THE RESURRECTION
JOHN 5:28-29; DANIEL 12:1-2
Introduction:
The resurrection is divided into two groups: The First Resurrection or the RESURRECTION OF THE JUST, is the resurrection of all of those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ during all ages.
The Second Resurrection is that of all those who have not received Christ as their Savior, that is, the RESURRECTION OF THE LOST. These are those who will stand at the Great White Throne judgment of God.
I. THE RESURRECTION OF THE JUST
Luke 14:14, “And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”
A. The Promise of our own resurrection,
1 Corinthians 6:14, “And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.”
1. God is not the God of the dead, Matthew 22:32, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
2. We shall live because Jesus lives, John 14:19, “Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.”
3. He will quicken our bodies, Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
B. The Hope of our own Resurrection,
1 Corinthians 15:19, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
1. Job spoke of his hope in a future life,
Job 14:12-15, “So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. 15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.”
2. Jesus is coming after His saints,
1 Thessalonians 4:14, 16, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”
C. Christ’s resurrection is a pledge of our resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:20, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”
1. These corruptible bodies will put on incorruption, 1 Corinthians 15:53, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
2. He will present us faultless before the throne of God, Jude 24, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,”
3. Job knew that he would see God in his flesh, Job 19:25-26, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body , yet in my flesh shall I see God:”
II. THE RESURRECTION OF THE LOST
Revelation 20:11-15, “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
A. This is the Resurrection of those who hated the light of the Gospel, John 3:20, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”
1. They hated the Light because their deeds were evil [worthless], John 3:19-20, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”
2. They would not come to the Light for salvation, John 5:40, “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”
3. Their own perverseness shall destroy them, Proverbs 11:3, “The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.”
B. This Damnation is because of rejection of God’s Son, John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
C. This is the Resurrection of the Condemned, John 3:17-18, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”