God’s Glory In His Creation

Imagination re heaven and eternity-

will there be sports in heaven?

We know we are speculating on this, but I believe there is every reason to expect there would be. There is continuity. Instead of asking the question, “What will there be on the new earth that will be the same as on the old earth?” we should kind of turn it around. What would we expect to be different? Well, we know there won’t be sin. We’re waiting for the “new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). We know that for sure. So there won’t be sin- Randy Alcorn

Paul does not leave the idea of a resurrected body to our imagination. Instead, he grounds the truth of this future event in evidences of God’s good creation.

Paul begins this section of our study today by asking two questions as he addresses the resurrection of the body. He is considering the questions that people may have, most particularly the skeptics of the resurrection of the body. The two questions that he asks are one how are the dead raised? Secondly, what kind of body are they given? In versus 36 through 49 he will answer those questions for the church.

As we see throughout scripture, a great way to make the truth of God clear is to use illustrations regarding nature and the practices of life here on earth. Paul will bring his point about the resurrection from his understanding of God’s creation of plant life.

Noticed that as Paul begins to explain these truths, he starts in verse 36 with a condemning statement against the skeptics. He calls them fools, A brash, but truthful, condemnation. But why does Paul call the skeptics foolish?

They are foolish because they failed to see the created order and how God illustrates resurrection through what he has already made.

This brings to mind Romans, 119 regarding the unbeliever who has been given clear evidence of the existence of God. He makes himself known through the natural order of creation. This means that unbelievers remain without excuse in this world from knowing God and seeking out the truth about him.

In the same way, the skeptics of the resurrection of the body in the Corinthian church, they also failed to see the clear realities of God work in the world. Illustrated in his creation. The creation topic for farming and agriculture. The Bible is full of agricultural metaphors that point to spiritual truth so that the people would understand. Here he will deal with the simple process of a seed sprouting for new life to become a plant.

What we will look at today under our headings is 6 truths about the resurrection of the body of all believers that can be seen from God’s good creation.

#1 A body must die to experience new life

This first point, Paul is making emphasizes that for a body to experience new life, it first must die. He points to the seed that is placed in the ground and undergoes the process of death. It is within substance of that seed where life begins to form.Paul again is pointing to the idea that death must first come to each earthly body before a resurrected body takes its place.

As with all metaphors like this in scripture, they are never perfect metaphors. For example, when a seed begins to germinate in the ground plant that grows from seed leaves behind the body or substance of the seed. In other words, there are substances from that seed that remain in the ground as the germ of the plant is given new life and rises from the dirt. Another example might be an animal that sheds its own skin behind the old skin on the ground.

But this is not so with our earthly bodies and our resurrection. When our bodies go into the ground at death, and we are given new life, the Bible does not seem to indicate that portions of our bodies remain in the ground like the seed.Instead, God seems to raise up the decayed substance of our earthly bodies and replaces that decayed and corrupted substance with new life.

Jesus uses a similar thought in John 12:24

John 12:24 NASB95

24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

So then death is a necessary function of God bringing new life. This is a helpful thought when it comes to our grief and mourning at the loss of a loved one. When we contemplate what God is doing, death is just another step in the process leading up to eternal rest in Him with a new glorified body.

#2 The body that dies is not renewed to the same type of body

1 Corinthians 15:37 NASB95

37 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.

In verse 37 Paul makes another point that the body of seed is different from that which comes forth in new life. In other words, when the seed is planted a new seed does not sprout forth. An oak tree doesn’t look like an acorn in its bodily state, even though one came from the other.

This lends us to believe that when our bodies rise from the grave and we are given our new resurrected bodies, they are not only different types of bodies, but they most likely will look different than before. This is not only clear with Paul’s words here but also in the Lord Jesus Christ to in his resurrected state was unfamiliar to those that saw him.

The question might be will then “if in our resurrected state, our bodies are different, will we look anything like ourselves in our resurrected bodies?” The answer to that is we do not know for sure, but it is likely we bear a similar resemblance.

In the story in Luke 24 with the disciples at the road to Emmaus, God had to open their eyes to see that it was Jesus in his resurrected state with whom they had spent their day. But with careful attention, Luke 24:16 reads,

Luke 24:16 NASB95

16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.

The only reason the disciples on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize Jesus, is because they were prevented from truly seeing Him, not that he looked differently.

Again, with Mary at the grave with the resurrected Lord speaking with her, her perception that Jesus was the gardner, could be explained by her emotional state over the missing body of the Lord, the angelic messengers, and the tears filling her eyes. Yet twice John said Jesus was not recognized. The same goes for the disciples on the boat while Jesus stood at the shore calling out to them. Their inability to recognize him could have been teh distance or that his appearance was different in his resurrected state.

Another story is the mount of Transfiguration. In that story, Moses and Elijah appear before Jesus, Peter James and John. In that state, these Old Testament prophets were recognizable to the disciples. This is not solid evidence since these men were in spiritual forms and had yet to receive resurrection bodies any yet they were known to the disciples.

All in all, it is possible that while our bodies are new and different, our appearance will that similar to ourselves in this earthly state. To know for sure is simply to wait and see.

2. God’s Creativity in Creation(38-40a)

#3 God’s design for the body is according to his good pleasure

1 Corinthians 15:38–40 NASB95

38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. 39 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. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.

The third truth from this passage involves God‘s creativity in creation. Paul states inverse 38 of first Corinthians 15 that God gives all things the body as he will. This is Paul pointing us back to the good design in order of God‘s creation, and that in that creation, God has specifically designed each element of his creation perfectly and in good order. We must then understand that it was the plan and purpose of God in his sovereignty to bring about redemption in this world, and that redemption would include the death and resurrection of his son and the death and resurrection of his people both spiritually and physically. This plan was ordained before the foundation of the world in the same way that the Apple tree was predestined to bear beautiful and tasty fruit sprouting from an apple seed.

When we read the creation accounts, we see the detailed description of God, bringing about a place for his kingdom to dwell and his people to bring glory to his name. Starting in day 1 of creation and ending day, six of creation, the perfect plan and design of God was carried out. The statement “it is good” proclaimed that God enacted in perfection through creation in every way.

This includes the work of God on the sixth day of creation, when he made the man from the dust of the ground, and the woman from his rib. This truth connected to Paul's words in first Corinthians helps us to understand that the bodies that God gives us on earth and for heaven, our bodies that he has Designed for his glory, and for our good pleasure.

This has a great impact on our thinking, when it comes to a worldly viewpoint of dissatisfaction with our bodies. As humans, Corrupted in sin, we all struggle with the vanity, and the social norms of what our bodies should look like. Influence from worldly celebrities, athletes, and models have corrupted our thinking so that we

Are dissatisfied with our physical appearance, because it does not measure up to the social standards.

But as Paul states in these verses, God has given us these bodies just as he purposed and planned in eternity past and therefore as Christians we should turn away from worldly thinking and instead find contentment in the earthly bodies that God has given us. This same line of thinking leads us to know That in heaven where we will be free from sin there will be no discontentment in the resurrection bodies that God will give us when Christ returns.

Therefore let us have resurrected thinking about our earthly bodies as we await resurrected bodies that will be raised with perfection. This, of course, does not mean that we should live unhealthy lives with the stated argument that we should be happy with being overweight or unhealthy. Instead, we should be content with the way, God designed our bodies, things, particularly that we have no control over.

God chose to make me a bald man and instead of finding alternative ways to circumvent that or cover it up, I embrace his purposes with my genetic makeup and how my physical body looks. I exercise to stay healthy and take care of the vessel that God has given me. Most importantly, I seek to find my identity, not in good looks or physical strength, but in the spiritual identity that I have because of who I am in Jesus.

#4 God’s design includes the diversity and importance of them

1 Corinthians 15:39–40 NASB95

39 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. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.

The fourth truth is also found in verse 38-40 which reflects on God’s design for a diversity. Paul states that seeds are diverse and therefore given different body types. If you have ever looked at the variety of different looking seeds, you can be reminded as Paul states the diversity of God's good design. A pumpkin seed is very different looking than a grass seed.

Paul then goes through a list of the diversity of bodies in this world to consider. As we consider them let us be reminded that the diverse bodies that God has given its creation, those bodies are diverse for great importance and function. Paul lists first earthly bodies that God created, and then celestial bodies that God created. He begins with the diversity of men.

With humanity, our diversity of culture of appearance has unfortunately caused division throughout history, instead of reflecting on God's beautiful, creativity and design.

One year, I took my daughter Grace Ann to a mission trip to Honduras. The people up there in the mountains were amazed at her blonde hair, and instead of being afraid of that diversity, they simply were in awe of how different and beautiful it was.

Diversity is nothing to be scoffed at but instead a way of seeing the Lord’s hand of creating a great tapestry of different looking people with different languages and customs. The end goal is to see people from every tribe, tongue and nations worshipping the Lord Jesus as ruler over all.

Then we consider the flesh of beasts, birds, and fish, God designed each of these animals with particular bodies fit for the environments to which they live and survive. Fish are given gills and scales to swim the lakes and oceans. Birds are given feather covered wings to soar high in the skies and beaks designed to consume the foods they eat. Goats and rams are given perfectly balanced bodies, including hooves that allow them to traverse the sides of mountains. All of these amazing works of God’s creation give both importance and function to the design of their bodies.

Paul also mentions the function and importance of the celestial bodies. The sun, moon, and stars all serve a specific function and have great importance. The power, function, and importance of the sun upon our world cannot be overstated. We all know that any change in the sun’s position from the earth, rather closer to farther away, would radically alter life on this planet as we understand it.

Paul’s point in mentioning the diversity and importance of different bodies that God created is to remind the Corinthians that in the resurrection, a new body will also be given by God, one that will have importance and function, just like the earthly body has importance and function for our life on this planet. Paul is making this logical conclusion to show God’s good design of all differing bodies in His creation are just another way to prove that the resurrected body is a logical conclusion.

As we await the resurrected bodies that are promised to us, let us consider God’s creation and see the value of that creation. In the purpose and diversity of beasts, birds, fish and humans, let us see how God’s plan purposed them to exist on this earth. We see the value of the animal kingdom as both differing species to marvel at but not to be worshipped. Some kinds of animals God designed for food for humanity while some merely animals to enjoy from a distance. Let’s look at this truth in our final two points in more detail.

III. God’s Glory in all His Good Works (40-41)

1 Corinthians 15:40–41 NASB95

40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is 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.

#5 Each body created manifests its own glory

Paul uses an interesting term in the final two verses of this passage. DOXA is the term used to describe the spendor and majesty that is ascribed to God. Here Paul is using it to describe the individual awe and majesty that each part of God’s creation possess. When we look majestic beauty of the bald eagle soaring above in the skies, we are taken back by is beauty and elegance in flight. Or we marvel at the tiny spider that spins its beautiful web in such geometrically precision and use that web to feed itself and its family.

I love watching documentaries on nature as the camera captures these amazing slow motion captures of animals in their nature habitat. Each kind of animal that God created manifest its own glory. In other words, each has a measure of awe and splendor individually that separates itself from the other animals of the world. Paul speaks of this individual glory in both the animals world and the celestial realm.

In animistic faith, persons worship the sun, moon and stars because of their beauty, their power, and the resources that they provide the earth. Of course, they are misguided in their worship for they worship the creation and not the Creator as Paul states in Romans 1

Romans 1:25 NASB95

25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

But we can see that glory in these created things and know that in the same way, our glorified bodies will also contain and glory that is distinct from our earthly ones. The uniqueness of our glorified bodies will be the form in which they are fashioned that is distinct from all other things made.

Philippians 3:21 NASB95

21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Our glorified bodies are molded from Christ and his resurrected body so that it will be made with perfection and beauty and a glory like we cannot imagine. This means that we are being conformed into his image spiritually as our transformation in this life is inward. But our outward transformation also is promised to be made in His likeness, meaning that our resurrection bodies are made from the imprint of His resurrection.

#6 individual glory is meant to point us to God’s glory as the maker of them all

This leads us this to conclude that all of what God has created in this earth, in the heavenly places and what he will create fit for eternity, is made to bring Him glory. That individual glory of each created body of the variety of life that exists on this planet is to draw our attention back to God’s great design and lead us to worship him.

Psalm 19:1 NASB95

1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Isaiah 40:26 NASB95

26 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.

God is bringing about the creation of all things, and the last of his creation will be at the return of Christ when he creates new glorified bodies and a new heaven and earth. In this final act of creation, will establish his glory in all the earth, glory in creation, glory in redemption of his people and glory in his judgment against his enemies. In all these things, our God will be worshipped and praised for all that He has done.

Psalm 148 NASB95

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! 4 Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created. 6 He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which will not pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps; 8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; 9 Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; 10 Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and winged fowl; 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; 12 Both young men and virgins; Old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven. 14 And He has lifted up a horn for His people, Praise for all His godly ones; Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the Lord!