Beloved friends, we welcome you in the altogether lovely name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, as we continue with the blessed theme of that great biblical truth concerning the hope of the Church. How comforting to know that the body of Christ, the Church of the Living God, has a blessed hope. Regardless as to the fact, There has been, there still is, there will be, human failure in the church. Sad divisions, and there is also much ecclesiastical confusion. But the glorious head of the church said, I will build my church. He will complete it. And as we have covered the rapture and the first resurrection in the preceding messages, We know that Christ will come for all the members who are eternally united to him by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and we shall rise to meet the Lord in the air. Hallelujah. Five distinct features are connected to that wondrous event. And may I name them, which we shall consider separately. First, the church will be taken away. caught away from the world below. Second, we shall be caught up. And what an exodus! Out of Egypt, long ago, possibly two to three million people were delivered. But untold millions will rise at the rapture, according to the word of God, to glory ascending, filling the skies above. Third, we shall all be transfigured. change forever, for no dead body of corruption in the grave, no mortal body of saints who may be living, can inherit the kingdom of God. I wonder how many believers know that their salvation in Christ includes the redemption of our body. Read Romans eight twenty-three. It is to be the completion of our redemption. And then What a transfiguration it will be, and what a change. We studied this in the last message, but let us go into more detail from Scripture to consider some marvelous truth concerning the resurrected and the transformed body of every believer which we will have. The Word of God is not silent about it. My fellow Christian, do you ever stop to realize of the great change that is before you and me. I'm sure if we would, we would look with eager anticipation toward it. But let us see some blessed truth regarding it now, which describe the new body. You will never learn about it from medical clinics, from hospitals and doctors who may be doing their best to preserve and patch up your present body. They endeavor to keep us from dying. But not one has been successful to accomplish that. Thankful as we may feel for their noble efforts. My doctor, I think, just recently checking my heart, at my request, declared, It's good for the rest of your life. Well, I'm sure of that. That's all he could prophesy. And he told the truth. But now I wish to consider with you the sevenfold glory of that resurrected and transform body of the believer in that coming day. First, I must confess, the perfection and the fullness of it is indescribable. But there are positive, though only figurative, intimations of it, which describe it perfectly, though it is impossible for us to enjoy the suggestions in their fullness. First, we would consider concerning that new body. It's spirituality. I am sure that right now in life, you and I, my fellow believer, cannot call our present body a spiritual body. This body of the believer today, a body of humiliation, is what Paul calls it in verse four, rather chapter four of Philippians and verse thirteen, and it is a soulish body, meaning the soul. That emotional part of our being controls the body more than the spirit. The soul predominates now, but the body of glory, that it will be ours, will be spiritual, and that is what God says. Let us turn to First Corinthians chapter fifteen, forty-four through forty-six. Note the words, it, that is, the present body when buried in the grave, it is soul planted in the grave and natural body. But it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body. There is a spiritual body. The first Adam was made a living soul. The last Adam equipped with spirit. How be it that was not first which was spiritual, but that which is natural. Ask them with that which is spiritual. And let us not forget, it will be an actual body, but one of spiritual glory. Second, consider its subjection. The new body, as already suggested, will be subject to the spiritual character of it. In our present body, do we not often find a conflict between the body and the spirit? I think of the words of Romans seven five, when Paul said, when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the Lord did work in our members. Paul also describes the conflict in Romans seven twenty three. And must we not confess, while in the present body we believers, even now show a spirit of independence toward the Spirit. But the new body of glory will be completely ruled by the Spirit. In unrestricted dependence that new body will be controlled by the Spirit, a perfect instrument of a perfect life. Third, consider the superiority of the new body, that body of glory. Our present body of humiliation is dependent upon the natural conditions of earth. We have to be careful of our nourishment, what we eat. We're in dangerous sickness and misfortune. We do not have here complete and perfect freedom without any fear. but the body of glory which will be dependent upon the Spirit is independent and will be free from all previous conditions and dangers that we face, being superior to all the former restrictions of matter and space and even time. Let me point out some facts about the Lord's resurrected body. For do not forget that we believers will have a body according to Philippians three twenty-one, like unto his glorious body. Now note some facts about the Lord after his resurrection. First, he was able to eat, even without it being necessary, which you may read in Luke twenty-four, verses forty-one through forty-three. You remember that when they, the disciples, thought that he was a spirit, when he appeared in their midst, he proved to them that he was not a spirit by eating. but he did not need to eat. Read again in Acts chapter ten and verse forty-one. Peter testified of the bodily resurrection of Jesus, that he appeared unto chosen witnesses, chosen before with God even to us, he declares, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. Now why did he eat and drink with them? To prove that he still possessed this human body. But it was a body that was superior to the material. Let me go a little further. His body appeared in a room with the doors closed and locked. He walked right through the closed doors. Read John chapter twenty and verse twenty-nine. Read Luke twenty-four and verse thirty-one and thirty-six. Don't you realize that when the resurrection and the rapture of the saints take place, the superiority of the body of heavenly glory will be manifested? You may be in your house or in your car, your office, when Jesus comes, and so may I, or we may be in the grave, but that matters not. This is a most amazing miracle. This body will be changed, proving its superiority over all former conditions. Furthermore, there will be freedom from all limitations and even restrictions of space. How far by yourself At the present time, can you travel through space in the power of this earthly body? Our beloved, the limitations of the universal space will be overcome. We shall easily travel through space, and there will be no obstacles in that new body of glory. But one more thought before closing, regarding the superiority of the new body of glory. It will be through all eternity. that we shall be immortal? writes the Apostle Paul, this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality. Now, beloved, please, it is absolutely impossible and unscriptural to call any person upon the earth, an immortal person, no matter how great they may be. The title belongs to God. It belongs to Christ. And thank God it also will be true of the resurrected and the transformed believers at the rapture when Jesus comes for his church. It will be a spiritual body, a body in perfect subjection, a body of superiority over all that is material, as described in the Scriptures, a body of glory, which also will be an eternal, perfect condition for all the saints. Oh, my beloved friend, this is the hope of the church, but we would ask, Does the world have any hope like this? Never. We shall conclude additional descriptions of the new body in our next message and so on, but we must faithfully ask each listening friend, Do you have this confidence and the joy of possessing, such a blessed hope, for yourself in your own soul? Let me fearlessly and faithfully state the tremendous facts we are considering are included in the great salvation that God offers unworthy, well-deserving sinners, who, not for deeds of righteousness which they have done, but by His mercy He is able to save them. God offers unworthy sinners this great salvation. My beloved, this salvation from earth to glory is by grace alone. Grace plus absolutely nothing else. May the Holy Spirit convict and save you if you're unsaved. And listen, fall at the feet of the Savior now, confessing God, be merciful to me, the sinner. Save me for Jesus' sake. Father, we pray, blessed. sanctify the truth to thy people and their encouragement and to the salvation of many sinners in Jesus name Amen