The Resurrection Of The Body And Life Everlasting.
Which is the Third Article?
_I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Christian Church, the communion
of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and
the life everlasting._
What does this mean?
_He_ [the Holy Ghost] _will at the Last Day raise up me and all the dead
and give unto me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most
certainly true._
1. _We believe the resurrection of the body,_ so we confess. We believe
that _God will raise up me and all the dead,_ so that our bodies which
have died shall again be made alive and come forth from their graves.
Our bodies _die_ and are buried, and in the grave they decay. _These
same bodies_ will live again. It is true, we cannot _understand_ how
this is possible. To unbelievers it seems ridiculous, they laugh and
mock at this doctrine. Still we _believe_ it; we are assured by the Word
of God that our dead shall live again. And _"the Word of the Lord is
right."_ Ps. 33,4. Our Lord says: _"The hour is coming in the which all
that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth."_ John
5,28. Our God is _almighty,_ with Him nothing is impossible. Luke 1,37.
2. God will raise _me and all the dead. All_ that are in the graves
shall hear His voice and shall come forth from their graves. Christ will
not only raise His own, His believers, but all men, those, too, who did
not believe in Him, but died in their sins.--_"The hour is coming,"_
our Lord says: it is coming on _the Last Day_ of the world. On that
great day, when our Lord will come again to judge the quick and the
dead, all the dead shall hear the almighty voice of the Son of God and
whether they will or not, shall come forth from their graves to meet
their God and Lord at His judgment-seat.
3. All the dead will be raised from death and the grave; _but there will
be a great difference in their resurrection._ Our Lord says: _"They that
have done good_ [shall come forth] _unto the resurrection of life, and
they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation."_ John
5,29. Those who here on earth believed in Christ, and by the power of
His grace served Him in His kingdom, and died in the Lord trusting in
Him, will come forth to life everlasting and go with their Lord to His
eternal glory. _They that have done evil,_ those who rejected their
Savior and died in their sins, will rise unto _the resurrection of
damnation._ They will be thrown into _hell,_ into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels. Matt. 25,41. May our heavenly
Father keep us steadfast in the true faith and preserve us from hell and
damnation!
4. _They that have done good,_ those who believed in Christ and died in
the Lord, shall come forth unto _the resurrection of life. At the Last
Day the risen Lord will raise all that fell asleep in Him, and will give
them life everlasting, life without end._ We confess that the Lord will
"give _me_ and all believers eternal life." The Holy Ghost has called me
by the Gospel, by His grace I believe in my Savior, by grace He has kept
me in the faith, and so _I am assured_ that He will give _me_ eternal
life. _"Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have
everlasting life."_ John 3,16. To me and all believers the Lord will
give eternal life, but _to believers only. "He that believeth on the Son
hath eternal life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life,
but the wrath of God abideth on him."_ John 3,36.
5. God will give us believers _eternal life._ Christ will lead His own,
His believers, soul and body, into His heavenly kingdom, there to live
and reign with Him in everlasting joy and glory. In heaven there will be
_no sin;_ in perfect holiness we shall serve our Lord. There will be no
more _death,_ nor _sorrow,_ nor _crying,_ nor _pain._ Rev. 21,4. All
these things shall have passed away. There will be pure and _true joy
and happiness forever and ever._ We shall be _with God:_ we shall see
Him, our heavenly King and Father, and His wondrous ways. _"We shall see
Him as He is."_ 1 John 3,2. We shall _see our dear Lord and Savior,_
whom we love now even without having seen Him. We shall see Him _in His
glory,_ in the glory which His Father has given Him. What unspeakable
joy to see God, our Lord and Savior, to be and live with Him! _"In Thy
presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures
forevermore."_ Ps. 16,11.--Our _bodies_ will share this joy. They will
come forth _glorified, freed from all sin, sickness, and infirmity,
fashioned_ like unto the glorious body of our risen Lord.