'I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.' - (1 Corinthians 15:50) When God created man, he didn't reach out for stardust but for the dust of the earth. 'The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living thing.' - (Genesis 2:7) But when Adam sinned, he lost the glory that once filled him. Without the glory, his mortal body had to go back to the dust. Therefore, the Lord God said to man, "... dust you are and to dust you will return." - ( 3:19) However, the gospel is the good news about the restoration of that glory through Jesus Christ. So it is written: 'Christ in you, the hope of glory' - (Colossians 1:27) for 'by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.' - (Philippians 3:21) Since he does it by his Spirit, it is imperative ( crucial ) that we receive the Holy Spirit or else we will not be transformed. 'And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.' - (Romans 8:11) The Spirit actually comes to impart the righteouness of Christ to those who believe in him. 'This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and are freely justified by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.' - ( Romans 3:22-24) Not only so, but the Holy Spirit takes permanent residence in us, just as he once did in Adam. In other words, to be 'Born Again' means to receive ( 're-' means again and '-ceive' means to get ) the presence of the Holy Spirit which departed from Adam. So it is not optional to receive the Spirit but a prerequisite, to get our lowly bodies transformed into his glorious body. The Bible teaches the bodily resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." - (John 5:28-29) Only the righteous will have their bodies transformed to enter heaven because "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God". That was why Paul was specific in asking those he met : "Did you receive the Spirit when you believed?" - (Acts 19:2) Why ask, if it was understood to be so, by default, in all who were baptized in water? Make sure you have received or else ask God for his Holy Spirit, today. Let's make sure we have received the Holy Spirit, to secure our salvation. Amen.
Sam Matthews. K
236. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom.
Updated: Dec 9, 2023
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