What Matters

What Matters
by David Brenneman

"But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?”  You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.  But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.  All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.  There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 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. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.  So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.  However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.  The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.  As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.  Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.  Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.  But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; [57] but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:35-58.

Much of this world wants to create terms and conditions between themselves and God about the afterlife.  Absolutely absurd!  As written elsewhere in the Scriptures, the thing created will not ask the Creator "Why did you make me this way?" will it?

Much, if not all who are still in this present darkness, don't want to believe in the simplicity of the Gospel news.  They're looking for a catch.  Something that will go wrong in their eyes if they give in to saying yes to salvation in Christ Jesus.

Many, because they cannot understand the things of God because they are spiritually discerned. 

A proud mechanic, working on the vehicle of a famous heart surgeon, was bragging about his accomplishment with getting the engine running perfectly.  Claiming it's not much different than what the doctor does on his fancy operating table.  The Doctor replies...try working on it while it's still running.

Perspective.  Everyone has a perspective.  You walk in darkness your perspective of what light is, is ironically dim.  You who are yet still in this present darkness, this world today, the Bible says that you're just not going to understand the things of God because they take a relationship with Jesus to be understood.

Much of the resistance to coming to Christ can be found in fear more than the perceived rage that comes from them towards the children of God.  Fear that their deeds will be exposed.  What they've come to know and embrace will have been all for naught.  Worthless.  Meaningless.  Empty.

Which is a really good description of spiritual emptiness, a life apart from Jesus.

It's impossible to accurately describe something you've never truly seen or experienced. 

I can see footage of a space walk but can never know all the feelings that simple act brings to the person who's done it.

I can watch the deft hands of a surgeon but can never know his or her years of confidence and experience that brought them to that point.

I can watch skill in the life of people performing wonders but unless I take the right steps I will never become remotely as they are.

"But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised." 1 Corinthians 2:14.

EVERYONE who has indeed come to Christ for salvation has never discovered that their fears were well founded.  EVERYONE has discovered just how foolish their fears once were.  That the true love of God in Christ Jesus has always been way more than they ever had thought possible. 

Forget the what-if's. Forget the what about's. 

Simply put you're never going to know the truth until you ask Jesus to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life. 

The Scriptures say that the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving.  The only cure for this is salvation in Christ Jesus alone for the forgiveness of sins.

Salvation is free to all who would come.  Your past and present do not matter.  The physical consequences of these might still matter but the spiritual consequences are radically different.  Once anyone comes to Christ they became a new creation.  Old things are gone behold new had come.  Jesus forgives their sins and remembers them no more.  Gone. As if they never happened.

But the choice is in the hands and heart of everyone.  The choice to come to Christ is upon everyone who lives and breathes.

It actually IS simple enough that a child can understand it and come to Christ for salvation.  Jesus did all the work.  He paid the price in full.  There's no judgment from God on any who have said yes to Jesus being the forgiver of their sins and the leader of their lives.  God the Righteous Judge looks at any Believer and only sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:8-13.

Oh my Dear Reader if you haven't come to Christ for salvation yourself your just not going to know or understand the love that awaits you.  The relief.  The patience.  The joy. 

If you really want to know more on salvation and how to be saved please call 330-264-9459.  There's help in understanding more at your fingertips.

Jesus is waiting at the door of your heart, waiting for you to open up and beg Him to enter.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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