When Do We Give Up Our Rights? (Part 2)

Bill of Rights

We know we have rights because as Americans this concept is taught to us since we were kids in school.  But is there a time when we might give up these rights?  When should these rights be put aside? When might we, as Christians, give up our rights? To discover the answer to this question, we are going to look at the first letter Paul wrote to the Corinthians.  In chapter 8 of this letter, Paul has just told them that they should give up their freedoms when they might cause another believer to sin.  But in the next chapter his mind focuses on giving up rights for another purpose.  So when we look at this passage, we’ll first see that Paul has some rights.  Then we’ll see when he gave up these rights.  And finally we’ll see when we might give up our rights. 

So first, let’s look at the rights Paul claims to have.  The two things Paul declares that he has a right to are one: to take a believing wife with him and two: to be materially support by the churches he ministers.  He has a right to travel with whom he wants and a right to be provided for.  And in this section Paul will give an elaborate defense for why he should be paid as a minister.  Look at 1 Corinthians 9:1-14. 

He says, “Am I not free?  Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?  Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?  Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you!  For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me.  Don’t we have the right to food and drink?  Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?  Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?”

Who serves as a soldier at his own expense?  Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes?  Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk?  Do I say this merely from a human point of view?  Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?  For it is written in the Law of Moses: ‘Do not muzzle and ox while it is treading out the grain.’  Is it about oxen that God is concerned?  Surely he says this for us doesn’t he?  Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.  If we sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?  If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?”  Then skip to verse 13, “Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?  In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.”

In this passage, Paul has asked a series of rhetorical questions that are implying certain answers.  Yes, he has the right to food and drink.  Yes, he can take a believing wife with him.  No, he and Barnabas shouldn’t have to work to support themselves in their ministries.  Yes, he has the right to be supported by them.  Basically, Paul says that if he wanted to, he could exercise these rights.  In fact, that is why Paul goes on in verses 7-14 to defend his rights.

Look at his defense briefly.  He says it is logical for a person to be paid for their work.  Look at the soldier, or the farmer, or the herder.  The Law of God also supports that a person be paid for their work. Temple workers get paid.  Paul says that just like pagan temple workers get paid, the Lord commands those who preach the Gospel to be paid.   Everything points to the fact that Paul has a right to be paid for his work.  So what I want you to see is that Paul in the first part of chapter 9 is saying I have rights.  These rights are a given.  They are irrefutable.  

When Did Paul Give Up These Rights?

But the question is, was there ever a time when Paul felt he should give up these rights?  Was there ever a time when his rights were put to the side for something greater?  When did Paul give up his rights?  Paul gave up his rights when they hindered the Gospel.  He sacrificed his rights as a person to save the souls of the lost.  When Paul’s rights hindered the Gospel, he willingly gave up those rights so that nothing stood between the Gospel and the person he was talking to.

            Look at 1 Corinthians 9:12 and we will pick up in the second part of the verse.  1 Corinthians 9:12, second part of the verse and we will pick up where Paul says, “But we did not use this right.  On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.”  Jump down to verse 15, he says, “But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me.  I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast.”

So Paul is saying after his elaborate defense to be supported by the church he served that he did not use this right.  He put this right to the side so that the Gospel would not be hindered.

            Now, his reasons for doing this may have been complex.  Paul may have refused support while with the churches he ministered because he did not want people thinking he was a prophet for hire.  He didn’t want people thinking that he preached and taught for money.  During this time, philosopher would stand in the market place and sell their wisdom to those who would buy it.  But Paul did not want to be associated with this crowd.  He therefore gave up his right to be supported as a minister so that the Gospel would not be hinder.  Preaching about Christ was more important than enacting his rights.

What Does This Mean For Us?

            Therefore, there might be times where we will give up our rights so that the Gospel is not hindered.  Let’s see how we might do this.  Let’s see how we can put this principle into action.  We might have to give up our right to be paid like Paul so that the Gospel is not hindered.  Many people go on missionary trips and don’t get paid for the work they do.  Do they have a “right” to be paid?  Why yes, they do.  But we don’t push the issue because we don’t want the people where helping to think we want their money.  So we volunteer, we give up our right to be paid so the Gospel is not hindered.  We might go down to Mexico, build some houses, shared the Gospel, all without pay.  Why?  So the Gospel is not hindered. 

            But there are many other areas where we might give up our rights so the Gospel is not hindered.  Let’s look at a few.

            First, let’s look at our right to free speech.  When might we give up our right to free speech so the Gospel is not hindered.  Let’s say you’re at school and some homosexual students are actively talking about their lifestyle and they are condeeming narrow minded Christians for their view.  You have the right to go up to them and tell them their wrong that they are disgusting pigs that will burn in hell.  But if this is all you say, you’ve hindered the gospel with your right to free speech.  Instead, it would be smarter to wait for a time to bring up the issue in a gentle way to that they understand why they are sinning and why they need a Savior.   

You may also give up your right to privacy.  Perhaps you’ve had similar experiences like me with Jehovah Witnesses or Mormons or people coming by you house selling magazines for some scholarships.  Or maybe you’ve had a telemarketer call your house at 6 o’clock when your having dinner.  And when we encounter these people, we get mad don’t we?  We say in a way, “How dare you invade my privacy!”  But think about this.  People are coming to you and they want to talk.  People are calling you and they want to tell you something.  This is a great opportunity to share the Gospel.  One of my friends who is a Christian say his favorite holiday is Halloween.  Why?  Because lots of people come to him knocking on his door.  The mission field is coming to our doorstep.  Why not give them a gospel track.  Look, this is a great opportunity to share the Gospel.  When those door-to-door sales people come or telemarketer calls, give up you right to privacy, don’t slam the door or hang up the phone.  Instead, listen to what they have to say and then give them a gospel track and share the Gospel.  You could even say, “Hey listen, I’ll hear what you have to say if afterwards you listen to what I have to say.”  What’s the worst that can happen?  They leave or hang up on you.  So give up you right to privacy so that the Gospel is not hindered.  Don’t let your desire for privacy stop you from sharing the Gospel.

Or for those of you into dying your hair, piercing body parts, getting tattoos, have you ever thought about this?  We have a right to do with our body what we want.  And dying your hair or piercing your ears is not a sin.  But one thing we want to watch out is guilt by association.  The world looks at Christians and hold us to a different standard.  But let’s say you dye your hair red.  Usually people see this person as a punk who’s into drugs.  Now clearly you have a right to dye your hair red.  But what if this inhibited you from sharing the Gospel?  What if this made people not trust you and think you’re just a hypocritical Christian?  Would you give up you right to the freedom of expression so that the Gospel was not hindered?  Paul would.  

Last, let me end with this true example.  It’s an example of giving up our rights to justice so that the Gospel is not hindered.  Ray Comfort used to go down to Santa Monica to open air to preach.  And he would bring a dummy as a prop to help attract a crowd.  Ray would set up this dummy with a sheet over it so that it would look like a dead person.  He called Lazarus.  When people would walk by they would ask, “What is that there for?”  He would respond, “It’s there for you to ask what it’s there for.”  It drew a crowd.  But one night, while Ray was preaching, a young man, who was furious at hearing the Gospel, came up and stomped on the head of Lazarus.  The head was crushed and ruined.  Ray grabbed the man and said, “Hey that was my property.  You broke the law.  Now pay me the $80 dollars it cost or I’m getting the cops.”  The young man was stunned.  He froze in place.  Fear filled his eyes.  He reached into his pocket and said, “All I got is $20.”  Ray said, “That’s not enough, you owe me $80.”  The young man was terrified.  Now at this moment, Ray had a right to justice.  He had a right to persecute this guy for destroying his property.  But what did Ray do?  He gave up his right to justice so that the Gospel would not be hindered.  He instead showed the guy what grace is.  He forgave the man of his debt.  What Ray brilliantly did was use this instance to talk about the grace of God so that now when he talked about grace that man and everyone around listening would understand grace better.  They saw it in action.  Ray purposefully gave up his right because saving the souls of the lost was more important to him than claiming a right.  So by giving up his rights to justice, his right to be paid for the damages, Ray advanced the Gospel of Christ.

Now I’m not saying let the world walk over you.  I’m not saying that you shouldn’t stand up for what is right.  What I am saying is that if you are in a situation where your rights might hinder the Gospel, you give them up.  That’s what Paul would have done. Think about this.  What’s more important?  If I told you I would give you a million dollars each time you shared the Gospel, would you have no problem giving up you rights then?  Interesting isn’t it.  Most of us would give up our rights for money.  Now think of this.  People are dying.  They are going to hell.  And hell is not some fun keg party.  It is eternal torment.  Jesus describes it as a place of decay, of darkness, or utter sadness.  Are you willing to give up you rights for a moment so you can save someone from hell?  Or are you so selfish that you would let someone die and spend eternity in hell because you wanted your privacy, you wanted justice, or you wanted to keep your popularity rather than advance the Gospel.

            Here in America, we love talking about our rights.  They are very important to us.  But we must understand that there is something more important than our rights.  It is more important the defending our freedoms.  And it is simply the Gospel.  The Gospel is more important then our rights.  Our rights are important, but not as important as the message that brings eternal freedom.  I want you to remember this one phrase before you leave today.  It is very simply.  Here it is: Give up your rights if they hinder the Gospel.  The Gospel comes first.  It is even more important then the freedoms we enjoy here in America.  So examine yourselves.  See whether or not you put preaching the Gospel first in your life.  Even over you rights.  Then go out and be witnesses of Christ our Lord, remembering to let not hinder the advancement of the Gospel.  Be willing to even give up you rights so the Good News of our Savior can be preached.

When Do We Give Up Our Rights? (Part 1)

Here in America we make many of our own laws.  It is something we are proud of and boost about.  Unfortunately, sometimes this can lead to problems.  I was looking the other day at particularly laws in California.  And as I was doing so, I came across some very interesting ones.  For example, in Hollywood, it is illegal to drive more than two thousand sheep down  Hollywood Boulevard at one time.  In Baldwin Park, nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool.  In Chico, anyone detonating a nuclear device within the city limits results in a $500 fine.  In San Francisco, it is illegal to wipe one’s car with used underwear.  Also in San Francisco, a person classified as “ugly” may not walk down any street.  Did you also know in California that it is illegal to have caller ID.  Not only that, you may not set a mouse trap without a hunting license.  And if you are into gaming, it is a misdemeanor to shoot at any kind of game from a moving vehicle, unless the target is a whale.  And last, no vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour.

Yes, we Californians are brilliant law makers.  But fortunately for us, when this country was formed, our forefathers were much brighter than current lawmakers.  Not only did they set up how a democracy was to run, but they also included a “Bill of Rights”.  A statement of rights that the government cannot take away.  In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote to the British monoarchy declaring this rights.  He said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  Powerful words.  But each one of us would agree with them.  We love talking about our rights.  And if someone tries to take them away, we are the first to stand up and say, “You can’t stop me, it’s my right!”  Let’s just quickly look at a few of our rights.

The first let’s look at our right to free speech.  We have the right to speak our minds.  We can talk about whether we think the war in Iraq is just or not.  We can talk about whether or not the government is making the right choice.  We, as Christian, can even go and preach the Gospel.  We have the right to go out into a public place, like a mall, a court house, a park, and preach the Gospel.  We have this right to say what we believe in even if people disagree.  Whether you are a gay activist, a liberal, a conservative, a Muslim, a Buddhist, or a Christian, we all of us have a right to the freedom of speech.

How about our right to be paid for work?  If you work at a job, you have a right to be paid a fair wage.  Or how about our right to freedom of expression?  We can dress anyway we want in America or dye our hair any color and now one can stop us.  All of us have a right to privacy too.  No one can come into our home without a search warrant and no one can tap our phones without permission.   

But is there a time when we might give up these rights?  When should these rights be put aside? When might we, as Christians, give up our rights?

Check out my next post in a few days for the answer. . .

Is Cremation Biblical?

There are no clear biblical passages on the proper method of burial.  Some will argue that Jewish custom and church history has always buried their dead.  Abraham buried his wife Sarah in a tomb.  Jacob was buried by his sons.  The kings in the Old Testament were buried.  Critics claim that only pagan religions, such as those currently practiced in India and China, cremate their dead.  Therefore, this group argues that Christians should not follow pagan practices. I find this argument unconvincing.  Instead, the basis for ground burial over cremation appears to be culturally influenced.  Since Jewish custom and church tradition has always been to bury people in the ground, the culturally accepted norm is to bury people.  Cremation is look upon as counter-cultural to the normative process of dealing with the dead.  As long as the act of cremation does not cause another believer to violate his conscious and sin against God, it should be accepted.

What Are Some More Arguments Against?

Furthermore, it is argued that because Jesus was buried in the ground, we too should follow his example.  Critics claim that only criminals were taken out to the garbage dump in the Valley of Hinnon and burned.  This burning of the body represented judgment.  Therefore, Christians should not participate in cremation since their loved ones are not criminals.  However, once again opponents of cremation are guilty of isogesis.  The texts of the Gospels were not written to promote burial in the ground or tombs.  Instead, these texts were written to give an account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.  To extrapolate that cremation is an evil because Jesus was buried is absurd. 

Some also used Amos 2:1 to prove that God opposes burning a corpse. The prophet states that God was angry at MoabS “because he burned, as if to lime, the bones of Edom’s king.”  However, in this passage God is not condemning cremation, but Moab for an act of hatred against the king of Edom.  Moab was treating the corpse with disrespect.  As long as cremation is not treating a person with disrespect, it should be acceptable.  For example, if someone was cremated because he was a black Christian, but a white Christian is buried because of the color of his skin, this is wrong. 

The Final Word-

    

From a biblical perspective, it matters not if a person is buried in the ground or cremated.  At the resurrection, God can equally recreate from the ashes of incineration or from the ashes as the result of slow decay the resurrected body.  In fact, at the resurrection a person will not be composed of the same atoms they had when they died.  This is a truth experienced even when we are alive.  Every 10 years almost our entire body has been replaced by the food we eat.  Therefore, we do not have to worry that cremation will effect people at the resurrection.  If God can make man out of the ground, he can certainly create a resurrected body for him!

           

Cremation can be very beneficial for a society for several reasons.  First, it does not occupy the amount of land that cemeteries do.  The land can instead be used for agricultural purposes, housing, or for another noble purpose.  Second, cremation cost less.  Traditional funeral services can cost the family thousands of dollars.  They should not feel guilty if they choose to cremate a family member because they cannot afford the cost.  Nor should they feel guilty because they do not want to spend a fortune.  Last, cremation is more sanitary than burial because infectious diseases could be present.  Heating a corpse to 3,000 degree will certainly kill any bacteria or viruses.

           

Overall, I believe cremation is biblical.  We have the freedom to choose to bury or cremate our loved ones.



What Do We Need From God?

What do we really need from God? 

Many people seek Jesus, but for the wrong reason.  They seek him to fulfill needs such as:

1. Jesus fix my marriage
2. Jesus fix my business
3. Jesus fix my drug addiction
4. Jesus make me happy
5. See Jesus as a fix-it man.

While these are legitimate needs and God does care about them, this is not why we need Jesus.  This is not why Jesus died on the cross that first Easter morning.  In fact, these misconceptions are not unique to our time period.  People misunderstood why they needed Jesus 2000 years ago as well.

Today, I want to show you why we really need Jesus and what he did for us on that first Easter weekend.  First, we are going to look how the Jews and the disciples misunderstood why Jesus had come to earth at first, then we will look at the real reason why we need Jesus.

What Did Israel Think It Needed?

 Israel thought they needed a king (to over throw the Roman oppression). (John 6:1-15; Matthew 21:1-11; Daniel 7:13-14).  That's what we see in John 6:14.  Jesus is doing miracles and astonding the people.  After all of this, they think his is the king and prophet they are waiting for!

¹⁴ After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” ¹⁵ Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Why? Why did they act this way toward Jesus?  Because they thought Jesus was the long awaited king that would throw off the Roman oppression.  They knew that in Daniel 7:13-14 that God would be setting up His kingdom on earth.  They thought Jesus was the long awaited Messiah who would be a king here on earth.      

But Jesus says, "No that is not what you need.  You don’t need a king to overthrow the Roman government.  You have something that is much more serious than an oppressive government.  Jesus says, I’m here to give you something you really need."


What Did the Disciples Think They Needed?

 Disciples thought they needed a kingdom. (Matthew 16:21-23; Matthew 20:17-21.)  

 John and James send their mom to ask if they can be in the two highest positions in the kingdom to come.  Mother probably asked because see was the matriarch of the family.  Jesus says, you don’t know what you are asking for.  That’s not what you need.  But if you think James and John had it wrong, look at Peter also.

Peter, after professing that Jesus is the Messiah, tells Jesus he can’t die.  He won’t let him.  Jesus gives one of the sternest rebukes in the bible.  I don’t know about you, but no one has called me Satan and to get out of the way.

Why were the disciples acting this way?  Because they wanted the kingdom of God to come (Daniel 2:44).  Is this wrong that they wanted this? NO, but that’s not what they needed.


What do we really need from God?

 What they needed and what we need is a Savior. (Luke 24:36-49)

Why did Jesus die on the cross?  Because we need a Savior.  Read Luke 24:44-47.  Jesus died to give us righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

  You see, many people come to Jesus with different needs.  The Jews needed a king.  The disciples needed to see the kingdom of God come.  People want Jesus to fix their marriages, to help them be successful, to help them overcome drug addictions, to help them feel happy.  And while those are good things and some of them will happen one day, that is not what we really need from Jesus. 

What they needed and what we need is a Savior.  This is what Easter is all about.  It is about God giving us what we need so that we can be forgiven and have an everlasting relationship with Him.



When Is a Person a Person?

I was thinking the other day about this topic.  When is a person a person?

• Does it happen at conception?
• Does it happen during pregnancy?
• Does it happen when a baby is born?
• Does it happen when we turn 2 years old?

Is a person a person at. . .

Viability- the point at which the fetus is able to live on its own outside the womb.

This occurs around 24-26 weeks of gestation.  But this can change as technology gets better.  So this is not a good standard to determine personhood.

Brain development- the point at which the brain of the fetus begins to function.  This occurs around 45 days into the pregnancy.  We define death as the cessation of all brain activity.  However, this has a problem.  When adult is brain dead, we can do nothing to fix it.  But and unborn baby will develop brain function if given the time.  So this is not a good standard to determine personhood.

Implantation- the point the embryo establishes its presence in the womb by the “signals” or the hormones it produces.  However, personhood is not determined by another’s awareness of its existence, whether it is physical awareness, or chemical awareness.  Just because up to 50 percent of conceived embryos spontaneously miscarry, it does not follow that personhood comes at implantation, since the essential nature of the fetus is not dependent on the number of embryos that do or do not survive to implant

Sentience- the point at which the fetus is capable of experiencing sensations, particularly pain.  However, this is a bad indicator of personhood.  Someone could be in a coma and feel no pain, but this would still make them a person.

Quickening- the point at with the mother feels the fetus move inside her womb.  However, this is a bad indicator of personhood because we don't determine the status of an individual simply because they move.

When do I think a person is a person? At the moment of conception. Why?

1. An adult human being is the end result of the continuous growth of the organism from conception.
2. From conception to adulthood, this development has no break that is relevant to the essential nature of the fetus.
3. Therefore, one is a human person from the point of conception onward.

The Bible supports this as well:

One particular verse comes to mind that is often overlooked.  Jesus was a person in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:39-56).  Mary visits Elizabeth only a few day after she has found out that she is pregnant with Jesus (fetus was probably only 3 weeks old).  Upon arrival at Elizabeth’s home, Mary is immediately recognized as “the mother of my Lord”(v. 43).  How could she be the mother of our savior Jesus if Jesus was not a person in the womb?

Also, in Jeremiah 1:5 we read,

⁵ "Before I formed you in the womb I knew ^[a] you,
       before you were born I set you apart;
       I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

For God to set Jeremiah apart before he was born, Jeremiah must have been a person.

Last, Psalm 139:13-16 say,

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
       you knit me together in my mother's womb.

 ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
       your works are wonderful,
       I know that full well.
 ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
       when I was made in the secret place.
       When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
 ¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
       All the days ordained for me
       were written in your book
       before one of them came to be.

The Conclusion of the Matter:
In conclusion, I believe we are a person at the moment of conception.  This should give us pause we we talk about the topics of abortion and embryonic cell research.  If it is true that we are a person at the moment of conception, then abortion is wrong and embryonic cell research could be considered murder.  This is a tough topic, but one that needs to be discussed.  I hope you will think about this.  God bless.

How Do We Get To Heaven?

Here's an interesting question:  How do we get to heaven?

I have talked about what heaven is like, but the question becomes, "How do we get to heaven?  What do you think?  I'd like you all to take a poll to tell me your opinion.  You'll find the poll on the right hand side of my blog.  Give the answer you think is the best.  I'll answer the question later this week.

What Is Heaven Like? (Part 3)

What Is Heaven Like?

We've learned this so far:

1. Heaven is a real physical place.

2. Heaven is where we will be with God forever.

There is one last thing I would like to touch on about heaven.  This one this is often overlooked.

There is something that happens to us to allow us to live in this physical place.  We aren’t just spirits floating around on the new heaven and earth.  There is something that happens to us that happened to Jesus on the third day he was in the tomb.

What happened on that third day after Jesus was dead and buried.  He rose from the dead.  He was resurrected!

In this new heaven and earth, we won’t be spirits floating around; we won’t even the same bodies we have now.  We will be resurrected from the dead with glorified bodies.  Look at 1 Corinthians 15: 20-23.

"20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him."

When Jesus Returns. . .

There will be a resurrection of the dead when Christ returns the 2nd time.  Just as Jesus was raised to life, we too will be raise to life and have real physical bodies one day.

The question becomes.  What will these bodies be like?  What kind of bodies will we have in heaven?  1 Corinthians 15:35-44 tells us,

"35But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" 36How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

 42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."

We will have physical bodies that are different and better than the ones we have now, but also similar in kind. Verse 37 tell us what kind of bodies we will have, "37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else."

The resurrect body will be different than our physical bodies now.  Just like a seed is different from the plant (1 Cor. 15:37). Just like the skin of a man, fish, or a cow are different, so will our resurrected physical bodies be different from our present bodies. (1 Cor. 15:38-39)  Just like the sun and moon and the stars are different, so will our resurrected physical bodies be different from our present bodies. (1 Cor. 15:40-41)

Does this mean our bodies will look different? (1 Cor. 15:42-44)  Are we going to look like aliens or another creature?  No, remember how God created Adam and Eve.  If you want to know what our bodies will be like, go back to Genesis 2.  Adam and Eve were humans.

So, what’s the difference?  Look at verse 42 through 44,

 "42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;"  First, our new bodies are imperishable- they can’t die!

"43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory" This new body won’t be under a curse as Adam was in Genesis 3.  It will be perfect and our lives will glorify God.

"it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." This new body has power- we won’t get tired, we won’t grow old and lose our abilities like running, jumping, walking, or lifting heavy objects!

"44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." We will be like Jesus.  This is what the spiritual body means- this is what verses 44 and 49 talk about.

Think about how cool this body will be.  We won’t get tired, we won’t grow old.  We be like Jesus.  What could Jesus do? Jesus walked through walls, flew in the air, disappeared, etc.  Can we do this?  I don’t really know.  Scripture doesn't say. 

What’s clear is that we will have real physical bodies in the eternal heaven.  We won’t be spirits; we won’t be playing harps in a cloud; we will be like Adam and Eve before the fall on a perfect earth, in physical resurrected bodies, spending eternity with God.

The Conclusion of the Matter:

What is heaven like? 

1. Heaven is going to be a real, physical place. 
2. Heaven is going to be a place where we spend eternity with God. 
3. Last, we will have real, physical resurrected bodies in heaven that will never die or get old.  These bodies will be powerful and strong.

In reality, if you want to know what heaven will be like, turn to Genesis 2.  You’ll see that Adam and Eve were in a real place, spending time with God, with bodies that would not die or grow old because they had the tree of life.  Heaven is going to be an amazing place.  I hope that you have trust Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins because he is the only door that leads to this glorious place called heaven.