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The First Resurrection Of The Faithful Elect

December 17, 2006

No hope outside the resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Jesus is risen!

Matthew 12:40 “…the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Matthew 27:63 “…After three days I will rise again.”

Mark 16:5-6 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

Acts 2:31-32 “…His soul was not left [forsaken, abandoned] in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 "This Jesus God has raised up…”

Jesus was the first to experience the

first resurrection birth

Colossians 1:18 And he (Christ) is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn (resurrection) from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence (the highest rank).

Christ is the first of the first-fruits resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them (faithful brethren) that slept (that are dead).

The sleep of death

Psalm 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death

The faithful dead rest in hope

Psalm 16:8-11 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Awakened in resurrection

Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake (“I” not just his body), with thy likeness.

Daniel 12:2 “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake …”

A birth into a new life

Isaiah 26:19 But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You (the person) who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.

the first glorified son

Hebrews 1:1-3,5-6 God… 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things…3 who being the brightness of His glory…”5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten (resurrected) thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten (the first resurrected) into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

Bringing many sons to that same glory

Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation (Jesus) perfect (glorified) through sufferings.

Sons of the resurrection

Luke 20:36 "nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

Conditional

Luke 20:35 "But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;

Glorified with Christ if we suffer with Him

Romans 8:17-18 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, (why?) that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

faith and hope that God will also raise

us up in glory as He did Jesus

1 Peter 1:20-21 Who (Jesus) verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Our goal

Philippians 3:11 If by any means I might attain (our hope) unto the resurrection of the dead.

That blessed hope

Titus 2:13 Looking [waiting] for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Part in the first resurrection

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection (Christ’s resurrection): on such the second death (the lake of fire) hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The prize

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

A far superior resurrection

Hebrews 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

Fashioned like unto Christ’s glorious body

Philippians 3:20 “…look for [or wait for] the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body [“the body of our humiliation” ASV], that it may be fashioned like [or conformed] unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

The glorified first resurrection body

1 Corinthians 15:42-49 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

To be Like Him at His appearing

1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

The hope of age-lasting life

Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of ~~eternal~~ age-lasting life.

Glory, honour, and immortality

Romans 2:6-7 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality(by the first resurrection), ~~eternal~~ life age-lasting:

The first-fruits resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:21-23 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (resurrected). 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming (at the end of this age, Mt.24:3).

they Live crucified

Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified (by baptism – and a continued faith reckoning Rom.6:11) the flesh with the affections and lusts.

They that are Christ’s

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you (members of the churches of Galatia, 1:2) as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (as a lifestyle). 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (“members of His body…I speak concerning Christ and the church,” Eph.5:30,32). 29 And if [now since] you are Christ's, [“now that you belong to Christ,” NLT];then you are Abraham's seed (elect, in covenant relationship), and heirs according to the promise (“age-lasting life,” 1Jn.2:25).

Baptism is a symbol of the first resurrection

Romans 6:3-6 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (or live in our baptism experientially). 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

The elect are the first-fruits

James 1:17-18 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us [“He chose to give us birth” NIV] with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

God’s elect have the firstfruits of the Spirit

Romans 8:23-25 And not only they (the whole creation, v.22), but ourselves (God’s elect, v.33) also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption [“waiting for the time when we will take our place as sons,” BBE], the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

The day of redemption

Luke 21:27-28 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.28 Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

the time of harvest

Matthew 13:30,39-43 'Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."39 “…the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 "Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 "and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

At the last trump

1 Corinthians 15:22-23,51-55 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

The last trump

Revelation 11:15-18 And the seventh angel sounded (the last trump); and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Caught up together to meet the Lord in the air

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [or not precede] them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

The elect gathered

Matthew 24:29-31 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

To reign on the earth

Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.