Victory and Thanksgiving (I Corinthians 15:53-57)

(Class Notes)

• Victory over Death and the Grave (I Corinthians 15:53-55)
  • Since "FLESH AND BLOOD" (CORRUPTION) "CANNOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD" (I Corinthians 15:50) then it follows that "this CORRUPTIBLE MUST PUT ON INCORRUPTION, and this MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY" (I Corinthians 15:53)
    • "THE KINGDOM OF GOD" (I Corinthians 15:50) spoken of by Paul is also called "THE KINGDOM OF THE SON OF HIS LOVE" (Colossians 1:13)
    • It is the LIMITLESS "LOVE OF CHRIST" (Ephesians 3:18-19) that has placed "THE CHURCH, which is HIS BODY" (Ephesians 1:22-23) with its Head into the "HEAVENLY PLACES, FAR ABOVE ALL" (Ephesians 1:20-21 cf. Ephesians 2:6), i.e. into "HIS HEAVENLY KINGDOM" (II Timothy 4:18)
    • Thus, Paul says concerning "THE CHURCH, which is HIS BODY" (Ephesians 1:22-23) that it is "BLESSED ... with ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS in HEAVENLY PLACES" (Ephesians 1:3) and that its "CONVERSATION (CITIZENSHIP) is in HEAVEN from whence we also look for THE SAVIOR, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: Who shall CHANGE OUR VILE (LOWLY) BODY ... LIKE UNTO HIS GLORIOUS BODY" (Philippians 3:20-21)
    • Just as PETER, JAMES, and John were PRIVILEDGED to see a PREVIEW of CHRIST'S RESPLENDENT EARTHLY GLORY (II Peter 1:16-18 cf. Matthew 17:1-5) - so was PAUL UNIQUELY PRIVILEDGED to WITNESS a GLIMPSE of CHRIST'S INDESCRIBABLE HEAVENLY GLORY of which he said that he was "CAUGHT UP into the THIRD HEAVEN ... whether IN THE BODY, or OUT OF THE BODY, I CANNOT TELL ... and HEARD UNSPEAKABLE WORDS ... NOT LAWFUL for a man TO UTTER" (II Corinthians 12:2-4)
    • Thus, Paul exhorts "THE CHURCH, which is HIS BODY" (Ephesians 1:22-23) to:
      • "SEEK those THINGS which are ABOVE, where CHRIST SITTETH on the RIGHT HAND OF GOD" (Colossians 3:1)
      • "SET your AFFECTIONS on THINGS ABOVE (Colossians 3:2) for "your LIFE is HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD" (Colossians 3:3) and "WHEN CHRIST, Who is OUR LIFE, shall APPEAR, THEN shall YE ALSO APPEAR WITH HIM IN GLORY" (Colossians 3:4)
  • "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" (I Corinthians 15:54 cf. Isaiah 25:8)
    • "WHEN the LORD shall DESCEND FROM HEAVEN ... the DEAD IN CHRIST shall RISE FIRST" (I Thessalonians 4:16)
    • "THEN WE WHICH ARE ALIVE ... shall be CAUGHT UP TOGETHER with them IN THE CLOUDS, to MEET the LORD IN THE AIR" (I Thessalonians 4:17)
    • What happens "IN A MOMENT, IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE" (I Corinthians 15:52) for "THE CHURCH, which is HIS BODY" (Ephesians 1:22-23) will also happen at the establishment of "a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH" (Revelation 21:1) - WHEN "GOD SHALL WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS" (Revelation 21:4 cf. Isaiah 25:8)
  • The SHOUT of VICTORY: "O DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING? O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY?" (I Corinthians 15:55 cf. Hoseah 13:14)
    • For "THE CHURCH, which is HIS BODY" (Ephesians 1:22-23): the SEALING of the HOLY SPIRIT is GOD'S PROMISE and EARNEST (PLEDGE) concerning "the REDEMPTION of the PURCHASED POSSESSION" (Ephesians 1:13-14), i.e. "the REDEMPTION of OUR BODY" (Romans 8:23) at "the GLORIOUS APPEARING of the GREAT GOD and our SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST" (Titus 2:13) "Who shall CHANGE OUR VILE (LOWLY) BODY, that it may be FASHIONED LIKE UNTO HIS GLORIOUS BODY" (Philippians 3:21)
    • For the TRIBULATION OVERCOMER (Revelation 7:13-14; Revelation 12:11; Revelation 15:2;
      Revelation 20:4): "BLESSED and HOLY is he that hath part in THE FIRST RESURRECTION"
      (Revelation 20:6) - they "shall AWAKE TO EVERLASTING LIFE" (Daniel 12:2) in "THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE" (John 5:29)
    • For "ALL ISRAEL" (Romans 11:26 cf. Isaiah 59:20), i.e. REPENTANT ISRAEL AT MESSIAH'S RETURN (Acts 3:19-20 cf. Zechariah 12:10; Zechariah 13:1) - AFTER "the FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES be come in"
      (Romans 11:25): "Behold, O My people, I will OPEN YOUR GRAVES ... and BRING YOU INTO THE LAND OF ISRAEL" (Ezekiel 37:12; e.g. Daniel 12:13) for "I will RANSOM THEM FROM THE POWER OF THE GRAVE: I will REDEEM THEM FROM DEATH: O DEATH, I will be THY PLAGUES: O GRAVE, I will be THY DESTRUCTION" (Hosea 13:14)

• Thanksgiving for Victory through Christ (I Corinthians 15:56-57)
  • The STING (PRICK) of DEATH is SIN (I Corinthians 15:56)
    • PHYSICAL DEATH is the CONSEQUENCE of SIN, which is Adam's legacy to all his descendants (Romans 5:12)
    • SPIRITUAL DEATH is the EXPERIENCE of being CAPTIVE to "the LAW of SIN" indwelling "the BODY of this DEATH" (Romans 7:23-24)
    • ETERNAL DEATH is the RIGHTFUL PAYMENT for SIN if one has NOT RECEIVED the GIFT of ETERNAL LIFE through CHRIST JESUS (Romans 6:23)
  • The STRENGTH (POWER) of SIN is the LAW (I Corinthians 15:56)
    • The PURPOSE of the LAW is "that EVERY MOUTH may be STOPPED, and ALL the world may become GUILTY before God ... for by the LAW is the KNOWLEDGE of SIN" (Romans 3:19-20), i.e. the KNOWLEDEGE which is borne of EXPERIENCE
    • The LAW makes KNOWN the POWER of SIN, e.g. the STRENGTH of LUST (Romans 7:7-9) - so that "SIN by the COMMANDMENT might become EXCEEDINGLY SINFUL" (Romans 7:13)
  • THANKSGIVING is RIGHTFULLY DUE to GOD for having provided the VICTORY OVER DEATH "through our LORD JESUS CHRIST" (I Corinthians 15:57)
    • ETERNAL LIFE was RECEIVED as the "GIFT OF GOD" (Romans 6:23), i.e. "BY GRACE ... THROUGH FAITH ... NOT OF WORKS" (Ephesians 2:8-9) - when ye "TRUSTED ... the WORD of TRUTH, the GOSPEL of your SALVATION, ye were SEALED with that HOLY SPIRIT of PROMISE" (Ephesians 1:13-14) for ye by FAITH RECEIVED the GRACIOUS PROVISION of GOD'S RIGHTFUL PAYMENT for your SINS (Romans 3:24-25 cf. Acts 20:28)
    • SPIRITUAL LIFE is able to be EXPERIENCED NOW through the indwelling "SPIRIT OF CHRIST" (Romans 8:9,11,13) - "for the LAW of the SPIRIT (that) of LIFE in CHRIST JESUS hath MADE me FREE from the LAW of SIN and DEATH" (Romans 8:2)
    • PHYSICAL DEATH will be CONQUERED when "the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST ... shall CHANGE OUR VILE (LOWLY) BODY ... LIKE UNTO HIS GLORIOUS BODY" (Philippians 3:20-21)

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