We Shall All Be Changed

Devotional

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But… 1 Corinthians 15: 14-20 This song combines two of my favourite passages of scripture – 1 Corinthians 15 and Revelation 21. Both passages talk about the new reality which will one day be inaugurated by God.   I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live As human beings we live, breathe and interact with this physical world. Many conclude that the physical world is all there is. Others acknowledge a kind of spirituality to their identity which is more than simply flesh and bones. Nevertheless, they hold onto this lightly, perhaps with a degree of embarrassment, like a soothing superstition whenever they need it, but not designed to stand up to genuine investigation. The bible paints a very different, nuanced picture of the nature of reality. Yes, there is a physical world, but there is also a spiritual realm, and God reigns supreme in both. Human beings are designed as both physical and spiritual beings, and a time will come when these two realities will be united in the new heaven and earth. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth because they were having debates about what happens when our physical bodies die. Is there a resurrection? Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Paul says, emphatically, yes. If there isn’t, there is no point in being a Christian – no point in anything. But he knows the facts of Christ’s resurrection, and what has been promised to those who trust in Jesus. Our physical bodies may “sleep” when we die, but we will all be resurrected, as “changed” human beings, ready to experience the great eternity that lies before us, and fit for the presence of our holy God. However incredible that sounds, it is nevertheless what the Christian hopes for, because of Jesus Christ. Whenever I sing this song, I think about the people who equate the Christian belief in the resurrection with nothing more than a well-meaning superstition that gets us through the emotional turmoil of a funeral. To those people, I say – I know it sounds strange. It is strange to us as well. But when I examine the facts of Jesus Christ, his life, teaching, miracles, and resurrection – I find that there is no other explanation that rings as true as the one He gives Himself – “ I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live”.