Peace in Christ.
Jesus is the resurrection (the “rising again”) and the life.
Every believer in Christ shall be made alive. But every person in their own order.
1Co 15:22-24 KJV
(22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
(23) But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
Then comes the end….the end of this age… AFTER Christ has put down all rule and all authority and power. The "first fruits" of Christ participate in this. They shall NEVER mortally die but will have an age-lasting life....living mortally to the end of this age.
(24) Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
If the believer in Christ mortally dies before the end of this age, he/she shall live again in the resurrection AT the last day of this age that we are living in. These are the believers in Christ who shall be resurrected…. made alive….AT His coming. These are not the “first fruits” of Christ.
What we have witnessed so far in this earth is this scenario as multitudes of Christians have mortally perished without inheriting “eternal life”….that is, an age-lasting life.
We have so far witnessed the vessels that are fitted to wrath….the “children of disobedience”... that perish mortally from this earth even though they are believers in Christ.
Rom 9:21-24 KJV
(21) Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
(22) What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
(23) And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
(24) Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
Many believers in Christ (the vessels of wrath) have gone down the broad way to their mortal destruction.
They had been deceived as they listened to false prophets (who are not preaching the truth of the gospel as the gospel is being hid from their minds) who led and are leading multitudes of people down to the destruction of their mortal bodies….mortally perishing. Matthew 7:13 .
John 11:25
Young's Literal Translation
Jesus said to her, 'I am the rising again, and the life; he who is believing in me, even if he may die, shall live
But….everyone who is living and believing into Him SHALL NOT DIE….into the age. This is the “first resurrection”….the “first fruits of Christ.”
We have not seen this yet as the mass deception of false prophets is still leading multitudes away from the Way of righteousness that leads to this mortal life…an age-lasting life.
They (the first fruits of Christ) will not mortally die but will continue to live in their mortal bodies TO the last day of this age. It is the power of God through faith that will keep us standing here in this earth. The just/righteous shall LIVE BY FAITH…and will never mortally die.
The first fruits …the vessels of His mercy,… will hear the truth of the gospel and believe in Him who speaks it…bringing forth the fruit of righteousness towards the hearing of it. They bring forth fruit unto an age-lasting life. They inherit the promise of an age-lasting life in their mortal bodies which keep standing here in this earth until the last trumpet when their mortal bodies shall be changed into immortal. They will not experience any intermission (sleep) but will continue to live throughout the remainder of this age.
John 11:26
Young's Literal Translation
and every one who is living and believing in me shall not die -- to the age;
Again, this is found in John 3:16.
Every one who is believing into Him shall NOT PERISH (mortally die) but shall have an AGE-LASTING life in this earth until the coming of the Lord.
This applies to the “first fruits” of Christ only …to the “vessels of mercy”…and not to those believers who have mortally perished without hearing the truth of the gospel.
John 3:16
Young's Literal Translation
for God did so love the world, that His Son -- the only begotten -- He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.
Christ shall not lose those who believed in Him but mortally died. He shall raise them up again AT the last day of this age. But, they miss out on the things that will happen in this age as Christ shall put down all rule and all authority and power. They will miss out in participating with Christ in this.
Joh 6:39-40
(39) And this is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again AT the last day.
But every one which sees (understands) the Son and believes into Him shall have an AGE-LASTING life. They shall never mortally die but He will raise them TO…TO…TO the last day of this age. They will hear the word of their salvation and will believe in the truth of the gospel. They will understand the Son's message: the gospel of salvation to be had now in this mortal body for the duration of this current evil age.
(40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes into him, may have age-lasting life: and I will raise him up TO the last day.
Christ is Lord of both the dead (the vessels fitted for wrath) and the living (the vessels of MERCY).
Christ died and rose again…and so He is the Lord of those believers who died (the “dead”…those who had fallen “asleep”) and those who will NEVER mortally DIE but will continue to live (the “living”) throughout this age.
Those believers in Christ who mortally perished are only “fallen asleep.” He will not lose them. They are only asleep from this earth throughout the remainder of this age. It is an intermission for them. They will miss out though on participating with Christ who will put down all authority and all rule and power.
1Co 15:16-18 KJV
(16) For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
(17) And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
(18) Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
We….the living….the vessels of mercy…the believers of the truth of the gospel….SHALL NOT SLEEP (mortally die from this earth). We shall continue to mortally live until His coming where we (who are still mortal) shall put on immortality.
The “dead” ….the corruptible…shall be raised up incorruptible (unperishable). Their mortal bodies had perished from this earth but He will raise them up AT the last day of this age.
But we who will never die ((the "living") shall be changed from mortal (the mortal body that had never died) into immortal. Then we will have completely circumvented death in Christ.
1Co 15:51-54 KJV
(51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
(52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
(54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
We...the "first fruits" of Christ...shall never mortally die but shall have an age-lasting life until the moment we are changed into immortal. But first we must hear that word of Truth...the good news of YOUR salvation. Our salvation is personal...right down to our mortal body. We shall continue to live in this earth for the duration of this age until the redemption of the purchased possession....our mortal body.
Eph 1:12-14 KJV
(12) That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
(13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
(14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
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