Conformed and Comforted
“And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” (1 Corinthians 15:49)
The TLV translation puts it this way,” And just as we have borne the image of the one made from dust, so also shall we bear the image of the One from heaven.”
The body that Christ now lives in is far superior to the body Adam lived in when in his perfect state. One day we shall live in the same kind of glorified body that Christ now lives in. How awesome is that.
Romans 8:29, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Adam and Eve were created in the physical image that Christ possessed when he lived in physical form on planet earth. But now Christ lives in a resurrection body in heaven. So, we also shall live in a resurrection body like the one Christ now lives in at this very moment. The body he lived in on earth bleed, suffered pain and died. But our coming glorified bodies shall never bleed or die or suffer pain or die It too shall be like his present glorified body able to appear and disappear at will, as he did to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and in a fraction of a second later be in a different place miles away.
We read the story in the sixth chapter of John’s gospel of Jesus getting into the boat after he walked on the water and Verse 2 says, “and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.” (Luke 24:13-35; John 6:16-21;).
Referring to the Rapture the apostle Paul in II Corinthians 5:8 refers to it as “Absent from the body present with the Lord. “Absent” – “Present” means faster than the speed of light. As fast as the speed of thought we shall be in the spiritual realm where Jesus is.
Another illustration of our human body overcoming time and space is that of Philip in the wilderness bringing the good mews of salvation to a lonely Ethiopian.
Acts 8: 39-40 says, “Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.” The evangelist Philip just disappeared. Puff! This was the work of the Holy Spirit. Philip was supernaturally transported 30 miles away in the twinkling of an eye.
To many evangelicals the next momentous event on the prophetic calendar of God is the Rapture of the Church. The apostle Paul describes it to us in I Thessalonians 4 13-18, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fall 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. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that 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.”
The rapture will be an instantaneous transformation of our bodies to fit us for eternal life. It is to be distinguished from the Second Coming. At the rapture, the Lord comes “in the clouds; to meet us “in the air” ( I Thessalonians 4:17). At the second coming the Lord descends all the way to the earth and stands on the Mount of Olives. This will result in a great earthquake followed by the defeat of God’s enemies (Zechariah 4:3-4).
Rapture is called a “mystery,” because it was not taught in the Old Testament. But we in the New Testament dispensation have been forewarned. I Corinthians 51-52 reads, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: 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.”
I pray you are longing for that glorious day that can come at any moment. It will happen in such a time frame as the world thinks it is all foolishness. But as believers we anxiously await it for only then will we finally be free from the power of sin and the very presence of sin. We will dwell in God’s presence forever.
Be comforted and comfort others with this blessed hope.
A Blessed Easter!
Respectfully,
Dr. Robert Bryant