In Touch Ministries

Guest (Male): There’s only one thing that pays our sin debt in full, that’s the blood of Jesus. And the fact that it’s forever. Does He not say in John Chapter 10, for example, “My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me. I give unto them eternal life.” What’s that? Is it ever-ending? No, eternal means everlasting, it means unending. “I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.” Not except, not if, not and, not but, not when, they shall never perish.

There are a lot of situations you can avoid with good planning. The appointment with death is not one of them. But there’s hope, as you’ll hear today on In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. Because Jesus lives, those who trust in Him will also live for eternity. Here is part two of the inspiring message of the resurrection.

Dr. Charles Stanley: There are lots of messages being delivered today, but none so powerful as that of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You may have been a Christian for quite some time, and you believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. But let me ask you a question. What specific impact has the resurrection of Jesus Christ made in your life?

You believe that He rose from the grave. You’ve trusted Him as your personal Savior. What impact does it make in your daily life? Is Jesus Christ the center of your life? Does your life revolve around Him, or does your life revolve around you? What is this message of the resurrection? So what I want to do is this: I want to leave you some simple phrases that will help you to recall and to understand what the resurrection of Jesus Christ is all about.

The wonderful message of the resurrection is this: we’re going to live forever. Here’s what the Word of God says. It is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment, not once to die and that’s the end of you. Every single person who’s alive will live forever somewhere. There’s not any verse in the scripture that says, "Well, that’s just the end of us."

That’s why Jesus said it’s appointed unto everyone once to die. He says we will all stand before the judgment and give an account for our lives. Those of us who’ve trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have the Holy Spirit living in us. He is our seal. It’s like He’s God’s down payment. That is, He’s placed Himself within us as a seal that says, "He belongs to me, she belongs to me. We’re going to live forever."

And you recall what Jesus said to Mary and Martha when Lazarus had died and they were a little bit upset with Jesus because He didn’t show up and heal him ahead of time. And so Martha and Jesus have this conversation. Martha said to Him, "I know that he’ll rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he dies."

That’s either true or it’s untrue. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? That is, never die spiritually. Wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Then I think about what He promises about the resurrection. And you recall in the fifth chapter of John, He says there’s a resurrection unto life, that’s the one we’re going to be in.

And He talks about the fact of our physical bodies. And I won’t read a lot of scripture except in First Corinthians chapter 15. You might want to turn there for a moment. Listen to what He says in the 15th chapter in the 50th verse. "I say this brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." That is, we’re not going to heaven in these bodies.

"Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep," that is, everybody will not have died. "But we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; the trump will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable body will have put on the imperishable form of body and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: death is swallowed up in victory."

What is He saying simply this? These bodies of ours are going to have an exchange. And that exchange is going to happen when Jesus comes again. We’ll read this in a moment in First Thessalonians chapter four. He says when He comes, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, faster than you can bat your eye, these physical bodies would be changed. For example, if He were to come right now.

If He were to come at this moment, every grave all over this globe will have opened up the body of the one that was placed there. He says out of the seas, no matter where it is, God knows how to bring those bodies. They will rise instantly, then we who are alive shall be changed in a moment, as He says, in the twinkling of an eye, and caught up together with Him.

Well, what kind of body is this going to be? Well, He makes it very clear, for example, in the scripture that our body really is going to be like His glorified body. Well, what was that? Well, did the disciples recognize Him? Isn’t it interesting at first they didn’t quite recognize Him? Remember, He just suffered the crucifixion. That’s the way they last saw Him.

But now when they see Him, they see Him in this awesome difference. And the Bible says we will have a glorified body like His. And somebody says, "Well now, what are we going to look like?" And I won’t get into all that because I may make some people unhappy and some people very happy, and that’s not my business. But listen to what He says in First John chapter three verse one.

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world doesn’t know us because it didn’t know Him. Now watch this. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is."

What are these glorified bodies going to be like? They're going to be like the body of the Lord Jesus Christ in substance, unlimited by time, space, and matter. In other words, nothing will keep us from being wherever we are. Remember also in Romans chapter eight, He says this whole earth of ours is going to be renovated. It’s going to be brand new.

And this is why Paul makes this comment when he says the earth groans for the coming of the Lord, the earth groans for change when He comes back to change it all. And so we have hurricanes and tornadoes and earthquakes, tsunamis and all the rest. There’s going to come a time when this earth and its atmosphere and everything about it is going to be totally renovated because it’s going to be a part of God’s heavenly kingdom.

Heaven’s going to be partly here, partly out there, where He creates it all. And what’s going to happen? These bodies of ours are going to be bodies adjusted to the heavenly kingdom and the earth and the heavens in which we’re going to live. And so somebody says, "Well, what am I going to look like?" It won’t make a bit of difference. You say, "Well, am I going to look like I am now?" A whole lot better.

All of us are going to look a whole lot better. Why? Because He says we’re going to have a glorified body. Let me ask you a question. Do you think Jesus had any imperfections in His body? Not a one. He says we’re going to be like Him. We’re going to look like we look, we’re going to be able to know each other and see each other in heaven.

What kind of relationship we’re going to have? I don't know. The Bible says not given in marriage and not going to be married and given in marriage. And some people say, "Thank God," and some people say, "Oh my goodness, no." Some people say, "Oh listen, I don’t want to go to heaven if she can’t go with me or if he can’t go, I don’t want to go." You don’t mean that.

I understand that. The truth is, listen, we are so limited to what we know. When somebody wants to tell you all about heaven, listen to it and just say, "Well, thank you very much." Because remember this: we're limited, we're earthbound creatures. This is where we’ve been all of our life, walking on this earth. We can send people out into space, but they didn’t learn a whole lot compared to what heaven’s going to be like.

That’s why what you and I do and how we do it on this earth is very important because listen, the responsibility that you and I are given in heaven when we meet Him in heaven and we are awarded, we’re going to be, listen, we’re going to be given authority, reign, whatever it means in all of that, according to what we’ve done down here. Don’t forget this: the way we’re living is a determining factor of what heaven’s going to be like to us.

You say, "Well, you mean we’re not all going to be equal?" No. Not all going to be doing the same thing. No, I’m going to be out of a job. Remember that. I’ll be out of a job. You see what am I saying? We don’t know all that’s going to be. This is all I need to know. My body’s going to be like Him. I’m going to serve Him. I’m going to reign with Him forever.

And I’m going to be in His presence forever and ever and ever. And whatever He decides to put into your life and my life in heaven and what kind of relationships we have are all going to be absolutely perfectly satisfying and perfectly perfect. God makes no mistakes. He’s never done anything partially. It’s always perfect. It’s always complete.

Look at if you and I can imagine this globe before we got to messing with it and tainting it up, how absolutely awesomely perfect it was. Well, what I want you to see is this: the message of the resurrection is all a good message, that we’re going to have these heavenly bodies and that heaven’s going to be our eternal home. I look and this passage is probably the passage that’s most read at funerals besides the 23rd Psalm.

Listen to what He said to His disciples in the 14th chapter of John when we talk about heaven being our home. Here’s what He says, verse one: "Do not let your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you. I’m going to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, listen, I am," He says, "I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

So what happens? For all of us who are believers, the Bible says that you and I have been sealed. Watch this. Sealed until the day of redemption, till the day He calls us home. Sealed until the day of redemption by the Holy Spirit. Sealed by God. You are indwelt by the Holy Spirit so that nothing can separate you and me from God. Nothing.

You say, "Well, what about—" there’s no what abouts. God is the sovereign of the universe in control of every single thing. When He says, "I’m going to send the Holy Spirit, He’ll be in you, with you, and upon you forever," seals us. You cannot break the seal. You and I don’t want to break the seal. It’s all these questions from people who doubt and who are unbelievers.

I’m simply saying to you that heaven is our home. God is preparing a place for us. What a message we have to share with the world. The fact that, listen, the one you and I serve, the Lord Jesus Christ, is risen from the grave. That we have eternal security, we’re going to live forever, and we’re going to have a body of the resurrection. We’re going to live in heaven with our loved ones.

Somebody says, "Well now wait minute. What’s that verse about loved ones?" So I want you to turn, if you will, to First Thessalonians for a moment. When are you first going to meet the people who’ve already gone on in heaven? Well, I’m going to answer that question. Look at this, First Thessalonians chapter four. Listen to what he says.

Listen carefully, verse 13. "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again," which we do, "even so," watch this, "God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus."

For example, my mother passed away some years ago. Her body is in Dry Fork, Virginia. She is with the Lord. Here’s what He’s saying. "Charles, if you believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with Him your mom, who’s already passed away. In this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain at the coming of the Lord," those who are here today.

"We will not precede, go before those who have fallen asleep." What is he talking about? Their bodies, we talking about a resurrection body. And that is, when Jesus comes, the bodies of our loved ones who passed on before us, they’re going to be resurrected first. He says in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, faster than you can bat our eye.

And then we who are alive will be transformed, and all that’s going to be so fast you’ll never know what hit you. Listen to what he says. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." You say, "Well now my father was not a Christian, but—" he’s not here.

Those who sleep in Jesus, those who died in Christ. Look at this. "The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of the archangel, the trump of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive," that’s if it were to happen today, "and remain, watch this now, will be caught up together with them," that is their bodies, "in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we always be with the Lord."

We're going to be caught up. And listen to what he says, He’s bringing with Him those who’ve already passed on. So when’s our first meeting going to be? It's going to be in the air. You say, "But wait a minute. What about all the thousands and millions of people?" That’s no problem with God. He knows exactly who and where everyone is.

Will we know each other in heaven? Absolutely. You remember when Jesus took His disciples up the mount of transfiguration? Jesus was talking to Moses and Elijah, and they knew who it was. Jesus knew who it was. How would heaven be if you didn’t know anybody? That wouldn’t be heaven. You see, because what does He call us? He calls us His family.

He calls us His family. We’re the children of God. We’re in His family. You mean we go to heaven, nobody knows each other? No, we’re going to know each other. Well, what about those who don’t make it? Will we miss them? I don’t know. If we do, it will be a momentary miss, never to be thought of again because you cannot be in heaven wondering, "Where are they? Why didn’t they make it?" and all the rest.

You see, the truth is we’re earthbound. We can only understand so much. And isn’t it interesting, He’s given us just enough understanding to make us want to go to heaven, number one, and secondly, to give us a glimpse of what it’s going to be like. When John writes about gold and silver and all these things, what was he doing?

He was trying to describe in human earthly terms what his mind could not possibly conceive of otherwise, and so he had to put it in human terms. What will it be like? Something none of us could possibly fully comprehend on earth. We're earthbound. Things have limitations. There’s a law of gravity, there’s concrete, there’s asphalt, there are animals, there’s sin, there’s evil, there’s wickedness, there’s light, there’s day, and all the things this makes up our life. Heaven’s not going to be like that.

What’s it going to be like? Some place that you’re going to spend eternity thanking God He got you there, that’s what it’s going to be like. That’s why you don’t want to miss it. You don’t want to miss it. The message of the resurrection is all positive and all awesome in every single way. And let me just conclude it by saying this.

The message of the resurrection also is this wonderful truth: because He has risen from the grave, you and I can face tomorrow no matter what. We face suffering, heartache, difficulty, trials, persecution, gossip. We face needs, wants, desires, temptations, and all those things in our life. Well, how are we to live?

We’re to live every single day trusting Him, depending upon Him, relying upon Him because here’s what He said: "I will never leave you nor forsake you." When you got up this morning, you got up with Him. When your feet hit the floor, you got up with Him. He’s been with you all morning long. He’s with you at this very moment.

Somebody says, "Well, will He be with me till I die?" No. Do you know what’s wrong with that statement? He’s going to be with us through death and for all eternity. And this is why one of these wonderful passages of scripture in the Bible that I love so dearly, and I think all of us have needed it at times, I certainly have.

Listen to what He says. The reason you and I can live with a sense of joy and confidence is because we have the assurance we’re going to make it. Listen to this. "We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses and frailties, but one who’s been tempted and tried in all things just like we have, without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

What did He say? "I’ll never leave you nor forsake you." He said to the disciples that night, "I’m not going to leave you like orphans; I’m going to send somebody just like me, the Holy Spirit. He’ll be in you, with you, and upon you. And He’s going to be with you forever. You’re sealed as one of my children. I’ll be there with you, no matter what you face, what you go through, what the trial, the tribulation, the heartache, the persecution, I’m there. And I’ll be with you, help you, equip you, enable you to walk through it victoriously, no matter who you are."

Guest (Male): Thanks for listening to In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. Every individual who has ever lived will face God’s judgment, so to reject Christ’s offer of salvation is to make an eternal mistake. If you haven’t received Christ as your savior, you can do that right now by trusting Him as your only hope of being eternally forgiven by God.

Log on to intouch.org to learn more about Jesus Christ. This lesson can be heard again by following the link to "Today on Radio" on our homepage. You can order a copy of today’s complete message online at the bookstore. The title is "The Inspiring Message of the Resurrection."

Again, that’s intouch.org. You can also call or text 1-800-INTOUCH. If you prefer to write, our address is In Touch, Post Office Box 7900, Atlanta, Georgia 30357. The things you fill your life with, do they satisfy you? You’ll hear the source of true fulfillment in today’s "Moment with Charles Stanley." It’s coming up.

Dr. Charles Stanley: Let your time and your schedule and everything about you revolve around this: that you and I are to develop and continue to develop this ongoing, intimate, wonderful, exciting, satisfying, indescribable, wonderful, incomparable relationship with a personal God. Dr. Stanley devoted his entire life to helping us get closer to Jesus, as we all want to do. You can learn how at charlesstanleyinstitute.org.

In Touch Plus is streaming on Local Now, featuring all the best of Dr. Charles Stanley. Learn what it meant to have strong convictions based on the Word of God. He’s working out things that you and I would never know about in our future. In Touch Plus, your streaming network for quality Christian programming 24/7. Now watch this, In Touch Plus, streaming free on Local Now.

Of all the ways you could try to find fulfillment, there’s no substitute for Jesus. There is only one person who can fill the gap in your life, that can heal you of loneliness, fill up the absence. You don’t have to see Him, you don’t have to touch Him, He is absolutely more real than any living person on the face of the earth.

And the tragedy is most people will live their life thinking, "I have to have somebody, I have to have this, I have to have that. I do not want to live by myself." You know what? Once you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, you can’t live by yourself. What did He say? "I’ll never leave you nor forsake you." Either that’s true or it’s not true. If it’s true, then I know that I walk and live in His presence every moment.

If it is not true, then it’s a lie and I won’t want anything to do with Him anyway. But I know He’s real. And I know what He promises He always keeps. He says, "I’ll never leave you nor forsake you, no matter what." So all these substitutes, ask yourself the question: is there anything in my life—some hobby, some recreation, maybe what I do—is this a substitute trying to fill up something in my life that I can’t put my finger on?

I can tell you, I can put my finger on it for you, and that is it is a relationship with Him. Until that relationship is right, you will never feel complete. It doesn’t make any difference who you have, what you have, how much, until that relationship with Him is right, you will always be searching. There’ll always be an absence. There’ll always be something that is not there.

You may not be able to put your finger on it, but that something that’s not there is none other than the person of Jesus Christ Himself. You say, "Well, I just don’t believe in all that stuff." Then my friend, you’ll have to live without God until you start believing in Him. And what you’re going to find is this: no place you go, no thing that you possess, and no relationship you have will ever be able to satisfy that place for the presence of God in your life.

Learn more about letting Christ fill your life at intouch.org. If today’s program gave you renewed motivation to obey God, we’d love to hear from you. Coming soon on In Touch, you’ll be challenged to think about how the claims of Jesus impact your life personally. But for now, be a part of a local fellowship of believers to celebrate the greatest miracle of all time, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And join us again for In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley.

This program is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia, and remains on this station through the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts.