“As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.” (1Corinthians 15:48)
The previous verse explains what is earthy and what is heavenly. “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.” (1Corinthians 15:47) Those who are earthy are of this earth. We are like Adam. We are like everything on this earth, perishing, dying, even like the flowers die and the animals die. (Ecclesiastes 3:20) We are born of this earth, and we will return to this earth. This is part of the curse. Our bodies will return to the dust. (Genesis 3:19) And because we are born of this earth, we are earthy.
Our Scripture in 1 Corinthians 15:48 also tells of the heavenly. It’s talking about Jesus Who came from heaven. Born on this earth, yes, but born of God. He did not die and perish, but died and arose. His body never returned to the earth, but was glorified, meaning it was made suitable for heaven. We know that our bodies cannot survive heaven. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” (1Corinthians 15:50)
When God is present, our bodies melt because it’s cursed. It’s earthy and sinful. It was not redeemed. The Lord tells Ezekiel what happens when this sinful body meets the righteousness of God. “As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of My wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out My fury upon you.” (Ezekiel 22:20-21) Our bodies cannot survive God’s wrath for sin. When Jesus returns and places His feet on earth again, His glory will melt the earthy places. “For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under Him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.” (Micah 1:3-4) Peter also wrote about that day when Jesus our Lord and God will come to earth. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2Peter 3:10-12)
Woe is man without Jesus. Jesus knew our hopeless state. His love compelled Him to save us. He took the wrath of God for our sin. He could survive it because He is from heaven. He is heavenly. And when He died and satisfied God’s wrath for sin, He tore the old covenant of death and established a new covenant between man and God. Man can now be born of God. We can be heavenly. We can be like Jesus. When we believe on Jesus and receive His free gift of redemption, we are born again, born of God and spiritual beings alive to God, in fellowship with God, His children. (John 1:12) In the spirit, we have entrance to the very Throne Room of God. (Hebrews 4:16)
But what about our bodies? Our bodies die because of Adam, because of sin. But because of Jesus our bodies will resurrect. “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1Corinthians 15:20-22) In Jesus, we are heavenly, belonging to heaven, born of heaven. Our citizenship is heaven. “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21) We have to be changed into our heavenly bodies. This is the redemption of our bodies. It has to be changed into the eternal and heavenly to be acceptable in heaven. “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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 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.” (1Corinthians 15:52-54) And like Jesus, we will have the image of the earthy, but we will also have the image of the heavenly. “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” (1Corinthians 15:49)
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