1 Corinthians 15:39-44 

³⁹Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. ⁴⁰There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. ⁴¹The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. ⁴²So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

Moment

            When they say, “Enjoy the moment while it lasts,” what do they mean? Everything on earth comes to an end. Childhood is short. You will be adults after few more sleeps. You are strong if you become senior citizen and still able  to walk without a walker or cane. Yet, there’re adults who behave like children. Don’t they want to grow mature even in their advance years? Well, it is great to be energetic like a child but to have childish mindset, something is offset.

            How could we enjoy the moment while it lasts? Does it mean that we ignore tomorrow or forget the past, and only the present matters? Imagine when you are driving on a busy road. Drivers who are so focused at the moment can be easily disturbed and angered by reckless drivers. They will confront careless drivers right away. You can call that road rage.

            Reckless drivers may enjoy annoying others. They ignore safety of everyone, or they are focused on reaching their destination quickly. So, they disregard traffic rules and regulations. We enjoy the moment of driving if we follow traffic rules and regulation. We are attentive to our surrounding to avoid accident, why? We want to reach our destination safely on time.

            Seriously, how do you interpret and apply what it says in Luke 12:47-48? ⁴⁷The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. ⁴⁸But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

            In relation to his declaration, what did Christ warn us to do? Have you sincerely accepted Christ as Lord and Master of your life? If so, then you’re sincere servants of our Master and Lord Jesus Christ, right? As sincere servants of our Master and Lord Jesus Christ, we get ready and do what our Master and Lord Jesus Christ wants us to do. We don’t want to be beaten, right?

            When it says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked,” does it pertain only to old-timer believers who heard and accepted the gospel of Christ for a long, long time?

            Someone argues, “If I only get little, little will be demanded from me! That is why I seldom attend church!” That is not a very smart argument because it declares in James 4:17,

¹⁷If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

            It’s far beneficial to learn and follow the will of our Master and Lord Jesus Christ, why? He is gracious, righteous, faithful and just. The Lord faithfully rewards us according to what we do. So, the more we know and follow the will of God, the more we expect much reward. Since we are still living in our earthly bodies, we are limited in our understanding of the will of God. Nevertheless, we can seek inspiration of the Holy Spirit even if we are limited by earthy bodies.

1. Earthly Body

³⁹Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 

            When the earthly body dies, it will decompose. So, at the resurrection what kind of body is given to us? The resurrection is like a planted seed. The planted seed grows as plant. It won’t come out of the ground as seed. When earthly body dies, it will decompose then God gives us imperishable body at the resurrection. We receive immortal bodies when Christ returns.

            Human flesh differs from animal flesh. Birds have different flesh from fish. All earthly flesh—humans, animals, birds or fish, will die and decompose. Our mortal body is temporary dwelling or casing for our soul and spirit. All of us will be transported into eternity when our mortal body dies. So we should be conscious of that reality while we live in our earthly flesh.

            The different flesh of humans, animals, birds and fish should remind us of the different design of God for his creation. Humans, animals and birds live on the ground, and we cannot live long in the water like fish. Fish can live in the water all their life but fish cannot live long outside the water. Do you now conceptualize that different creation has different purposes?

Comfort Zone

            You heard many experts say, “Get out of your comfort zone!” Listen carefully! Imagine: The comfort zone of fish is in the water. The comfort zone for humans, animals and birds is not inside the water. There are humans who feel uncomfortable in the water or at high altitudes.

So, to get out of your comfort zone will be dangerously uncomfortable. Instead of saying, “Get out of your comfort zone,” is it not better to say, “Discover and develop your potentials; take small steps; explore and expand your horizons and still anchored in your comfort zone. ”

Is it biblical to get out of our comfort zone? What does the Scripture say. Together, let us reflect on what it declares in Galatians 5:19-21, ¹⁹The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The acts of the flesh is the comfort zone of the human sinful nature. But since by faith, we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God has transformed us. And we resurrected to new life in Christ. Our old sinful self has died; our new life in Christ has begun. Formerly, we were comfortable with sinful activities of our earthly flesh. By faith in Christ, we’re transformed. Our new comfort zone now is to obey Christ our Master. How can we explore our new comfort zone? We seek to be filled and inspired by the Holy Spirit. He enables us to gladly obey him.

Seriously, how do you personally interpret and practically apply Romans 6:16-18?

¹⁶Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. ¹⁸You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

 Anything we’re comfortable to do could practically reveal who our master is. If we are still comfortable with sinful activities of the flesh, sin is our master. If we’re comfortable with godly righteousness, the righteous God is our master. If we are hoping to enter heaven when Christ returns, then we should strive to behave comfortably in godly righteousness. Our earthly body will be destroyed in the last days including all heavenly bodies, the sun, moon and stars.

 2.  Heavenly Body

⁴⁰There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. ⁴¹The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

            Heavenly bodies like the sun, the moon and the stars represent splendor, magnificence and wonder beyond human comprehension. We can only see heavenly bodies but we cannot touch them. Heavenly bodies are set on different level beyond the horizon. Interestingly, some of those heavenly bodies had been reached by certain people but not every ordinary person.

Astronauts has physically stepped on the moon. They saw closely the spectacular splendor of those heavenly bodies beyond human comfort zone on earth. What did those astronauts testify of what they sensed when they landed on the moon? Awe, excitement, a sense of accomplishment. Either they exaggerated or not, it’s by faith we can believe them. If you are given once in a life time chance to fly to the moon, are you willing to go? Do you want to explore the splendor of heavenly bodies, the moon or planets as close as you possibly can?

            Set aside that dream for now and reflect on what Christ declared in Matthew 6:28-30,

²⁸And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

            Christ commanded us not to worry because the human tendency is to worry even for clothes. Graduating students could be worried of what they will wear on graduation day. Others are worried what they wear on their wedding day. The skeptics in the church of Corinth were anxious about what happen at the resurrection—what kind of body they will have. But should we not be more worried and prepared for the return of Christ or our treasures in heaven?

Tariff

            Several countries are affected when an elected president of a certain country declared tariff on some goods. What is tariff? Accordingly, tariff is a tax imposed on imports or exports of goods. If tariff is tax, why do people grumble about tariff when some Canadian provinces collect federal tax and provincial tax? Tariff is added expenditure for consumers on imported goods.

            With or without tariff, the cost of living is problematic wherever we choose to live. There are countries that may not impose tariff but it’s not necessarily better place to live if we cannot find better employment, right? Tariff may psychologically and financially affect anyone.

Why did God allow a particular president to declare tariff on certain products? And what if the government oppresses our practice of faith? If government authorities say, “Support these particular groups; if not, your charitable status will be revoked,” how should we react? Which one is the lesser evil, tariff or oppression? Tariff should remind us to pray for the government.

            Listen. God created heavenly bodies to have different splendor from earthly bodies. When the astronauts landed on the moon, they may have observed the splendor of the earth from beyond the horizon. While on earth, we cannot see the grandeur of the earth as a whole.

            Similarly, our limited mindset remind us that as long as we’re still dwelling in our earthly body, we cannot conceptualize clearly why God allows particular problem to happen, like tariff. We do not need to understand everything, but by faith we trust that God has good purposes.

             Reflect seriously on what it declares in Romans 8:28, ²⁸In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

            The term “things” includes tangible thing that we can see like food and intangible thing that we cannot see like worry.  Can you easily agree that in all tangible or intangible things God uses for our good, even problems? Who said that necessity is the mother of invention? Plato?

            The problem of faster travel leads to invention of motor vehicles. The problem of face to face communication from the other side of the globe leads to the invention of the internet. And, problems could be conceived as necessity to launch new innovations. What do you think?

            What problem has no human solution yet? No human solution for the problem of death. We all die and face judgment. But if you have faith in Christ, you will enter heaven. When Christ returns in our lifetime, God gives us spiritual body. So what happens to our earthly body?

3.  Spiritual Body

⁴²So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

            When the planted seed dies, it will grow as plant with different feature from the seed.

            Similarly, our earthly bodies will decompose and return to dust. Simultaneously, God will give us spiritual body. Our spiritual body will be glorious  and powerful. It won’t be destroyed.

Anything that we cannot appreciate with our earthly body will be eternally different from our spiritual body. God will give us spiritual body that would cause us to praise and thank him for all eternity. Reflect on what it prophesied in Revelation 21:3-4, ³Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

With earthly body, we die, cry, mourn and feel the pain. But in heaven, there will be no more tears, no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain for all eternity. Certainly, we want to live forever when everything around us is great. Sickness, pain, crying and mourning we endure, when love ones dies, are not what we desire. Yet on earth, God allows us to feel pain. We cry when we are sad. Why? Why did God design terrible situations on earth?

While we still live in our earthly body, we are encouraged in Philippians 4:4-7. Why?

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This godly command to rejoice in the Lord always should help us realize if we are filled with the Holy Spirit or if we are dependent on our sinful nature. The Holy Spirit produces joy in us, so if we are always filled with the Holy Spirit we can rejoice always. Apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote this advisory to rejoice always. Together, let us reflect on Acts 16:22-26:

²²The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. ²³After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. ²⁵About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.  ²⁶Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 

Apostle Paul and Silas trust that the grace of God is sufficient for them. Despite being in prison, they prayed and sang hymns. And God caused earthquake. Naturally, prisoners escape at any given opportunity but Paul and Silas did not escape. Why? Subsequently, the jailer and his household believed in Jesus Christ, and they were baptized. No matter what circumstances we are in, rejoicing always in the Lord serves as practical proof of our transformation into Christ.

It also testifies of our hope to receive imperishable body when Christ returns. Amen!

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