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Baptising the Dead

Posted on by korgrocker

“If the dead will not be raised, what point is there in people being baptised for those who are dead? Why do it unless the dead will someday rise again?”
1 Corinthians 15:29 NLT

Here is a strange verse that has confused theologians over the years, theologians who would rather it were not there, but who have to try to explain it anyway. In addition, some religious groups have zoomed in on this verse and have used it, or are using it, as a means to give someone who has died a second chance in the afterlife. Their logic is quite simple. Referring to this verse, they believe that on behalf of a dead person, they can make a public confession of faith, essentially enabling the deceased to be baptised. They think that eternal life is unavailable for those who have not been baptised, so allowing themselves to be baptised on the dead person’s behalf opens Heaven’s doors to the soul that otherwise would not gain entry. Presumably, the aforesaid soul would have been hanging around the pearly gates, hoping that someone back on earth would have remembered them. Of the religious groups practising baptism for the dead, the Mormons are the most prominent, and the practice commenced with the heretical beliefs of Marcionism, which emerged in the second century AD.

We pilgrims know and understand that salvation is a personal matter. For example, we read Ephesians 2:8, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God”. In Peter’s Acts 2 sermon, he said, “ …  Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. The “each” emphasises the personal nature of faith, and the fact that we cannot enter Heaven on someone else’s coattails, using their faith as a means of entry. 

“God saved you by his grace
when you believed“.

Is baptism essential to inherit eternal life? John 3:16 does not say ‘all who believe in Him and get baptised will not perish but have eternal life’. There have been many over the centuries who have died believing in Jesus, but because of one reason or another have not been baptised. The first was the penitent thief on the cross adjacent to Jesus’s. He had no opportunity for baptism or religious training. He had not taken Holy Communion or been to a Bible Study or prayer group. But Jesus, seeing the state of his heart, said, ‘Today you will be with me in Paradise’. And what about those from denominations that do not believe in full-immersion baptism? Without a proper full-immersion baptism, will they too be excluded from Heaven? 

So what did Paul mean when he wrote about people who were being baptised for the dead? Perhaps there was a distorted belief amongst the Corinthian Christians that there was such a possibility, and Paul was providing some correction with verse 29 of 1 Corinthians 15. We mustn’t forget that in those early days of the church, there was no Canon of Scripture as we enjoy today. In the febrile environment of spiritual gifts and the new life in Jesus, it was always possible that one or two believers became a little overenthusiastic in their beliefs. And of course, it would be natural for those still alive to worry about the whereabouts of the soul of a deceased loved one who had not been baptised. 

Regarding believers being baptised on behalf of those who are already dead, there is a theory that uses the analogy of an army, where a soldier steps up to take the place of a fallen comrade. In the first century, Christian martyrdom occurred, and there may have been a sense that another believer must step up and be baptised on behalf of the martyred Christian to maintain church numbers. Or perhaps Paul was being a bit tongue-in-cheek when he wrote that verse, presenting a view that was obviously incorrect.

We pilgrims cannot be baptised on behalf of another person; that much is clear. We will all one day have to stand before God to provide an account of our lives, and it will not be a valid position to claim salvation through someone else’s efforts. Romans 14:12, “Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God”.

Dear Father God. We know that salvation is a personal experience, and not one that we can adopt on behalf of someone else. But we pray for our loved ones, our friends and our families, that they too will embrace the wonderful Good News about Your Son, Jesus. In His precious name. Amen.

Authority

Posted on by korgrocker

“For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.”
1 Corinthians 15:25-28 NLT

In these four verses today, the word “authority” occurs six times. A dictionary definition of authority is “the moral or legal right or ability to control”. In connection with God, “authority refers to His absolute and supreme right to command, rule, and act in the universe, a right inherent in His nature as Creator and Sustainer of all things. This authority is total and unchallengeable, in contrast to human authority, which is always delegated and limited”. All this is fine on paper, but what does this mean for the ordinary pilgrim trudging through life? 

A Scripture often quoted is Romans 13:1, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God”. This can be a hard verse to swallow, as we look on at the secular and often confused actions of our politicians, who these days seem to lack the moral compass required to guide them in what is right and what is wrong. But we remember that their authority only extends as far as God allows, because there is a higher authority, God Himself. Increasingly today, Christians find themselves marginalised in the debates and laws that are taking place in our halls of power. Currently, hot topics include ideologies around gender and suicide, taking over from the legacy of abortion and divorce legislation. We might object to paying taxes or a TV licence fee, but these things fall within the jurisdiction of the governing authorities, and God will allow punishment for those who refuse to pay. Romans 13:4, “The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong”.

Jesus has the authority
to grant us eternal life

Jesus was the God-man with authority. Matthew 28:18, “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth””. We also know that Jesus had authority over the spiritual realm. Mark 1:27, “Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” On several occasions in His ministry, Jesus demonstrated His authority over demons, casting them out of the people they were inhabiting. Jesus’ High Priestly prayer commences, “After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him” (John 17:1-2). This Scripture is of immense importance to us pilgrims because it assures us that Jesus has the authority to grant us eternal life. Remember “whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life”? Jesus did not just utter the words. He has the authority to ensure they happen.

“The Son radiates God’s
own glory and expresses
the very character of God“.

In Hebrews 1:3 we read, “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honour at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven”. Of course, God has ultimate power and authority over everything because He created everything. And part of His plan was that through Jesus, we would be redeemed from the realm of the devil’s authority. Our salvation was only made possible by Jesus coming under His Father’s authority and enduring the pain and shame of the Cross on a Friday long ago. 

We pilgrims have authority because Jesus commissioned us in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples. Mark’s Gospel expands on this – Mark 16:17-18, “These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed”. As we read through the Book of Acts, we see the disciples’ authority being applied to the world around them. We have been granted authority to do God’s work, in line with His will and purposes for each of us pilgrims, and we must not exclude the Spiritual Gifts if the Holy Spirit empowers us to use them.

Once Jesus has completed His mission in this world, then all authority will be returned to God. We know that because we have had the benefit of reading the rest of God’s written work, the Bible. But in the meantime, we work and act within the authority God has given us, in the process finding the sweet spot for our redeemed lives now and forever.

Dear Father God. We know that the word “authority” can be a hard one in a world where it is so often abused. But we look to You as the Source of all we are, and pray for guidance in the situations we experience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Last Enemy

Posted on by korgrocker

“After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.)”
1 Corinthians 15:24-27 NLT

Adam and Eve knew nothing about death. It was a human condition that was totally foreign to their experience and thinking. Although they would not have been inherently immortal themselves, the fruit from the Tree of Life made it possible for them to live forever. But then along came sin, initially in the form of a serpent. We know the story, of course, of how God’s words were twisted in a way that seemed good to Eve. Of how Adam too succumbed to the subtle temptation, with the result that the last enemy, death, blossomed and spread over the world and over the ages ever since. God, however, still desired fellowship with His created people, and as we read through the Old Testament, we see time and time again those moments when Heaven and earth came together. A moment when God was pleased by human faith and fellowship. We read about Abraham, who pleased God with his faith – Genesis 15:6, “And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith”. We read about Enoch, who just disappeared one day, “Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him” (Genesis 5:23-24). We can only assume that God was so pleased with Enoch that He wanted Him in Heaven with Himself. 

But ever since the Adamic expulsion from the Garden, humans have had to face the last enemy – death. It was Benjamin Franklin who wrote in 1789, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”. In this life there will come a time when we pass over the Great Divide into another existence, where our souls will survive our physical bodies. To many, the act of dying is fraught with fear, even terror, but their lives end even though they fight the inevitable minute by minute. Someone I knew, however, maintained that he wasn’t afraid of dying. It was just that he didn’t want to be involved. To others, they experience a good death. I had a friend who, with a terminal cancer diagnosis, calmly and faithfully put his affairs in order, spending his last days with his Bible and listening to his favourite worship music. The day before he died, he spent with his family, his wife and four children, encouraging them and expressing his love. And then, peacefully and full of faith, he committed himself into God’s hands. A good death, inspiring and faith-filled. 

Why is death an enemy to most people? It is inevitable and final, but something that cannot be controlled. News reports appear from time to time with claims made by scientists that they can reverse or even halt the effects of ageing. The cosmetics industry makes claims that it can extend the youthful appearance of those who can afford it. All because people are afraid of that last enemy. This year, there is legislation in the UK that seeks to give people the right to end their own lives. By some twisted logic, some people would rather control their last days in a selfish attempt to avoid the uncertainties of the final moments. Depriving their friends and families of their presence and burdening them with feelings of guilt and loss. 

Paul summed up his dilemma in Philippians 1:20-24,  “For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honour to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live”. And so it is with Christians everywhere. Jesus told us that He is preparing a place for us to live in after we die. John 14:2-3, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am”. And we have a glimpse of what that place will be like – to the thief on the adjacent cross, Jesus called it Paradise. 

“Our mortal bodies
must be transformed
into immortal bodies“

Jesus also promised us that through His sacrifice at Calvary, those who believe in Him will have eternal life. They will never die. And it gets better. One day, we will have a body that will be immortal just like His. 1 Corinthians 15:53, “For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies“. Paul called death the last enemy, but because of God’s promises, we have nothing to fear. To him, death and consequent release from his physical body were the best options, such was his faith in Christ. But like Paul, while we have breath, we still have work to do for God.

Dear God, our Heavenly Father. We look forward to being in Your presence, a place where there is no more sickness and death. Please continue to encourage and support us as we live out our earthly lives, day by day, doing the work You have asked us to do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The End Will Come

Posted on by korgrocker

“But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet.”
1 Corinthians 15:23-25 NLT

There seems to be an order of events set out in Paul’s writings today. 

  • Christ is resurrected
  • Christ returns
  • “All who belong to Christ” will be resurrected
  • Christ reigns for a period, humbling His enemies
  • “Every ruler and authority and power” is destroyed
  • The End will come
  • The Kingdom is turned over ”to God the Father”.

“they will see the
Son of Man coming
on the clouds of heaven“

Now we know that Christ was resurrected on that first Easter Sunday, and there are hundreds of witnesses to that fact, so the next big event that we need to look out for is His return to this earth, His Second Coming. Jesus’ disciples asked Him about when this would be. He replied, “And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come” (Matthew 24:6-8). On that basis, the “birth pangs” that precede Christ’s return have been happening since the day He left the Mount of Olives and returned to Heaven, and have continued for the past two thousand years. As we read on in Matthew 25, a number of other signs will occur, such as the time when the Gospel, the Good News about Jesus, is preached throughout the whole world (that milestone is getting ever closer). False messiahs will appear; there will be astronomical events that occur in the heavens, “and then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30). 

We can turn to other Scriptures and fill in some gaps about what is to come, but all that will be academic unless we pilgrims are ready for the next step, the return of Jesus for a second time. So, what should we be doing? The Apostle John wrote, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). John pointed out that if we want to be like Jesus when He comes, then we need to pursue being like Him now. The message from the Parable of the Three Servants in Matthew 25 is all about being faithful to Him while He has been away. Matthew 25:21, “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together! ’” 

“Well done,
my good and faithful servant.
You have been faithful“

We must also be aware that towards the time when Jesus returns, there may be periods and occasions of suffering. Matthew 24:9-12, “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold”. These will be sober times, and we must be alert and faithful to the promise that we have in Jesus. We note that Jesus warned about deception from false prophets, and we can look back over the years to see that people have been deceived into following cults and movements based on a false premise or a skewed interpretation of the Bible. To save ourselves from such deception, we must faithfully read the Bible and become very familiar with what it contains. Every new idea or a message preached that we haven’t heard before, we must check it out, and, painful though it might be, we must walk away from anyone or any church that tries to deceive us. Society is awash with strange ideologies generated by people who are nothing more than useful idiots deceived by the devil. We must also be aware of the spirit of the age in which we live. It is a spirit of lawlessness summed up by the last verse in the Book of Judges, “ … all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25b). The Nike spirit of “if it feels good, then just do it” prevails today. We human beings can also easily deceive ourselves in an “everyone does it” culture.

But one day, all these enemies of God will be humbled, because we read in Philippians 2:10-11, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father“. They will have no other option when the Lord of lords and King of kings rules over all.

Dear Father God. We look forward to the days when Your Son Jesus returns. We too pray the words in the last chapter of Revelation, “Come Lord Jesus”. Amen.

Adam and Christ

Posted on by korgrocker

“So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.”
1 Corinthians 15:21-23 NLT

We know from the Genesis account that Adam and Eve were expected to live forever, sustained by the fruit from the Tree of Life located in the Garden of Eden. We can only imagine what this place was like, but it would have contained all the space, vegetation and animal life that we know and enjoy, and probably much more. The Garden of Eden was a biblical paradise created by God for the benefit of the human race that He had created. The Garden would have featured abundant, beautiful, and edible fruit from trees (including the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge), fresh water from a river, and harmonious animals, all existing in perfect peace, innocence, and provision before humanity’s disobedience led to expulsion and hardship. Genesis 3 tells us that after sin entered the world through Adam, a marked change happened as we read in Genesis 3:17-18, “And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains”. In other words, life for Adam was going to get very hard, and his previous idyllic existence was about to be replaced by sweat and toil.

“all creation [has been]
subjected to God’s curse“

We tend to restrict our thoughts to the impact sin has had on mankind, but what about everything else that God created? We read in Romans 8:20-22, “Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time”. It is a graphic thought that what we see around us is the world under a curse, restricted and unfulfilled in every way. So, we look at a lily or a kingfisher, a valley, lush and green, and a sunset vibrant with pinks, reds and yellows, and wonder, because this is the world under a curse. We wonder, if we allow our imaginations to do so, what our world would have been like without a curse restricting all that God originally intended. 

Paul wrote in Romans 5:12, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned”. We are all sinners, and Paul agonised over this condition, as we read again in Romans, “I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me” (Romans 7:21, 23). If we pilgrims stop to think for a moment, we too can cry out Paul’s lament. But Paul didn’t finish with Romans 7:23. His next verse reads, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? …”. 

“So now there is no
condemnation for those
who belong to Christ Jesus.
And because [we]
belong to him,
the power of the
life-giving Spirit has
freed [us] from the power
of sin that leads to death.”
Romans 8:1-2

We thank God for Jesus. All the damage caused by sin in the hearts and minds of human beings was at last redeemed by God Himself, through His Son, Jesus. That is, if we turn to Him, away from our sin in an act of our will and in true repentance, and believe in Him for our salvation. There is no other way to escape the curse of Adam’s sin. And all around us, the consequences of that sin are expressed in the groaning of the world. The misery, the wars, the famines, the hate, the evil, the list is endless. And all because of sin, bringing a curse to our world. But Jesus redeemed us when He came to the world He created. Romans 5 again, “Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19). 

“Thank God! The answer
is in Jesus Christ our Lord“

But we can’t just leave things there. If Jesus had just died on that cross, finally ending His visit to earth, then we would have no future as His followers. We would suffer the same fate and would be left mouldering in a grave somewhere. But as we know, Jesus only borrowed that tomb for a few hours. That first Easter Sunday, He rose from the dead, and appeared before many witnesses. Think about the impact of that. Quotation from Max Lucado in his book “Fearless”. “If one person claimed a post-cross encounter with Christ, disregard it. If a dozen people offered depositions, chalk it up to mob hysteria. But fifty people? A hundred? Three hundred? When one testimony expands to hundreds, disbelief becomes belief. Paul knew, not handfuls, but hundreds of eyewitnesses. Peter. James. John. The followers, the gathering of five hundred disciples, and Paul himself. They saw Jesus. They saw him physically. They saw him factually. They didn’t see a phantom or experience a sentiment”. He continued, “Jesus experienced a physical and factual resurrection. And—here it is—because he did, we will too! “Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back” (1 Cor. 15:23).

Through Jesus, God has given everyone a choice. We can continue in Adam’s sin, or we can embrace the Good News about the Resurrection of Jesus. He has provided a way to escape the consequences of sin because He is the Way. And there is no other way.

Dear God. Thank You for Jesus, and all that He has done for us. Amen.

A Great Harvest

Posted on by korgrocker

“But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.”
1 Corinthians 15:20 NLT

I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t understand what a harvest is. Even we city dwellers occasionally travel outside our confines and venture into a strange place without houses and the other signs of urban life. Great swathes of concrete and tarmac blight our city neighbourhoods. Neon signs and street lamps provide illumination. Motor vehicles abound, transporting people around, creating an impression of busyness and movement. Supermarkets peddle well-packaged fresh food that, in many cases, has been altered or displayed in ways that hide its origins. For those picking up a net of oranges, would they know how it was grown? Or would a shopper who placed a sliced loaf, packaged in plastic film, in their trolley, understand what was in it, and where it came from? But taking a journey outside our urban limits will expose fields covered with all sorts of crops. Cereals such as wheat, barley or oats. Greenery such as cabbage or broccoli. In other countries, vines burdened with clusters of grapes or trees covered with oranges or apples can be found. And in it all, we look on, wondering how such products of God’s glorious provision ever get to our mouths. But we mustn’t forget the source of essential proteins originating in the animals we eat. Beef, pork and chicken products are commonly found on our supermarket shelves or in our butchers’ shops, but these animals can be found not far from our city limits. I remember some years ago a foster boy aged about four, who we had just collected from a social work office in Glasgow.  The poor lad was confused enough with the journey to his new home, but in the rolling fields in the West of Fife, he spotted a herd of cows and asked what they were—such a shame for a neglected child deprived of the basics of a life we take for granted. 

“[Christ] is the first of a great harvest“

Paul wrote that Christ was the “first of a great harvest of all who have died”, because He was resurrected from the dead after a short time spent in a tomb. Usually, such graves are permanent places of residence for a human body, but not so for Jesus. He just needed to borrow it for a while. He spectacularly vacated that tomb, as recorded in the Gospels. The practical details we read are authentic and detailed. In his Gospel, Mark records that some prominent women purchased spices to anoint Jesus’ body, but as they journeyed to the tomb, they were worried about how they could roll the stone away from the entrance. Imagine their surprise when they found that it had already been moved away, and “When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked” (Mark 16:5). This young man (who must have been an angel) then said “ … Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body”. Reading on, we find that the women fled the tomb, scared witless. In Matthew’s account, we read about a great earthquake, an angel rolling aside the stone, and then sitting on it. The Roman soldiers fainted with fear and were bribed to tell lies about what had happened. All wonderful details of that day when Jesus was raised from the dead, the “first of a great harvest of all who have died”. The detail of an angel rolling away a heavy stone and then sitting on it never fails to amuse me.

Predicting His death and resurrection, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives” (John 12:24). Jesus died on that Calvary cross, taking on Himself the sins of mankind, past, present and future, but without the resurrection His death would have been pointless. Jesus died so that we would be forgiven, but He was raised to life, demonstrating that all who believe in Him would also be resurrected, just as He was. Eternal life awaits those who faithfully follow Jesus day by day in this life here on Planet Earth. 

Father God. We will never really get our minds around the perfection of Your plan for the salvation of mankind. We thank You for Jesus, the first of the resurrected ones, and we look forward to the day when we will join with Him in our Heavenly home. Thank You. Amen.  

Body and Soul

Posted on by korgrocker

“And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”
1 Corinthians 15:15-19 NLT

“we will be with the Lord forever”

The theologian David Pawson, along with many Christians, viewed the resurrection of the body as the cornerstone of Christian faith, emphasising that it was not resuscitation but a unique transformation into a new, imperishable body, patterned after Christ’s resurrection body (which was both continuous and glorified), marking the beginning of a new creation and validating Christ’s sacrifice and identity as Lord. For believers, this means a future trumpet call brings raised, transformed bodies that will live forever, contrasting with the frail earthly body, making the resurrection central to hope and worship. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever”. 

After the resurrection of Jesus, there were some who spread a rumour that Jesus didn’t die on the cross, but just “swooned”. In the cool of the grave, He came to, they said, and walked out, continuing His life as before. But such a thought neglects the fact that Jesus was whipped to within an inch of His life, and was subsequently, on the cross, declared dead by a Roman soldier who was no stranger to the deaths of crucified men. No one was ever going to survive such an experience. 

After we die, our bodies will return to dust, as we read in Genesis 3:19, “By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return”. Of course, we know from the Creation story that human beings were supposed to be immortal. There was a Tree of Life in the Garden, which would ensure life forever. Being cut off from the Garden marked the demise of the human being, and the inevitability of death and a return to the elements that make up a physical body. But our spirits live on in a place called Paradise (remember what Jesus said to the thief next to him on the cross?). That is, until one day God will provide us with a resurrected body. 

“Then I saw a new heaven
and a new earth“

Did we know that we will not spend eternity in Heaven, as many expect? There will come a day when we will return from Heaven to the New Earth in our new resurrected bodies, and once again, there will be a Tree of Life to sustain our bodies. We have only been provided with a glimpse of what will happen, but there is enough to reassure us about our future. Revelation 21:1, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone”. The following chapter in Revelation starts, “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the centre of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations” (Revelation 22:1-2). So there we have it. Once we die, our souls live on until that day when God will provide us with wonderful new bodies that will never suffer from sickness or death. And we will enjoy living in the New Jerusalem, where God Himself will live. Nothing will get better than that!

Dear Father God. We look forward to the day when we will live in Your presence forever, first in Heaven and then in the New Earth. Thank You for giving us a glimpse of what this will be like. But while we live here in this world, we pray for Your Spirit to remain with us, leading us day by day to the Promised Land. Amen.

Resurrection

Posted on by korgrocker

“But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.”
1 Corinthians 15:12-14 NLT

What was going on in Corinth! Apparently, some believers there were a bit wobbly in their thinking about what happens after they die. This was despite the Apostle’s teaching about Jesus and His resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15:4-6, and about Jesus, Paul wrote, “He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died”. With all those witnesses and the preaching of men like Paul, why were some of the believers in Corinth saying there is no resurrection of the dead? 

In common with our Western societies today, in Greece two thousand years ago, many believed that after death there was either blackness, a state of nothingness, or, once free from a physical body, a person’s spirit could roam as it pleased. In both cases, the prevailing Greco-Roman thought was that life in a human body was to be lived to the max, because whatever followed was unimportant, even if a post-death experience was real. 

Today, humanists and atheists hold similar views. They primarily see death as the end of individual existence, focusing instead on making the most of life in the present and leaving a legacy through one’s impact on others and the world. Some non-religious individuals may hold beliefs in a form of afterlife, such as reincarnation or the continuation of consciousness, sometimes based on personal experiences like near-death experiences, but these are not core tenets of humanism or atheism. Quite sad, really, because they live a life without hope, and as the end draws nigh, fear and regrets start to prevail, and they finally die, broken and lost. It begs the question about what life means to a humanist or an atheist. A secular view of the purpose of life is that meaning isn’t preordained but is created by individuals, who focus on human values, and relationships, and flourishing in this life rather than an afterlife. They emphasise compassion, justice, knowledge, and making a positive impact on the world and others. Noble thoughts, but there is so much more. In their lives now, I think it is so sad that an atheist can look at the landscape before them, or a beautiful sunset, and yet have no One to thank for the experience. And it will be a nasty shock to such people when they find themselves, in their resurrected bodies, by the way, standing before Jesus, sitting in judgment on the Great White Throne we find in Revelation 20.

Jesus said,
“I am the resurrection
and the life”

But believers in Jesus, those we call Christians, know differently. Don’t we? Two Christian creeds were developed in the first centuries AD, the Apostles‘ Creed and the Nicene Creed, and they both reference the facts that Jesus rose from the dead and that our bodies will be resurrected. The last paragraph of the Apostles’ Creed reads, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting”. This is a statement founded on Scripture and an indisputable part of a Christian’s beliefs. 

To Martha, the sister of Jesus, He said, “ …I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying” (John 11:25). Romans 6:4-5, “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was”. It is fundamental to Christians, us pilgrims, that we believe we will one day rise from the dead. Resurrection is real, folks, because of Jesus.

Dear Lord God. Thank You for Your Son Jesus and all He did for us during His life here on Planet Earth. We follow Him gladly, trusting in Him for our future resurrection. Amen.

Preach the Message

Posted on by korgrocker

“For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favour on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.”
1 Corinthians 15:9-11 NLT

“For I decided that while I was with you
I would forget everything except Jesus Christ,
the one who was crucified”
(1 Corinthians 2:2).

Paul reminded the Corinthians that he and the other Apostles all preached the same message, the one they “have already believed”. But what was this message? An important question, because if it was fundamental to the first Apostles, it must be fundamental to us pilgrims as well. The answer is the basis for Christianity and our faith. We preach Jesus and Him crucified. The Amplified version of 1 Corinthians 2:2 reads, “for I made the decision to know nothing [that is, to forego philosophical or theological discussions regarding inconsequential things and opinions while] among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified [and the meaning of His redemptive, substitutionary death and His resurrection]”. This verse puts a focus on something very important – the simplicity of the Gospel. Paul was an educated man, who was able to debate and witness before the most senior members of his world. There was not only the Greek philosophers of his day, “He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods”” (Acts 17:18). He certainly grabbed their attention. They took him to the High Council, the Areopagus, to continue his message. On another occasion, he witnessed before King Agrippa (Acts 26). But Paul never forgot the ordinary man in the street, as we read in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some”. 

“For the Son of Man came
to seek and save those
who are lost“
Luke 19:10

But regardless of all his learning, Paul shared a simple Gospel about “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” at every opportunity he found himself in. This message is one we pilgrims are also required to share. The Amplified version of 1 Corinthians 2:2 puts its finger on a problem that can so easily trip us up if we let it: we can get bogged down in “philosophical or theological discussions regarding inconsequential things and opinions” in conversations with others. I recently heard about a street evangelist who was bombarded with a whole list of questions by a young man he was trying to share the Gospel with, and the last question from the young man summed up the irrelevance of the conversation: “Did Adam have a belly button?” Whether Adam did or not, such questions can distract, divert, and dilute the simplicity of the Gospel message. Adam’s anatomy has no relevance to the serious matter of salvation. In His conversation with Zacchaeus, Jesus told him, and anyone else listening, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10). In a section entitled “Salvation is for Everyone” in his Roman epistle, Paul wrote, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-10). There is nothing complicated about these verses, I think we fellow pilgrims will agree. But the main reason that people put up a smoke screen of questions and arguments is that they don’t want to face into the consequences of responding positively to the Gospel message. I was speaking to a man recently who claimed to be a Christian, but who had not been baptised. When gently challenged, he provided a whole list of excuses as to why he had not taken the next step in his faith. But in love we pilgrims persevere in sharing the simple Gospel message because that is what Jesus has asked us to do. Nothing complicated.

Dear Father God. Please lead us to the mission field that You want us to labour in. By the power of Your Spirit, please give us the words to say and the people You want us to share with, so that You will receive all the glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Least Apostle

Posted on by korgrocker

“For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favour on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.”
1 Corinthians 15:9-11 NLT

Having listed all the people who had seen the risen Jesus, Paul added his name as the last one who had experienced that wonderful privilege. But the way he had persecuted those early believers still disturbed Paul. His actions were indelibly recorded in his mind and were going to be there until the day he died. Will memories of bad things survive a believer’s grave? Although we will be made holy and perfect (1 John 3:2 and Hebrews 10:14) once we reach Heaven, we nevertheless expect that memories will survive death. Still, they will be transformed, cleansed of pain and sin, allowing for deeper, perfect relationships and understanding, not just a simple recall of earthly life, as the new reality in God’s presence overshadows former sorrows. This is good news, not just for Paul but for every believer still racked and tormented by memories of the sins they once committed, memories often referred to as the stain of sin. But here in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul still remembered those dark days when he got things so wrong. 

But, rightly, Paul looked to God and his grace for the outcome in his life. He gave credit to God for turning his life around, helping him refocus his zeal from persecuting and destroying the church to building it up instead. A total U-turn if there ever was one. Paul was a driven man who would spend the rest of his life enduring privations, beatings, stonings, and more just to spread the Gospel, the Good News about Jesus. And all because “God poured out his special favour on [him]”. Paul wrote that he was “the least of all the apostles”, even questioning if he was worthy of the title “Apostle”. 

Apostle – one who is sent out.

What does the word “Apostle” mean? Literally, the Greek word means “one who is sent out”. He is a messenger, envoy, or ambassador commissioned with the authority to spread the Gospel, the Good News about Jesus. But who commissioned Paul? In modern times, an apostle is a man (or woman) sent out by their denomination or church (if large enough) as a missionary to break new ground for Jesus. They could also serve as an overseer over a church or group of churches, giving them spiritual accountability for their teaching and direction, as well as for their vision for the future. Paul, however, was commissioned by Jesus Himself to spread the Gospel, just as the other twelve disciples were. We read in Acts 9:4-6, “He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do””. Ananias, a believer in Damascus, received a message, “But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake”” (Acts 9:15-16). That experience profoundly turned Paul’s life around, as Jesus Himself commissioned him to be an apostle to the Gentiles.

“The master said,
‘Well done, my good and
faithful servant“.

Paul considered himself to be the “least apostle” because he was the only one who had not spent time with Jesus. He was also the only one among the apostles who had done so much damage to the early church. Perhaps he also intuitively knew that his future would not be on the same level as the Twelve. In Revelation 21:14 we read, “The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb”. Paul would have been number thirteen. But Paul would not have been disturbed by this, because he would have heard the words that really mattered to him, “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. … ’” (Matthew 25:23a). Paul also had a priceless crown awaiting him. 2 Timothy 4:8, “And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing“.

Paul did indeed seem to have worked harder than the other Apostles. He not only undertook three recorded missionary journeys, according to the Acts accounts, but he also wrote thirteen or fourteen of the New Testament books, in the process providing us with much important theology. The least of all the Apostles? That might have been his self-assessment, but in hindsight, we pilgrims have much to thank Paul for. We remember that Paul was chosen “because God poured out his special favour on [him]”. What an endorsement!

Dear Father God. We thank You for Paul, the least of the Apostles. Please help us to be clear on what You have commissioned us to do, so that we too will one day hear those wonderful words, “well done”. In Jesus’ name. Amen.