Death is not the end, but a means to an end.

"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a human being. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But in this order: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." - 1 Corinthians 15:20-25

Christ, in His human nature, is kind of a prototype. He has died and risen from the dead. And when He comes back, those of us who put our trust in Him will also be resurrected—body and soul!

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." - 1 John 3:2

"But someone will ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?' How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body." - 1 Corinthians 15:35-38

What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. This is true of a seed that dies to become food for the root and stem that grows out of it and becomes a plant or tree. This was true of Jesus who was lifted up on a cross that he may be exalted in resurrection. This is true of our souls when we die to sin by faith in Christ, and live in the freedom and the power of the Spirit.

"So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that 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 a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." - 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

"And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man [ADAM], so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man [CHRIST]. I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." - 1 Corinthians 15:49-50

The human race will once again bear the image of God without the tarnish of sin. And if our bodies die, along with our corrupted nature, we can rise again to new life and experience all the spiritual blessings we have in Christ. So, for the person who trusts in the death and resurrection of Christ, death is not the end, but a means to an end.

HAPPY EASTER!!!!
Shawn


*from "There Is No Hope," my message for Good Friday Fuel.