrection of the Dead
John 11:25
Why is it impossible to get eternal life apart from Jesus?
John 3:16
How do people get eternal life?
John 17:3
What is eternal life?
Colossians 2:12
How are believers already raised from the dead?
Romans 8:11
How should the resurrection of Jesus affect our bodies?
Romans 6:4, 2 Corinthians 5:17
- What does it mean to walk in newness of life?
- How do we walk in newness of life?
Philippians 3:10
What is some evidence of the resurrection power of Christ operating in our lives?
Philippians 1:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:8
- When a believer dies, what happens to his soul?
- Why should Christians be unafraid of death?
Philippians 1:24, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
- Why would Paul be unable to help the church if his body was dead?
- Can dead people interact with living people?
- Where do people go when they die?
1 Timothy 2:5
- Why are dead saints unable to answer our prayers?
- Should we say, “Hail Mary”?
- When people claim to talk to dead people, who are they talking to?
Job 19:26, Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:13
How does the doctrine of resurrection encourage those who go through challenges?
1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:18-37, 2 Kings 13:21
Why did these resurrected people die again?
Luke 7:11-17, Luke 8:52-56, John 11, Acts 9:36-43, Acts 20:7-12, Matt. 27:50-53
- What is the difference between the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of everyone else?
- What did the resurrection of Jesus accomplish?
1 Corinthians 15:14
Why is Christianity powerless without the resurrection of Jesus?
Matthew 10:8
- Is it possible to raise the dead today?
- Do you know anyone who has ever been resurrected – either medically or through God’s power?
2 Corinthians 5:1
Why is the body like a tent?
1 Corinthians 15:41-42
How will different levels of glory be revealed in eternity?
2 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Matthew 6:20
What are some ways we can lay up spiritual treasure in heaven?
1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, Revelation 10:6
What three main events will happen at the last trumpet?
How does this affect your view of the end times?
Bethel Cornerstone 