At this moment where are you sitting? I am sitting on earth, in a chair, in front of a keyboard. I must have missed the train.
Well, you may not understand the scripture? But it is still true. Did you see Jesus forgive your sins? was you there when He died for you? Have you ever seen your born-again spirit?
We look at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen. Have you ever seen God? Or heaven?
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)
6
And hath raised us up together, and
made us sit together in "heavenly places" in Christ Jesus: (Good, take "places"out and its a better point )
2032. epouraniov epouranios, ep-oo-ran'-ee-os
from 1909 and 3772; above the sky:--celestial, (in) heaven(-ly), high
the sky; by extension,
heaven (as the abode of God); by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel (Christianity):--air, heaven(-ly), sky
I do understand the scripture and I believe it. The difference is that I am looking at the whole passage...
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
In verse 6, Paul is speaking of a future event as a sure thing. It has not happened yet. If this is Heaven where I am sitting this morning, you probably cannot imagine my disappointment.
You are spiritualizing away the real event of the return of Christ and our resurrection to a glorious body as if it has already happened when the scriptures say it is a future event that occurs at the return of Christ. Even Mary and Martha understood the resurrection occurs at the last day...
Joh 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
Joh 11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Joh 11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
Joh 11:24 Martha saith unto him,
I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
1Co 15:35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
1Co 15:36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
You have to die first to be resurrected. I ain't dead yet.
1Co 15:37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
1Co 15:38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
Still have the same body? You have not been resurrected to the heavenly.
1Co 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
1Co 15:40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
1Co 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
1Co 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
I'm betting that your body will see corruption when you die. That is not necessarily a bad thing...
corruption:
G5356
φθορά
phthora
fthor-ah'
From G5351; decay, that is, ruin (spontaneous or inflicted, literally or figuratively): - corruption, destroy, perish.
ONe has to perish physically, die physically to be raised in a spirit body.
1Co 15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
The two are not the same, neither do they exist simultaneously. The natural blody is planted, the spiritual body is raised.
1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
We, our bodies, us, are like Adam, we live and we die. We will be like Christ when we are raised from the dead in the resurrection.
1Co 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
"we shall also bear" is a future event.
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
I suggest you take the hat pin test. It will definitely let you know that you are still flesh and blood. If you are, you have not yet inherited the Kingdom.
1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but
we shall all be changed,
"we shall all be changed" is future tense again. When does it occur...
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
When does this occur? Back up a few verses...
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits;
afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
Paul, reinforces this in another letter...
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16
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:
1Th 4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
When? At the resurrection, at the return of Christ.
