Will God Judge America?

[Deborah13]

So why would that automatically mean we would be disembodied spirits, something not mentioned anywhere in Scripture? Jesus was transfigured and then was physically raised as the first fruit of those who will be raised. He then ascended into heaven with that same glorified physical body. We have no reason, and no biblical basis, to think that he is not now as he was when he ascended.

All of that leads me to believe that what John is talking about may not be the state of our existence but rather something else.

I've wondered the same thing, to me it really doesn't sound like he is talking about our bodies. 'now we are children, not revealed what we will be'.

 

[Deborah13]

The context of that verse refers to something visual. Read the verse slowly and look at what is said between each comma.

1 John 3
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

 

[Gary]

What else is a resurrection than the physical being raised, just as Christ was?

1 Cor 15:35-48, 35 But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 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. 42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. (ESV)

I hope you don't mind. I'm gonna use the passage you posted. My highlights will be in red.


1 Cor 15:35-48,
35 But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?"
36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.
38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.
39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.
40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another.
41 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.
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
45 Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.
47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.


Instead of stopping at verse 49, let's have a look at verse 50.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.


That verse states that "FLESH" and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

John 1
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus came in the image of the man of dust.(Adam) He was flesh. If flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God, it only stands to reason that a change must take place. I don't believe that change took place until just prior to Him entering heaven.

Also, spiritual beings have no need for food. After His resurrection Jesus asked for something to eat.

Luke 24
41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?”
42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.
43 And He took it and ate in their presence.


If Jesus is coming back in the same physical form as when He left, why doesn't Paul just say so, instead of talking about the different kinds of flesh and the different kinds of bodies? He does actually say, "what you sow is not the body that is to be,". What do you think that means? And what does it mean when John says, "it has not yet been revealed what we shall be"?

If we're resurrected in the bodies we now possess, what about those who are born with physical deformities? I've actually met someone that was born without arms or legs. And what about babies that pass away? Are they destined to spend eternity in the body of a new born? What about miscarriages and those who are aborted? So many questions.

The Word of God is not silent on these issues. It just takes patience and dedication to finding the answers.