SOUNDING
OUT:
But God Gives It a Body
The number eight denotes
a new beginning. The eighth usage of “but God”
deals with the new beginning of the believer in the
future when he will get his new body.
I Corinthians
15:35-44:
But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and
with what body do they come?
36 Thou fool, that which
thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
37 And that which thou sowest,
thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain,
it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
38 But God giveth
it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every
seed his own body.
39 All flesh is not the
same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another
flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial
bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the
celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is
another.
41 There is one glory of
the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another
glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another
star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection
of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised
in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonour;
it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is
raised in power:
44 It is sown a natural
body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural
body, and there is a spiritual body.
Again God uses an analogy
from the natural world to teach a spiritual principle.
People wonder how are the dead raised up and with what
body they would come. However, God has shown in the
regeneration of plants that very principle.
The question of life after death is not a new
one. Job asked, “If a man die, shall he live again?”
There were entire sects developed within Judaism over
the question of the resurrection. The Sadducees, the
sect not believing in the resurrection, presented Jesus
with a hypothetical situation:
Mark 12: 19-27:
Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and
leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that
his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto
his brother.
20 Now there were seven brethren:
and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.
21 And the second took her,
and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.
22 And the seven had her,
and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.
23 In the resurrection therefore,
when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them?
for the seven had her to wife.
24 And Jesus answering said
unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not
the scriptures, neither the power of God?
25 For when they shall rise
from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage;
but are as the angels which are in heaven.
26 And as touching the dead,
that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses,
how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God
of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
27 He is not the God of the
dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly
err.
The answer of Jesus is
as accurate today as it was then. People err today for
the same two reasons: they do not know the scriptures
and they do not know the power of God. God is not the
God of the dead, but of the living. When? In the resurrection!
Therefore, He is going to have to quicken the dead.
I Corinthians 15:44 states that in so doing He will
also give it a body. However, the new body will not
be a natural (i.e. corrupt or mortal) one, but rather
a spiritual (i.e. incorruptible or immortal) one.
The new spiritual body the believer will receive
will be absolutely magnificent. When Jesus Christ was
here on earth in his new body he did some amazing feats.
He appeared and disappeared. He ate. He had flesh that
could be felt. He was recognized at times and yet, not
recognized at other times.
The question of the resurrection is so vitally
important to the believer. If the dead are not raised
then was Christ not raised, and we are yet in our sins.
Grain must die in order to be quickened, but God gives
it a body as it pleases Him. If He can do that with
grain, certainly he can do that with His sons and daughters
who are born-again of His spirit.
Summary: At one time the believer
was without God and without hope in the world. He was
dead in trespasses and sins, and a dead man cannot do
much for himself. However, God, in His great mercy and
grace “butted” into the believer’s
lives. He interceded to help when the believer was helpless.
He intervened and brought hope to the hopeless
God made a difference and continues to make a
difference in the lives of believers. He has accomplished
the believer’s perfect and complete salvation.
He has taken the believer from the depths of depravity
and helplessness and placed him in the exalted position
of being seated together with Christ at His own right
hand. Thereby making it available for us to live in
this world, as he (Christ) is.
First Corinthians is a reproof epistle showing
the believers where they are believing wrongly. It corrects
the practical error that resulted from failure to adhere
to the revelation of Romans. Certain areas of wrong
believing are pointed out so that they might return
to right believing. The usages “but God”
in First Corinthians bring the believers back to the
acknowledgement of what God has wrought in and for them.
The logical connective “but” draws the mind
back to what God has accomplished.
The believer:
…
was not worthy, but God chose him.
… did not know the mystery, but God
revealed it.
… was unable to augment the church, but
God gave the increase.
… was ruled by the mundane things of the world,
but God strips them of their power.
… was in bondage due to failure to renew his mind,
but God called him to peace.
… was tempted, but God was faithful
to make a way to escape.
… was one of many members, but God
tempered them together in a body.
… was doomed to corruption, but God
will give him an incorruptible body.
God has intervened into
the life of every believer to do that which the believer
could not do for himself. God continues to take an active
part in the lives of His people. He energizes the manifestations,
and brings to pass His Word in their lives.
The precise usage of “but God’ in
I Corinthians displays the precision with which God
wrote His Word. He had a purpose for everything He said:
where, how, to whom, when, and why He said it.
The believer needs to acknowledge Him in all
his ways and allow God to direct his steps.
The believer needs to become Word conditioned not world
conditioned. As the believer practices the presence
of God in his life the knowledge of the truths of “but
God” can help put steel in his backbone. There
is nothing that God has not promised in His Word that
He cannot and will not do for the believer.
God challenges us to believe His Word. These
statements of what God has done should continue to resound
within the heart and mind of every believer until they
become part of life. Belief in God and His ability to
perform His promises is simple and logical.
The contrast between God and the world is apparent.
The spiritual battle that has raged since the fall of
man still confronts the believer. However, God has freely
given the believer spirit so that he can know the things
that God would freely give to him, God persists to will
and to do in the life of the believer that which the
believer cannot do for himself. Paul was confident in
this very thing:
Philippians 1:6:
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath
begun a good work in you will perform it until the day
of Jesus Christ:
Certainly we have not
exhausted the Biblical emphasis on the expression “but
God.” If you have enjoyed working through the
eight in I Corinthians, why not take a look at the other
seventeen uses in the New Testament. Uses of “but
God” in the Old Testament (of which there are
18) could be studied in light of the seven redemptive
names for God.
There are many similar expressions to “but
God.” Usages of “but the Lord,” “but
the Spirit,” “but the Father,” and
“but Thou” could also be studied and compared
and contrasted to one another. Other expressions like
“but the Word of God” and “but the
grace of God” would also be interesting to investigate.
God’s Word is certainly a treasure we have to
search out and enjoy. Have fun in your exploration.
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