Sunday 29 Apr 2018

April 29: 1 Corinthians 15:35-50

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 15:36
How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.

Devotion:
Two questions which will always be asked, one by the people who oppose doctrine and the other by curious doubters – How are the dead raised up or how can they be, the next, what bodies will we have?

Well, look at it this way, what makes a seed produce a plant and then move on to produce thousands more seeds? What makes a person produce another person? We like to think we know the answers by explaining exactly what goes on in each step of reproduction, plant or otherwise, but that is the key, it’s reproduction, not production! In order for the reproduction to start, we have to have had some productions in the beginning. The answer is simple, yet so many choose not to believe it – God created a heaven and earth which could start the reproduction cycle.

Every day we see how His promise continues to come to fruition. Every day we see how seeds are planted in the ground, how they die, but how a part of that seed brings forth a plant. If only we could see that sort of growth daily in the church as well! When we die, leaving our earthly life behind, we live to Christ. Our first death can be when we accept Christ as our Saviour and King. Our final death is a bit more drastic; but that is the one which will bring forward our new body which we get to take to heaven. Just like Jesus showed us how He could raise Himself from the grave and ascent with a spiritual body, so it can be done with us. His body was remade whole. What a wonderful life that is going to be!

We are not going to come back as a plant or an animal or even another human being. Our body will be changed once and for all. Each species has its own properties, its own kind. Each species produces after its own kind – just like God said it would, just like He made it so. All we need do is watch creation around us and we can know He has created us and we can follow in His steps.

Points to Ponder:
Do you want to continue sowing on earth, hoping for earthly sprouts?

Or do you want to sow for heaven, hoping for heavenly sprouts?