History Teaches About The Resurrection

Cast not away therefore your confidence, 

which hath great recompence of reward.

 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye

 have done the will of God, ye might receive 

the promise. For yet  a little while, and He 

that shall come will come and will not tarry.

Hebrews 10:35-37

      History about what those early Church fathers taught where a recounting of the Gospel received by them from the disciples of Jesus Christ: therefore, we must read them and learn from them if we are to live according to the will of God. Yes, it has been more than 2,000 years since Jesus was on the face of this earth and it seems that our patience is wearing away: is that the case for you? 

     Do you really believe that Jesus will come again? Do you really believe in the resurrection, or only hope that He will come and that you will live again? The Bible gives us something by which we can lean on: In Galatians 4:4 we learn that the coming of Jesus Christ was in the fullness of time. God will act because God always keeps His promises. In the fullness of time Jesus will come again only this time it will be His last coming for then all those who have faith in Him will live, both the dead and the alive. 

     The Church of God, that is, those who are called, the ekklesia, the called out ones are the ones who make up the Church, not some denomination, nor some practice, or liturgy, but those who have repented and live in obedience to Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus Christ Who is the Rock upon which the Church is built, and through Jesus Christ, or faith in Him, in God for salvation from sin comes the heart, this love agape love of God and for man which makes our personality to be sacred because our God, the creator is th creator of both the spiritual and the physical being and because Jesus is the basis for our hope concerning the future. Clement of Rome writes:

      "The all-merciful and beneficent Father has bowels [of compassion] towards those that fear Him, and kindly and lovingly bestows His favours upon those who come to Him with a simple mind. Wherefore let us not be double-minded; neither let our soul be lifted (Or, as some render, “neither let us have any doubt of.”) up on account of His exceedingly great and glorious gifts. Far from us be that which is written, “Wretched are they who are of a double mind, and of a doubting heart; who say, These things we have heard even in the times of our fathers; but, behold, we have grown old, and none of them has happened unto us.” (Some regard these words as taken from an apocryphal book, others as derived from a fusion of Jas. i. 8 and 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4.) Ye foolish ones! compare yourselves to a tree: take [for instance] the vine. First of all, it sheds its leaves, then it buds, next it puts forth leaves, and then it flowers; after that comes the sour grape, and then follows the ripened fruit. Ye perceive how in a little time the fruit of a tree comes to maturity. Of a truth, soon and suddenly shall His will be accomplished, as the Scripture also bears witness, saying, “Speedily will He come, and will not tarry;”  (Hab. ii. 3; Heb. x. 37.) and, “The Lord shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Holy One, for whom ye look.” (Mal. iii. 1.)

Chapter XXIV.—God continually shows us in nature that there will be a resurrection.

     Let us consider, beloved, how the Lord continually proves to us that there shall be a future resurrection, of which He has rendered the Lord Jesus Christ the first-fruits (Comp. 1 Cor. xv. 20; Col. i. 18.) by raising Him from the dead. Let us contemplate, beloved, the resurrection which is at all times taking place. Day and night declare to us a resurrection. The night sinks to sleep, and the day arises; the day [again] departs, and the night comes on. Let us behold the fruits [of the earth], how the sowing of grain takes place. The sower (Comp. Luke viii. 5.) goes forth, and casts it into the ground; and the seed being thus scattered, though dry and naked when it fell upon the earth, is gradually dissolved. Then out of its dissolution the mighty power of the providence of the Lord raises it up again, and from one seed many arise and bring forth fruit." 

     Life may seem to have an ending where there seems to be no way for life. I walk this area that in the summer is so full of grasses of all kinds, but in the winter the land is empty, barren, soil only shows, all seems to have disappeared: then comes the rain, the sun, the spring and in that dead appearing soil lies the seed of life and once again this land is full of grasses. If God can do this for grass can He not do this for His greatest of all creation: man? Yes! In our case we are not grass and we have a soul that upon our death goes to be with God, and that dead body, decaying into dust seems to be dead again but God will rise it up making it alive again for in you is the seed of life, and God will awaken that life once again only this time it is for eternity. Only the repentance will have this renewal of life and eternity, all others, well....the Lake of Fire is awaiting them and they will not live again for eternity. 

     Jesus is coming, now in some time in the future, it doesn't really matter for He is coming as promised as God He will keep His promises, He is not an angel that might not do what is to be done, God will not allow this to happen, but God Himself as the Son of God our Redeemer will save His children. Are you one of His Authentic Christian children? I pray you are!

If a man die, shall he live again?

     All the days of my appointed time

will I wait, till my change come.

                    Job 14:14

God is faithful: are you?

Richard L. Crumb