Preacher: Pastor Tim Redfield

Date: February 21/24, 2019

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-49

A lot of people wonder what heaven is going to be like. I think the most prominent thought is that it will be bliss and happiness. A prevailing thought is that whatever makes you most happy, that is what heaven will be like. There are a lot of things that make me happy. One of those would be when one of my sports teams wins a big championship. I want my teams to always win. Is that what heaven is going to be? I actually don’t think so. In fact, wouldn’t it be boring if I knew my team was always going to win. Part of the thrill of sports is the possibility of losing. If heaven is perfection, I wonder if there will even be sports in heaven. How could there be a losing side in a perfect heaven? Needless to say, if there are sports in heaven, I think they will be very different than what we know now. We don’t know much about heaven. Scripture does give us some information. Today we explore this question, “What will we be like in heaven?”

Part 1. We will be glorified

In this portion of the resurrection chapter, Paul introduces an objection that some had about the resurrection. Some people think that there is no resurrection because they don’t think that a dead body can become alive again. They don’t know how a dead body can overcome what caused it to die and regain flesh. How can a body regain what it has lost through decay? This certainly makes sense to our natural way of thinking. We have not seen someone raised from the dead and therefore it is easy to be skeptical.

Paul points out that it is difficult to comprehend what the resurrection body will be like. To illustrate the difference between what we see now and what will happen in eternity, he points out the difference between the seed that is planted in the ground and the plant that grows. I know it is hard to think about planting season while we have several feet of snow on the ground but planting season will come again, we hope. Think about the perspective Paul is giving. What we see now is like the seed. The resurrection body is like the plant that grows. It is going to be very different than what we see now.

Listen to the description of the resurrection body in verses 42 – 44, “That is the way the resurrection of the dead will be. What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown as a natural body; it is raised as a spiritual body.” These resurrection bodies are going to be very different. They will be similar and yet radically different. They will be imperishable, glorious, and powerful. We will be fit to live eternally with God.

I think about how we are constantly reminded about how perishable we are. Death and decay is all around us. Even as a relatively young person, I can feel my body not being able to do the things I could do when I was in high school and college. We lose physical strength. We are contaminated by sickness and disease. There are many disabilities in our world. This world has been corrupted by sin and our bodies feel the effects of that. Think about how different it will be when we get to heaven. No more sickness or disease. No more physical imperfections.

It is still tough for us to understand what this all means. Probably about the closest we can get is to think about what Jesus was like after his resurrection. We recognize that he still had powers that we will not have since he is God. Think about how he miraculously appeared inside the room even though the doors were locked. He also concealed who he was for a time to help the disciples understand his resurrection. But when he did show himself, they recognized him. He had physical signs of the crucifixion. He had the wounds in his hands and side.

I have heard people say that in heaven it will be so different that we will not recognize each other. I honestly am not sure where that thought comes from. I have not seen that scripture passage and the example of Jesus shows that he was recognized by his disciples. Another thing I think about with Jesus is that he ate and drank with the disciples. This leads me to think that eating and drinking will still be part of our existence. I can’t really say much more than that but there are passages that picture heaven like a banquet.

As we think about the pictures of heaven, we recognize that we won’t understand until we get there. It sounds fantastic but God doesn’t give us many details. I think part of the reason is that God wants us to focus on what needs to be done in this life. Rather than focusing too much on what heaven is going to be like, we focus on the path to heaven. We want to know Jesus and his forgiveness so that we enter to eternal glory. We want to share this message so that many more can join us. As we live in a sin corrupted world we are tempted to lose heart and become dejected by all those who oppose God. We are strengthened and comforted by the hope of heaven.

Part 2. We will be free from sin

The biggest benefit of heaven is that we will be free from sin. This is probably the most difficult to understand. So much of our life is contaminated by sin. The text says this, “The first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man made of dust, so are the people who are made of dust, and as is the heavenly man, so the heavenly people will be. And just as we have borne the image of the man made of dust, let us also bear the image of the heavenly man.” (I Corinthians 15:47-49).

The contrast between Adam and Christ shows us the difference. Adam was created from dust and returned to dust after death. He died because of sin. He was corrupted after the fall. Think about how sin corrupts everything. Even those things that we enjoy are corrupted by sin. Think about sports, entertainment or even family. Sports are corrupted as injuries plague players and there is all kinds of cheating that takes place. Entertainment promotes worldly values and promotes sinful behavior. Our family life is corrupted. Think about how relationships suffer. Homes are broken. People get in all kinds of fights and arguments. We see a sinful world all around us.

Even the most faithful Christians struggle with sin. Look at how Paul describes his situation in Romans 7. Paul certainly would have been a strong Christian but he talks about his spiritual struggle. He writes, “For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not keep doing what I want. Instead, I do what I hate. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. But now it is no longer I who am doing it, but it is sin living in me. Indeed, I know that good does not live in me, that is, in my sinful flesh. The desire to do good is present with me, but I am not able to carry it out. So I fail to do the good I want to do. Instead, the evil I do not want to do, that is what I keep doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who am doing it, but it is sin living in me.”

Paul recognizes that his only hope is in Christ. He says, “What a miserable wretch I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” We have to cling to Jesus to survive in this sinful world. If we don’t cling to Christ, the devil is going to have an easy time getting us to fall into sin. The devil wants all of us to miss out on the glory of heaven.

The awesome news of heaven can be a comfort for us when this life is tough. This world is not going to be perfect. God doesn’t want us to have perfectly happy lives on this earth. There will be suffering and persecution in this world. This world isn’t our home. Our home is in heaven. We anxiously wait for the day when we will enter that glory.

Conclusion

I can’t give you too many specifics about what heaven is going to be like. Even if I think it is about my eternal happiness, that is hard to fully comprehend because the things that make me happy in this life are still contaminated by a sinful world. In heaven we will be completely free from sin. That is why I tend to keep it simple when thinking about heaven. I will get to be with Jesus. All believers will get to be with Jesus. We will be face to face with our Savior. Yes, we will be imperishable, powerful and glorious. But most importantly we will be with the one who died and rose for us. May we help others to see him so that they can join us in heaven.