"THE GLORIFIED STATE"

Philippians 3:21

INTRODUCTION:

A.     The result of the coming of Christ will be the final perfection of the believer

             (Romans 8:22, 23; Philippians 1:6).

B.     The result of the coming of Christ from heaven will be the glorification of the

             human body (Philippians 3:21; I John 3:2).

  I.        WHAT KIND OF BODY WILL IT BE? 

A. Made like the glorified body of Christ (v. 21)

1.     It was visible.

        a.     It had substance (cf. Luke 24:39). 

        b.     Compare the post-resurrection appearances to:

1)     Paul - Acts 9

2)     Cephas and the twelve - I Corinthians 15:5; John 21:14

3)     Over 500 brethren - I Corinthians 15:6

4)     James - I Corinthians 15:7

5)       Apostles - I Corinthians 15:7; cf. Acts 1:1-4

c.      The statement of Stephen - Acts 7:56

d.              The vision of John - Revelation 12-16

2.     It was a real body

        a.     Not an apparition as the disciples first thought - Luke 24:37, 39: cf.

                Matthew 14:26

        b.     He allowed it to be touched - John 20:24-29; I John 1:1

        c.      He ate food before them - Luke 24:41-43

3.     It was a glorified body - Revelation 1:12-16

B. Contrasts of the earthly and glorified body - I Corinthians 15:42-49

1.     Corruption and incorruption - v. 42: cf. v. 53

a.     Subject to decay

b.     Disease always at work

c.      Resurrection body is without corruption

2.     Dishonor and glory - v. 43

a.     If one could compare the present body of man with the body of man as it

was originally created, what a striking contrast would be apparent!

b.     Nothing is known of the body before sin stamped it with dishonor.

c.      We exalt the body by praising its grandeur and glory.

d.     It is difficult to believe that the present body has the stamp of dishonor

upon it.

1)     It is, at best, a shell of its former being.

2)     Its glory now is but the remains of its original glory.

           e. The only pictures of the glorified body

1)    Moses - Exodus 34:29,30,35; cf. II Corinthians 3:12,13

                 2) Transfiguration of Christ - Matthew 17:2; Hebrews 1:3

3.     Weakness and power - v. 43

a.     The physical body is weak - cf. Matthew 26:41

1)     We cannot endure much.

2)     It tires so that it cannot accomplish what we desire - it is the spirit

        of man that drives him. II Corinthians 4:16

3)     It grows weaker as the years pass.

4.     Natural and spiritual - v. 44

a.     Natural - soulish

1)     Fitted to the earth

2)     Controlled, not by the Spirit, but by soulish, emotional, earthly

desires

b.     Spiritual - cf. John 20:19

1)     Wholly adapted to heaven even in a far greater sense than this

present           body is adapted to earth.

2)     Individuality will not be lost.

a)     Recognition of Moses & Elijah - Matthew 17:3

b)     Recognition of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - Matthew 8:11

c)     Recognition of David’s son - II Samuel 12:23

5.     Earthy and heavenly - vs. 47-49

a.     Earthy - “out of earth, made of dust”

1)     Soil, made from the earth

2)     Earth thrown down or heaped up - Genesis 2:7

3)     Composition of the body:

                      “Genesis 2:7 - “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground…"

                       (Formed: fashioned out of existing material)

                      The body is made of: 65% oxygen, 15% carbon, 10% hydrogen, 3% nitrogen,

                      1.5% phosphorous, 1.5% calcium, .35% potassium, .25% sulphur, .15% sodium,

                      .05% magnesium, .004% iron, and traces of copper, iodine, and manganese.

                      In a 160-pound person, that’s enough phosphorous to made 1200 match heads,

                      carbon to make 900 pencils,  sulphur to rid one dog of fleas, lime to whitewash

                      one chicken coop, fat to make 10 bars of soap.

                      The total worth of the chemicals in the human body, if you were to buy them at

                      the local drugstore, would be less than $10.00.

                      It’s not worth much, but we certainly do spend a great deal of time, effort and

                      money to lavish it with luxuries, keep it healthy, and indulge its every whim. In

                      spite of this the Lord came from heaven to purchase its redemption, and it is the

                      dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. (I Corinthians 6:19,20)”

b.     Heavenly

1)     What pertains to or is in heaven

2)     As Christ has a body that is “out of heaven” - v. 47

3)     So the Christian will be heavenly in the same sense - v. 49

4)     It is the heavenly for which the believer longs. - Romans 8:22, 23

5)     It is our hope. - I John 3:2

 II.        HOW WILL THE CHANGE TAKE PLACE?

A. Timewise - I Corinthians 15:52

1.     The word is “atom”

2.     The very instant will be indivisible

B. Metamorphosis - change

1.     To fashion anew

2.     To transfigure

3.     A change of outward appearance

4.     Illustration - caterpillar changed to butterfly through metamorphosis

III.       WHEN WILL THE CHANGE TAKE PLACE?

A. At the return of the Lord - Philippians 3:20, 21

B. At any moment - I Thessalonians 5:2; Romans 13:11

                                                                                          END