The Weight of the Word

THE FIRST RESURRECTION

  In John 5: 24 we read these words, ÒVerily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.Ó In this statement of Jesus our minds are directed [Page 43] the subject of a resurrection. He mentions two states in which we may be found while living in this world: the state of death and the state of life. Of course, we an understand these words as spiritual and not literal. In I Tim. 5: 6 Paul is speaking of a person that lives in pleasure as dead while he lives. The person who lives the pleasures of sin is dead spiritually while he lives physically. Likewise, Jesus in the words of our text is speaking of death spiritually and coming to life spiritual. Also he speaks of the passage from the state of death to the state of life. We understand that conversion is the emigration of a soul from death into life spiritually, Webster gives the definition of resurrection as a restoration to life; a coming to life; therefore Jesus is teaching resurrection in a spiritual sense. When one passes from death unto life he has been resurrected. Jesus said, "He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." This is a resurrection, to believe on Jesus and accept him into our heart and life; but it is a spiritual resurrection and not a literal one, and also is the first one. We have many false prophets over the country today preaching two resurrections and placing both of them in the future and both literal ones. Jesus says in verse 25 of the same chapter of John, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and NOW IS (at the time he was speaking when the dead (spiritually) shall hear the voice of Son of God: and they that hear shall live." During the earthly ministry of Jesus many who were dead in trespasses and sin heard the voice of Jesus as he preached, Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" and [Page 44] as many as obeyed him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, and they were resurrected from a dead state in sin to a live state in righteousness. This is the first resurrection. The second and general resurrection will take place at the second coming of Jesus. In John 5:28 in these words, he speaks of the general resurrection in these words, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming in the which ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." Here Jesus pictures most beautifully the two resurrections. The first , a spiritual resurrection in which we are born of the Spirit of God at conversion, and the second a literal resurrection at the second coming of Jesus when all mankind will come forth from the graves to stand before God in judgment for the deeds of this life.

It's the first resurrection that is of vast importance to the human family. We take part in the first resurrection by matter of choice and decision to follow Jesus and a strict obedience to his word, and it's the first resurrection that makes men blessed and holy, and without holiness no man shall see the Lord. (Rev. 20:6 and Heb. 12:14). Therefore, only those who have part in the first resurrection will meet Jesus in peace and will be accepted into heaven. All men come into the world with the principle of sin in their nature and are under the curse of sin and spiritual death. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12). Back in the garden of Eden Adam transgressed the law of God, and the penalty of sin, which is death, [Page 45] was meted out to the human family as a result of it transmitted the seed of sin to his offspring; he propagated his own likeness with the rudiments of his nature and moral likeness in them. Adam and Eve were the only two who were made or came into the world in the image of God their Creator. When they transgressed the law of God, that image of God was marred by their disobedience, and all mankind comes into the world with that image marred as a result of AdamÕs transgression. Notice in Gen- 5:3 we are told, "Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in likeness, after his image; and called his name SethÓ Seth and likewise all of Adam's offspring, came into the world in the image of fallen Adam and not in the moral image of God, which is pure and holy. Sin, left its mark on the moral character of all mankind David says, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin my mother conceive me." By divinely ordained relation to Adam all mankind has become involved in the consequences of his sin and God looks upon all mankind as dead in trespasses and sin until they have come and repented and been "born again," which is the resurrection. The sinner comes to God in a state of spiritual death; he comes forsaking and repenting of sin and God has mercy on him and saves him through faith in the precious blood of Jesus. He immediately comes to life spiritually, being born of God, and this could be called nothing but a resurrection.

ItÕs this first resurrection, a spiritual one, that folk need to have a part in that they might be ready to meet Jesus when he comes again to receive his bride. If more people in the religious world had had part in this resurrection, [Page 46] we wouldn't have so much cold, dead, formal religion. People who have had part in this resurrection have come to grips with God and have forsaken sin repented of it and been made alive spiritually. They are dead to sin and the things of this world, and are alive to things pertaining to godliness and righteous living. Paul says in Co. 3:1, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.Ó To be risen with Christ means we have repented and been "born again" and are seeking those things which are above. WeÕre not interested so much in the affairs of this world but are continually seeking a closer walk with God that we might become more intimately acquainted with him. We have similar experiences as the travelers on the Emmaus road on the first Easter morning. They walked along with Jesus and knew it not until they arrived home, and he, after much persuasion, entered in and returned thanks at the table and then made himself known to them, and they said, "Did not our hearts burn within us , while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" As we live from day to day we too can walk and talk with Jesus. He will open to us the scriptures and will show is things the ordinary individual cannot see; truly our hearts will burn within us if we have been resurrected to life in Christ.

Referring again to Rev. 20:6 John says, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power." This resurrection makes men blessed and holy. Has your life been blessed and hallowed by the coming of Jesus into your heart an life? He'll deliver you from the bondage of sin and put [Page 47] a halo of glory around your soul, filling it with love divine, if you'll forsake sin and formalism and coldness and repent and be "born again." He also will give you grace to walk the highway of holiness with him. When men have part in this first resurrection they cease to sin and are made holy through the blood of Jesus. They become partakers of the holiness of God through faith in his Son and walk circumspectly and holy before the world, They are risen with Christ; therefore, they are seeking those things which are above. The cheap, gaudy pleasures of sin have no more appeal to them, for they are risen to walk in newness of life. Through the regenerating transforming power of God, the mind is renewed; the heart is completely changed, and this inward renewal will produce the outward transformation; and when we see folk professing to be God's children yet hankering after the things of the world, we are made to realize the inward work hasn't been done yet. They need to go to the fountain of life and plunge in and be made whole. They need to have part in the first resurrection, which produces blessed and holy people.

  Jesus says in our text, "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." To hear the gospel preached and the Spirit of God calling and obey them both from the depths of your heart is to be Òborn againÓ and have part in the first resurrection. Only those people who have had part in the first resurrection will be admitted into heaven; rection, [Page 48] only those who have been born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Only twice born individuals will enjoy the bliss of eternal glory.

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