The Hope
From an August 2004 Teaching [brackets mine]
-The Way Magazine, 2004
I Corinthians 15:51-53: What will happen when Jesus Christ returns?
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible [the born-again believers who are dead] must put on incorruption, and this mortal [the born-again believers who are alive] must put on immortality.
When Christ returns we will all be changed, and receive an eternal body.
Revelation 21:4: Not only will we live eternally, but…
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
I Corinthians 15:26: There’s more…
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (Death will be no more.)
This verse tells us that death is an enemy, not a friend. Life is precious and each one of our lives are valuable to God and to one another. God wants us to live and have abundance in our lives, it is never his will for us to die.
-We have the immediate victory of Christ-In-Us when we become born again.
-We have the ultimate victory when Christ returns and death shall be destroyed. We will live out the eternal life that God gave us when we were saved.
I Peter 3:12-15
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify [set apart a special place for] the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear [respect, awe]
We have the Immediate AND the Ultimate victory in Christ. We have already won!
As we set apart a special place for the Lord in our hearts, we can give an answer to every man who asks us the reason for our HOPE, which is the promise of eternal life!