1 Corinthians 15:35-38 

³⁵But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” ³⁶How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. ³⁸But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.

Mystery

Many deceivers have used religion for personal benefit. Someone advised, “Beware of preachers who know all the answers to spiritual mysteries. Probably, they’re false preachers.”

Arguably, Moses was the greatest leader of Israel, yet he asked God for answers. David was the greatest king of Israel, yet he always inquired of God whenever he went to war. Surely, it is helpful for us to be familiar with the word of God. King David declared in  Psalm 19:7-8,

⁷The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. ⁸The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

Someone may asked, “Can the word of God help me with my financial problems? Could reading the word of God relieve me from distress?” Confusing distress is very unpleasant. And, anyone could be confused somehow. We cannot control politics that may affect the economy.

What can we do when economy is not stable? It is by faith we trust that our all-knowing God prepared appropriate solution to our concern even the economy. To be familiar of the ways of God, be familiar with his word. We rely upon the Holy Spirit to help us practically apply the word of God in our daily life. How do you interpret Proverbs 3:5-7? ⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. ⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

To admit that we need his help is basic step of trusting the Lord. Practically what is our proof that we follow the righteous path of the Lord? We shun and turn away from evil things. Prayerfully, we follow righteous path of God where we can find answers to our predicaments. Be prayerful. Ask God for discernment when you search online for solutions to your problems.

Some opinions appear to be legit, right or proper, but are they aligned with our belief?  Beware of crafty people. They may ask click bait questions to expose your spiritual vulnerability.

Now, seriously reflect on what happened in Genesis 3:1-3, ¹Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” ²The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

The crafty serpent posed a click bait to expose the spiritual temperament of the woman.

Innocently, Eve grabbed the click bait. Maybe, she was enthusiastic to tell her opinion. It started with just answering a legit question but sadly, Adam and Eve were deceived eventually. Anyone can be so naïve and tempted to answer legit questions. Be smart, sensible and prayerful always.

Malicious pretenders are crafty. Even when you know the answer, pray for discernment, especially when you are not familiar with the person who may ask or pose legit questions.

1.  Pose

³⁵But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” ³⁶How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 

Innocently, children may pose a question, “How are the dead raised?” If they ask, “With what kind of body will be given to those who resurrect?” How do you respond? Will you say, “How foolish?” Apostle Paul implied that foolish people ask how the dead are raised or what kind of body will be given during resurrection. The term translated “foolish” can be properly interpreted as lacking wisdom or senseless as compared to intellectual or informed.

Probably, many church attendees in the church of Corinth were migrants from the city of Athens. Many Athenians philosophers spent time arguing on latest news or concepts. Yet, they have no clear idea what happens when people die. They rejected the resurrection of the dead as fake news. So foolishly, they asked what kind of body is given to the dead at the resurrection.

How do you interpret what 1 John 3:2 states? ²What we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

What can you say about resurrection? How do you answer when they asked what may happen at the resurrection? When Christ returns, dead believers will resurrect first, and we who are still alive at that time will be transformed and given immortal body like the resurrected body of Christ, and so, we live with him forever. Those who rejected Christ will suffer eternal torment.

So how should we respond when malicious people ask questions to challenge our belief?

Trap

Reflect on what happened in Matthew 22:15-21, ¹⁵The Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. ¹⁶They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. ¹⁷Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” ¹⁸But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?

¹⁹ Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, ²⁰and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” ²¹“Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Pharisees were very spiritual; they were kind and nice. Ordinary people in those days were misled to assume that spiritual, kind and nice Pharisees were very sincere in their faith.

Naïve people agree with them unmindfully. Many church attendees are kind and nice. Some are malicious pretenders. They work hard also to claim, “It’s my right to spend the money I earned.” They complain about government tax; they hesitate to return the right portion of God.

Maybe, they just cannot to appreciate that the government builds roads, then they use roads built by the government. Moreover, they may prefer to be oblivious. They disregard that God gives us fresh air to breathe, safety, life, strength and wisdom to do their job responsibly.

Who honestly pay tax to the government and readily return the right portion of God? Christians with grateful heart! Certainly, it’s by faith we personally internalize Proverbs 3:9-10,

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; ¹⁰then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

The concept of planting more seed then expect more harvest is easy to understand. But it’s by faith to expect that God blesses us more when we return his portion as expression of our gratitude for the many blessing he gave us. I believe that God loves a cheerful giver. I believe that God wants to bless others through me. May God multiply our blessings abundantly.

Are you confused about managing your time? Everyone is given 24 hours per day. How do you spend time productively? We spend most time in activities we prioritize. If I want to be productive with my time, I spend more time with God. If I prioritize God, I spend more time with God. Spending time with God is like planting more seeds and expect more produce.

2.  Plant

³⁷When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 

The resurrection of the dead is compared to planting seed also. When seed is planted on the ground, it will not come out of the ground exactly like the planted seed. The seed in the soil is transformed; it comes out as plant with different nature from the seed that was planted.

Similarly, when our mortal body dies and returns to the ground, it will decompose. Then, God gives us immortal body that won’t decompose. At old age, our mortal body becomes weak, frail and wrinkled. If we die at old age with wrinkled skin, will God give us wrinkled immortal body? If you die with muscular mortal body, will God give you muscular immortal body when Christ returns? And people who died as infants, will God give them infant immortal bodies at the resurrection? Do you know what kind of body that God gives us at the resurrection?

Scholars think that Jesus Christ was 33 years old when he’s crucified. If Jesus Christ died at 33 years old and when he returns, we will be like him. A creative thinker imagined that the immortal body that God gives us will be like the immortal body of 33 years old Christ. Meaning, if we died at the prime of life or at old age, our immortal body will be like 33 years old Christ.

Of course, the Scripture didn’t elaborate such concept, but is it harmful to believe it?

Seriously reflect on Colossians 3:1-5, ¹Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. ⁵Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

If we are serious of appearing with Christ in glory, we should end whatever belongs to earthly sinful nature, and behave as God’s children. Expect faith in him to be tested. How do we behave and practice faith in him when oppressive people maliciously gossip against us?

King David

King David escaped when his handsome son Absalom, tried to grab the throne. While David and his faithful soldiers were passing by, someone cursed at them. Seriously, let us reflect on 2 Samuel 16: 9-12, ⁹Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.” ¹⁰But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’” ¹¹David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. ¹²It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”

If you have financial problem, and a malicious person accentuated and say, “Where now is your gracious God?” How should you react? What do we know about the plan of God for our struggles? How do we practice faith in God and behave like King David and trust that God will look upon our misery and restore joy in our heart? God designs and does whatever pleases him.  God determines situations for us to sense his gracious love. God’s plan is favorable to us. Amen!

 3.  Plan

³⁸But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.

It is by faith we believe that God planned and determined the best body appropriate for us when we enter heaven. Heaven embodies the greatest expression of life in Christ that God conceived. We trust that Christ takes us into heaven when he returns. We are grateful for such great privilege to live with God forever. So practically, how do we express gratitude for his love?

Let’s reflect on Hebrews 12:6-8, ⁶The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. ⁷Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸If you are not disciplined—and

everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.

Most often when life gets tough and difficult, many people want to quit. Struggles are very tough to endure. Godly command to endure hardship as discipline is not supposed to be done by human effort. Like all godly commands, we should rely upon the empowerment of the Holy Spirit of God to accomplish what he had intended for us as our testimony for Christ.

How should we interpret what it declares about Jesus Christ our Lord in Luke 24:45-49?

⁴⁵Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶He told them,

“This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

We pray that God opens our minds to understand his word and obey him as testimony to our faith in Christ. We personally prove our transformation when we depend on the Holy Spirit. We sense peaceful gladness to obey him. With human effort, we follow our instinctive nature; we resist and disobey commands of God, and good works we accomplish can be wasted. Really?

Uzzah

Observe what happened in 1 Chronicles 13:7-10, ⁷They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. ⁸David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets. ⁹When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

The oxen stumbled, and possibly, the ark on the cart tilted but did not fall on the ground. Yet instinctively, Uzzah touched the ark to make sure that the ark won’t fall on the ground. That was very mindful of him. Many may praise such considerate effort. The seemingly praiseworthy effort of Uzzah was actually disrespectful before God. Uzzah was punished for his disobedience.

The Lord instructed in Numbers 4:15, ¹⁵When the camp is ready to move, only then are the Kohathites to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.

The death of Uzzah should warn us that what we may consider as good can be disgusting before God if it is not in accordance with his instructions. Whatever is disgusting before God could certainly be detrimental to us as well. Can you believe that? So, we should consult and ask the Lord for guidance and his blessing for the great plans we conceive for ourselves.

Jesus Christ may return sooner. Let us be mindful and prepare for eternal dwelling. Be familiar with the word of God to know things included as we store up our eternal treasures.

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