App
Go To Meeting
Marlin Fannin—June 15, 2019
- PDF | Audio | [Up]
It all started back in Genesis 1:26: "And God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of heaven and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that crawls upon the earth.' And God created man in His own image…" (vs 26-27)—in His likeness! We look like God, only we're in the flesh.
Of course God is spirit and we can't see spirit at this time, but eventually that what we hope to be, spirit beings, sons and daughters of God!
Verse 28: "And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of heaven and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.'" God created man and woman, and He told them to be over everything on earth! That was quite a job; just think of being over the whole earth.
God had a beautiful garden for them to live in, and He instructed them about this one tree.
Genesis 2:15: "And the LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'You may freely eat of every tree in the garden, but you shall not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for in the day that you eat of it in dying you shall surely die'" (vs 15-17).
So, God told them that they could eat of all the fruit that's in this garden, except this one tree; don't eat of it, because in the day you do eat of it "…in dying you shall surely die."
We know that Adam lived 930 years, but eventually he did die. Adam's disobedience brought death to all mankind. The reason we have death is because of Adam's disobedience to God. Paul states this; that's why the death came upon mankind.
Romans 5:12: "Therefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and by means of sin came death; and in this way death passed into all mankind; and it is for this reason that all have sinned."
We see that death came upon all of mankind, and not only death to man, but to animals. Animals lived a certain number of years; most not as long as man, some longer like the elephant, some of them live to be up to a 100-years-old. Death came upon all because of Adam's sin!
God told Adam that he was made out of the dust and to dust you're going to return (Gen. 3:19). And there would come a time, because of his disobedience, that he would die. The death penalty is upon all of us because of that.
Ecclesiastes 9:5: "For the living know that they shall die; but the dead do not know anything…" When we die it's like sleep, we don't know anything!
Ecclesiastes 12:7: "And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."
So, we know that there is a spirit in man that helps us to think and to do things greater than what the animals can do. They have brains, too, and a lot of the things they learn by making mistakes.
But God has given us a spirit that we can learn. Look at all the things that man has done and is doing upon the earth. There are the good things, but also all the bad things that man does because of Satan the devil.
God tells us that there's coming a time when we're going to die; it's like a sleep so we don't know anything. I'm sure that at the point when Adam took of the forbidden fruit and actually—Eve took of it first and gave to Adam—from that time on it's been woe to man and woman. God told Adam that he was going to have to work by the sweat of his brow. Before that, he probably had it—as the old saying goes—'made in the shade.' A beautiful place to live. All kinds of different things to eat and enjoy. Even God would come and talk to them personally; not in His glorified state, but in a physical like state as He appeared to Abraham, and talked to him, and others.
We know that Adam had a great job and he had a great responsibility. A beautiful place to live and work and having God right there with him; how wonderful that must have been.
I'm sure that Satan thought that he had won. Adam had disobeyed God and he was told that he was going to die. But God is greater than Satan, and he is the 'god of this world' until Christ comes back, but God created Satan. He didn't become Satan right off, but later on in the rebellion that he got that name.
As one minister said years ago, 'Satan didn't realize how powerful that God really was until he rebelled against God and tried to take over. Satan was then cast back down to the earth with those that followed him. He didn't know how powerful God was until he went against God.
God is a loving God and very merciful. But God had a plan. Evidently He knew that Adam being made of the flesh, and why God allowed Satan to go into the garden to disguise himself as a serpent and deceive Eve.
God knew from the foundation of the world that His plan for His Son to become flesh and dwell among men and give His life as a sacrifice as celebrate at Passover.
God had a plan; it wasn't. 'What are We going to do now? Mankind has fallen from grace and he's been disobedient.' It says that God 'planned from the foundation of the world,' that He had a plan. That plan was, as we see on Passover, that Christ became our Passover Lamb.
John 6:38: "For I did not come down from heaven to do My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me…. [God the Father] …And this is the will of the Father Who sent Me: that of all whom He has given Me, I should not lose any, but should raise them up in the last day" (vs 38-39).
Christ came for the very purpose of becoming a sacrificial lamb to buy us back to God, that we could be raised up to eternal life through a resurrection.
Verse 40: "And this is the will of Him Who sent Me: that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
We see the plan that God had, that it's working. Christ has come, He's speaking to the people there, the disciples and others. We will see where He's called the Lamb of God, the sacrificial lamb. We participate in the Passover each year and we remember that.
John 1:28: "…where John was baptizing. On the next day, John sees Jesus coming to him, and he says, 'Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world'" (vs 28-29). That's why Christ came; that was His purpose in coming to this earth, to become a sacrifice for all mankind.
Verse 33: "And I did not know Him before; but He Who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon Whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, He is the one Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God" (vs 33-34).
It talks about in one of the Gospels how Christ, after He was baptized of John and the Holy Spirit coming upon Him, prayed. That's makes sense, because after being baptized Christ gave thanks to God immediately. Probably raised His hands, as He did at times when He asked the blessing on a meal. And the Holy Spirit came upon Him like a dove. He was and is the Lamb of God, Who have His life for us.
Verse 36: "And as he gazed upon Jesus walking, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!'" It was then revealed to John who He was, that sacrificial lamb planned from the foundation of the world, that He would come! He qualified to replace Satan, and there's coming a time when Satan will no longer be the 'god of this world.'
Adam had that great opportunity. Everything was put under his feet, but through his disobedience he was disqualified.
John 3:16 is a Scripture that's often quoted, especially by the religions of the world. A lot of times, because it is quoted so much, that it tends to in a sense lose it's meaning. What a great verse that it is:
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes…" We have to believe and be baptized, as Peter told them (Acts 2)! There are other things besides just believing. We have to repent, believe and be baptized!
"…everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life" (v 16). That's the opportunity that Adam had, and he will have again, but maybe not in the first resurrection. That's the purpose! That Christ came so that we would not have eternal death, but that we can have eternal life.
Revelation 5:6: "Then I saw, and behold, before the throne and the four living creatures and before the elders was standing a Lamb ashaving been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that are sent into all the earth; and He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him Who sits on the throne. And when He took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are You to take the book, and to open its seals because You were slain, and did redeem us to God by Your own blood, out of every tribe and language and people and nation… [for the whole earth Christ died for all] …and did make us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth'" (vs 6-10).
So, we have the blessing of the firstfruits, which is a better resurrection (Rev. 20), to become kings and priests and reign with Christ upon on the earth. That's a key, that we will reign with Him, under Him, and Christ is going to be Lord of all.
What a great time! David is going to be over all of Israel again, and God told the apostles that they're going to be able to be over the tribes of Israel. A little glimpse of the structure of the Kingdom of God when Christ comes back.
The world does not know, or it doesn't understand a lot of these things. Really, they don't want to know. They're so busy living their lives and it may be pleasurable for season, but it has it's consequences that comes upon them. The world is going and we see how it is. Everybody talks and it's getting worse and worse each and every day.
They really don't understand, but God has called us to understand a lot of the mysteries. Not all the mysteries have been revealed to us, but we understand a lot that the apostles didn't understand, or even Daniel. The world doesn't understand because they worship in one form or another the 'god of this world' (2-Cor. 4:4). They serve him in many different forms. He promotes sin, not righteousness. God is a God of righteousness. Satan is the author of sin and he is a liar from the very beginning, and he was also a murderer from the very beginning. He caused Adam and Eve—and all of mankind—to be put under the death penalty, because they listened to Satan instead of God.
Since the fall of Adam, God has had those whom he has used all down through the ages, even to the present day, who preach righteousness.
Heb. 11—it talks about Abel, he was righteous. There was Seth, Noah, Enoch, Abraham and all of those whom God said are righteous. They certainly worked, qualified and were diligent to be able to have their names written in the Book of Life. That's what we're in the process now of building the very character and mind of God to overcome and to be diligent in that every day.
If we want to know anything we need to look to God and to His Word. God reveals the issues of death and of life.
Psalm 68:20: "Our God is the God of salvation; for unto the sovereign Lord belong the issues of death."
God tells us about death and life in His Word, as we're looking at several Scriptures about the resurrection. If we want to know about the issues of life, then we go to God in His Word and that information is there. There are some things that He hasn't revealed, but we'll know when we are born into the very Kingdom of God. Many questions that we have now will be answered then.
It's amazing how in the Old Covenant that they knew about certain things, about the very plan of God, salvation and eternal life.
1-Samuel 2:6: "The LORD kills and makes alive. He brings down to the grave and brings up." Speaking of death and the resurrection to eternal life!
Deuteronomy 29:29: "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things, which are revealed, belong to us and to our children forever so that we may do all the words of this Law."
What a great Scripture! God has called us, opened our minds and granted us repentance. Moses instructed the children of Israel to teach these things to their children 'when you lie down, when you get up and when you walk in the way.' Our conversation should be about God and teaching our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren about this wonderful calling that God has given to us. The world as a whole doesn't know and they don't want to know. They want to go about their own lives doing whatever they want without having any kind of consequence. So, how blessed we are to have this knowledge. The secret things belong to us and our children.
Now let's look at some Scriptures about death. The book of Job is one of the Scriptures that we use at a lot of the funerals that we do. Job asks a question and he also answers that question.
Job 14:14: "If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time in the grave I will wait, until my change comes." Job knew about the resurrection!
He was looking for that change especially going through all the miserable time in the trials and tests that were put upon him by Satan. Not only once, but twice that Satan appeared and talked about Job. God allowed him to do certain things to Job, but God said, 'Don't take his life.'
Verse 15: "You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall have the desire for the work of Your hands."
It says in Gen. that God created man in His image, His likeness, and His desire was for us to become sons and daughters in spirit and to be with Him. Job knew this and understood it.
I'd like to bring out how Martha knew about the resurrection; John 11:20: "And when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met Him. But Mary was sitting in the house. And Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You'" (vs 20-22). Martha knew that Jesus Christ, if He wanted to, He could resurrect Lazarus who had already been dead for days at this time!
Verse 23: "Jesus said to her, 'Your brother shall rise again.' Martha said to Him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day'" (vs 23-24).
We know that Jesus resurrected him back to physical life, but eventually he died, too. All of those who were resurrected in the Old Testament eventually died again. The same thing happened to Lazarus.
We see that Christ was organized and instructed them about death the resurrection back to life. Paul talks a lot about this, because they thought at that time that there was no resurrection, or that the resurrection had already past.
1-Corinthians 15:21: "For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the Firstfruit… [He was first] …then those who are Christ's at His coming" (vs 21-23).
Sometime ago we were in a discussion and it was mentioned that there had been others resurrected back to physical life, that Christ being the Firstborn of the dead Who had been born into spiritual life, which He had with God before the world began.
Christ is the only One Who has been resurrected to a spiritual life. Others have been resurrected to a physical life again, but later they died.
We see that death came by one man, and also by one Man came the resurrection!
John 6:38: "For I did not come down from heaven to do My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me. And this is the will of the Father Who sent Me: that of all whom He has given Me, I should not lose any, but should raise them up in the last day. And this is the will of Him Who sent Me: that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (vs 38-40).
John 5:21: "For even as the Father raises the dead and gives life, in the same way also, the Son gives life to whom He will."
So, God the Father has the power to give life, and Christ as well. It's through Christ that we have the opportunity to have eternal life.
Verse 28: "Do not wonder at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth: those who have practiced good unto a resurrection of life, and those who have practiced evil unto a resurrection of judgment" (vs 28-29)—talking about two different things there!
Those who have not -- their life to the end, but were diligent and dedicated and overcome to be a part of that resurrection, the first resurrection, and also those who will come up in the 100-year-period who willingly decide to obey God and want to be a part of His Family.
But there will be those who will not—like Satan they will rebel—obey God and love Him, and theirs is a resurrection of judgment to eternal death, as the Scriptures tell us. There again we see the dead, the power of God the Father and Jesus Christ to raise the dead back to life and be given eternal life.
Acts 24:15: "Having hope in God, which they themselves also acknowledge, that there will be a resurrection of the dead—both the just and the unjust." A resurrection to eternal life, and a resurrection to judgment and destruction!
Romans 4:17: "(Exactly as it is written: 'I have made you a father of many nations.') before God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not as though they are."
To God, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is like a sleep. That when we come before God, we come before the spirits of those who have been made perfect. The things that they qualified in obedience to God in their life, that's what's recorded. We don't know how all that works. We know there's going to be a spiritual body, a spiritual mind that's been built, the character, and will be unified with that body. We don't know just how all that works, but God does.
The main thing is that we be in God's Kingdom, and we'll be there with all the others: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and we will see all of those that we read about every day, and be with God the Father and Christ.
That's what eternal life is about. That's why we have all the testing and trial sin this life which is to qualify us, to purify us and cleanse us so that we can be made like God in mind and spirit. God is the One Who gives life to the dead!
Isaiah 26:19: "Your dead ones shall live… [a promise that the dead will live again] …together with my dead body… [speaking of Christ Who died and was resurrected] …they shall arise. Awake and sing… [we will be singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb] …you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is as the dew of lights, and the earth shall cast out the dead." They will become life again!
There is a lot of things that Daniel wanted to know, but we know that God told him, 'I've revealed a lot of things to you,' and He did about the Kingdom, the earth, Christ coming back and many things! But one of the things Daniel didn't understand:
Daniel 12:2: "And many of those who sleep… [just as God told Adam] …in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Judgment, because they were not willing to love God and obey Him!
2-Corinthians 4:14: "Knowing that He Who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead…" It's through Him that we have the opportunity to be born into His very Family and Kingdom, through His sacrifice!
"…shall also raise us through Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, so that the abounding grace may cause the thanksgiving of many to overflow unto the glory of God. For this reason, we do not lose heart; but if our outward man is being brought to decay…" (vs 14-16).
We start dying the day that we are born. We don't know how long our life is going to be, but just as it says in the book of Ecclesiastes that death is going to come upon all men!
"…yet, the inward man is being renewed day-by-day" (v 16)—with God's Holy Spirit in us! God the Father and Jesus Christ said that They would come and make Their abode with us. That we're being renewed if we're studying and praying. IF we're close to God and striving to overcome this nature as God reveals our faults, our sins, and we repent of them and go forward, then we're renewed and preparing for eternal life. Even though the old flesh is dying daily, and we're being renewed toward eternal life.
Verse 17: "For the momentary lightness of our tribulation is working out for us an immeasurably greater and everlasting fullness of glory; while we consider not the things that are seen, but the things that are not seen. For the things that are seen are temporary; but the things that are not seen are eternal" (vs 17-18).
That's what we're looking for as something better than this physical flesh. I've often said that if there's anything better than life I'll take it, because life in this flesh at times isn't pleasant, especially as you get older and older and there are all kinds of health problems, and just the problems that come upon us. Our body is decaying daily! We're looking for a glorious body! A new body!
Proverbs 14:32: "When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but the righteous, even when he is brought to death, has hope"—that is the resurrection and eternal life for us as the firstfruits, and later on for all those whom God will call! It's great thing to meditate and think upon. That's what our hope is, eternal life in the God Family and Kingdom.
Psalm 116:15: "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints." When the saints die, God rejoices because He knows that they have made it into His Family and Kingdom! They will come up in a glorified body, no longer flesh.
We're saddened at death, but if we understand, some of that sadness can be overcome by the joy that at our next awakening moment, for those who died in the faith, are going to become eternally alive and no more to die.
1-Corinthians 15:16: "For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. But if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins, and those who have fallen asleep in Christ have then perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most miserable. But now Christ has been raised from the dead; He has become the Firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep" (vs 16-20).
Verse 24: "Afterwards the end comes, when He shall have delivered up the Kingdom to Him Who is God and Father, when He shall have put an end to all rule and all authority and power."
Satan will be put down, the systems and Babylonians of this world will be put down.
Verse 25: "For it is ordained that He reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death" (vs 25-26).
After the Millennium and the 100-year-period then those who will not obey and love God, they will be destroyed and the whole earth will be burned with fervent heat (Malachi). They'll be destroyed and won't be around. Death is the last enemy to be destroyed; death is an enemy! It's an enemy to man and has been since Adam and Eve brought a death sentence upon them and all of us.
1-Thessalonians 4:14: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in exactly the same way also, those who have fallen asleep in Jesus… [the saints] …will God bring with Him"—to put down Satan and the enemies of this world!
Verse 15: "For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall in no wise precede those who have fallen asleep."
Paul thought that he would then be changed, but later he realized that he would be killed! But there will be some alive who will be changed in 'a twinkling of an eye' but the dead shall be raised and 'the last shall be first and the first shall be last.'
Verse 16: "Because the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds for the meeting with the Lord in the air; and so shall we always be with the Lord. Therefore, encourage one another with these words" (vs 16-18).
There's coming a time when we will no longer be flesh, but shall be changed and become spirit. We will become sons and daughters of God in spirit form, not flesh.
1-Corinthians 13:12: "For now we see through a glass darkly…" A lot of things are not clear to us, but someday they were will be clear to us when we're are in the Family of God, as He explains the things we don't understand.
"…but then we shall see face-to-face; now I know in part, but then I shall know exactly as I have been known" (v 12).
There's coming a time when we will be able to see God and Christ face-to-face just as Moses wanted to see Him. Moses couldn't see God's face, but he could see His backside and He kind of put His hand over Moses so he could see some of the glory that God has.
God's glory is so great that we couldn't see Him with our eyes because we'd be obliterated. We shall see God and Christ face-to-face and we'll be welcomed into His Kingdom. Can you imagine what that's going to be like? We'll be able to do things like Christ. He walked through walls, and we'll be able to do greater things than the fake superman that was back years ago, and they still make movies about it. Imagine! Christ just appeared through a wall after He came back after going to the Father and becoming accepted as the First of the firstfruits.
We will be able to appear in the flesh, too, just as Christ did to Abraham back in Genesis, as He appeared to the apostles. We will be able to eat as Christ did; He had a meal cooked for Him upon the bank of the seashore. He also asked them if they had anything to eat after He came to them the first time and they said they had some fish and honey and was able to eat.
We will be able to see those whom we have known in our lifetime called saints who have died and are awaiting the resurrection. How great that's going to be, to see all the people that we have known. We will also be able to see those who have died in the 100-year period, all of our relatives, to be able to see them and to teach them and find out our true genealogy that goes all the way back.
2-Peter 3:13: "But according to His promise, we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells…." Like Abraham who looked for a city whose Builder and Maker was God (Heb. 11)! That's what he wanted to be a part of. Not of Mesopotamia, Haran and places where he lived.
Verse 14: "For this reason, beloved, since you are anticipating these things… [and we do] …be diligent, so that you may be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless."
- we're going to reign with Jesus Christ a thousand years
- we're going help bring multitudes into God's very Family and Kingdom
- we're going to be teachers there, saying, 'This is the way, walk you in it'
- we'll be able to see our relatives resurrected in the Great White Throne Judgment
We know that death came upon man by Adam and Eve, and their disobedience, but eternal life comes through Jesus Christ our Lord, that God had it planned from the foundation of the world.
He evidently knew that human beings couldn't stand up to the temptation, trickery and lies of Satan. So, that plan was for Jesus Christ to become flesh and to go through all the horrible things He went through in dying for us, to become the Lamb of God so that we could be forgiven of all our sins. To walk daily with Him, being rebuilt, renewed with God's Spirit, to build His righteous character.
Think on these things as we celebrate Pentecost, and let us be encouraged by all the things that we've read!
Scriptural References:
- Genesis 1:26-28
- Genesis 2:15-17
- Romans 5:12
- Ecclesiastes 9:5
- Ecclesiastes 12:7
- John 6:38-40
- John 1:28-29, 33-34, 36
- John 3:16
- Revelation 5:6-10
- Psalm 68:20
- 1 Samuel 2:6
- Deuteronomy 29:29
- Job 14:14-15
- John 11:20-24
- 1 Corinthians 15:21-23
- John 6:38-40
- John 5:P21, 28-29
- Acts 24:15
- Romans 4:17
- Isaiah 26:19
- Daniel 12:2
- 2 Corinthians 4:14-18
- Proverbs 14:32
- Psalm 116:15
- 1 Corinthians 15:16-20, 24-26
- 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18
- 1 Corinthians 13:12
- 2 Peter 3:13-14
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Genesis 3:19
- Acts 2
- Revelation 20
- 2 Corinthians 4:4
- Hebrews 11
MF:bo
Transcribed: 9/10/19
Copyright 2019—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.
