THERE SHALL BE RESURRECTION. 2nd Timothy2:18 Denying the resurrection of the body and probably teaching that the spiritual life we receive when we are born again is the resurrection is easier for a natural mind to accept than a physical return to life after death. The bodily resurrection of believers and our bodies becoming glorified upset those who love the sins of the flesh.
The bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is a key Gospel teaching. Christianity loses its message if Christ has not been raised from the dead and is alive forevermore. “If Christ be not raised, we are yet in our sins.” This fact can unsettle some new believers, for whom God's word is still fresh. “But now is Christ risen, and become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” “In Christ shall all be made alive… at His coming.”
Spiritualizing the resurrection instead of accepting the literal resurrection of bodies from the grave has been a serious threat to fundamental Christianity—and it still is today. Believers in Christ know that He has been raised from the dead and is alive forevermore. Because He is raised, those “in Christ” will also be resurrected. A third aspect of resurrection is that there will also be a “resurrection of the unjust.”
Those who are saved by grace through faith look for the Lord to come when “the dead in Christ shall rise first.” Then, we who are alive and remain shall be caught up with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” The church anticipates the day when we will reach our heavenly destination and no longer be pilgrims and strangers on the earth.
False teaching is often used to try to make divine truths “more understandable and relevant” for present-day people who do not seek the truth themselves. Such teaching can erode a person or congregation that listens to it and can lead to spiritual death, just like untreated cancer. Local assemblies are places where people learn from teachers who have learned God’s truth from His word, taught by those who learned from faithful men before them and could teach others.
Those who have heard the true teaching of God's word and made it their own are able to pass it on to others in the next generation. In this way, the local assembly of believers becomes an ongoing Bible school that we participate in throughout our lifetime. When the word of God is accurately, scripturally, and consistently handed down from one generation to the next, we benefit by learning a little each week and practicing what we learn daily as we apply God’s truth to the circumstances of life each person faces.
Troublemakers can cause spiritual harm to God's people. Some spread lies, some believe the lies, some twist the truth, and others dilute the truth. But God's truth stays constant and will never diminish or become insignificant. "The truth" refers to the entire body of teachings we know as "the faith." That teaching is absent in the false teachings of those who distort it, and the effects are lasting. It is our duty to know and live according to God's truth in both our teaching and our everyday lives.
Seated at his bench with pencil and paper, the workman carefully studies and visualizes things that might seem insignificant to others because they haven't been taught or learned them. The workman needs to see the final product with his understanding before he starts building. The hireling looks, and he only sees an empty piece of land, but the workman sees a building—not just on paper but full-sized and complete, ready for use. It begins first in his mind, then rises until it stands in its full form. He has learned from the Master that studying makes a wise workman.