The Redemption Of Our Body

by David J. Stewart

Romans 8:22, 23, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

       I love this Scripture. The day we became saved, our soul was redeemed. God gave to us a new heart. God gave to us the Holy Spirit. God adopted us spiritually into His heavenly family. We partook of the divine nature, which is Christ in us. The Bible calls these, “the firstfruits of the Spirit.”

However, our body has not yet been redeemed, but praise be to God, one day at the Rapture it will be! 1st Corinthians 15:51,52, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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." Amen! We shall all be CHANGED! The Rapture could happen at any time. It is the next event on God's prophetic calendar.

Here's three strong reasons why we know that the Rapture will occur BEFORE the 7-year Tribulation Period:

  1. Just as God removed Noah and his family before the judgment of the flood came upon the world, so will He remove every believer (i.e., THE CHURCH) from the world before the judgment of the Tribulation. Likewise, God had to remove Lot and his family before He would bring judgment upon the wicked city of Sodom.
     

  2. The events of The Judgment Seat of Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:10) and The Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9) will take place in Heaven during the 7-year Tribulation Period of earth.
     

  3. According to Daniel 9:25-27 (also see Matthew 24:15; Revelation 11:3, 12:6) the Antichrist will proclaim himself to be god from the temple in Jerusalem, demanding worship from the Jews. This event in Matthew 24:15 is called THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION. From this event, there will be exactly 3 1/2 years remaining to the Tribulation Period until the Second Coming of our Lord. Hence, if the Rapture comes AFTER the Tribulation, then Christians WILL know exactly when the Lord is going to return (3 1/2 years after the Antichrist claims to be god from the temple in Jerusalem). This would totally contradict the Words of our Lord in Mark 13:32, "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." No one knows when the Lord will return. Thus, the Bible plainly teaches a Pretribulation Rapture. Even so come Lord Jesus.

Romans 8:23 says that "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." There is so much pain and suffering in the world because of mankind's sin and evil. Look at all the starving children in the world today, while American's throw away 14% of all their food.1  Look at all the millions-upon-millions of soldiers killed in needless wars waged by greedy and power-hungry elite families. There is so much sadness in recorded history, so much treachery and human suffering. Oh, how we need the Lord to return. Oh, how we lament as Christian believers for the Lord to come back and redeem our corrupt mortal bodies from all the sadness, loneliness, physical and emotional pain, frustration, temptation and sufferings which are inherent to the flesh. At the Rapture, our physical body will be CHANGED the Bible says, into an incorruptible body that is incapable of pain, suffering and the miseries associated with the sinful flesh.

Since we are saved by God's grace, and it has nothing to do with our own self-righteous works, then we know that God will complete the redemption of our body on the same basis. Philippians 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." God always finishes what He starts. God never does a half-job! The Rapture is part of our salvation, because it includes the redemption of our body from the sinful flesh. Jesus not only paid for the redemption of our soul, but also of our flesh.

Charismatic Pentecostals wrongly interpret the Scriptures to mean that God intends to heal every sickness now in this present time. That is simply not Biblical, evidenced by all the sick and dying Christians in the world. Any preacher who teaches that it is God's will to heal every sick person now is a liar. I'd like to see one of those buzzards go down to the local hospital and heal everybody. They can't! There have been numerous investigations done on false prophets such as Oral Roberts and Benny Hinn, documentation that they filter out sick people at their meetings, carefully choosing who is allowed to participate in the so-called healing service. Of course, all amputees are prohibited from being on the program. Only people with unseen health problems, such as headaches and back pain, are allowed to participate. It's all a rotten scam! Millions of victims have gone away disillusioned, angry, frustrated, still sick and with less money than they came in with.

Praise God, the Great Physician is going to give believers a new body at the Rapture!!! The Word of God promises that at the Rapture every believer will receive "the redemption of our body." Salvation is unmerited, undeserved and wholly paid for by Christ's blood sacrifice. Jesus has already paid for the redemption of our bodies, it's just a matter of time before we receive our glorified bodies at the Rapture. And what a day that will be!

Ye Must Be Born Again!

You Need HIS Righteousness!