Incorruptible

I was discussing the funeral arrangements of our beloved employee who passed away over the weekend with a good friend last night and he shared with me that this young man would be cremated and my friend was a little uncomfortable with cremation. He had never attended a funeral that utilized this non-traditional type of funeral. I suppose I am a traditionalist in many senses, (particularly when it comes to modern praise music); however I have attended several funerals where the deceased was cremated and I actually prefer it over the conventional method of embalming someone and laying them to rest in a casket that is generally accompanied by a viewing

In fact, at one time, I had it in my will that I was to be cremated. Call me vain if you will, but I did not want people filing down a church pew looking at my remains and remarking how bad (or good) I looked. I much prefer that my family and friends remember me the way I am now, or better, envision how I am at the moment, (tooling around heaven walking on streets of gold and being fascinated listening to Jesus explain the mysteries of the universe), rather than having that unsettling image of my empty shell laying in a casket indelibly burned into their memory.

My wife was not comfortable with it and I removed this stipulation from my will during the last iteration of it, because it is my sincere belief that funerals are for the living and not the departed. The departed are far removed from their earthly shell and their spirit lives on. Those left behind must deal with the sorrow and grief the best they know how, and whatever gives them the most comfort seems to make more sense to me. If my wife or kids want a traditional funeral for me, so be it. I have appealed to them to make it a closed casket though; (please remind them of this when I am called home).

All of the foregoing seems barbaric and primitive to me. I much prefer to visualize how the departed’s new and glorified body might appear. The Bible tells us that we will receive a new and glorified body. It goes on to describe it in some detail. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 the Bible tells us that the first man, (Adam), was of the earth and was made of dust and became a living being. The second Man is the Lord from heaven, (Jesus), and He became a life-giving spirit. We are told that the body is sown in corruption and raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, and it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness and raised in power. It is sown a natural body, and it is raised a spiritual body. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. Hmmm What does that tell us? That we will receive a spiritual body born of our Lord that is incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and we will bear the image of Jesus Christ Oh Yes!

Paul goes on to reveal a “mystery”, (which means it cannot be explained by human wisdom or logic, so all of you “intellectuals” out there do not even attempt it). Paul basically explains that flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom, nor can corruption inherit incorruption, which means that we must change if we are to join a holy God for eternity. During the Rapture all of God’s children who are alive at the time, upon Christ’s appearance in the sky and at the sound of a trumpet, will be changed in a “twinkling of an eye” as will all who have gone on before them, and we will all receive our incorruptible, glorified, and spiritual bodies. The Bible verse puts it this way: “Behold I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed”. (I saw this verse posted as a sign in a nursery one time). This verse is a direct reference to the Rapture.

The Bible goes on to state that at that time, (which I believe to be the most powerful and significant time in the history of the world), “Death is swallowed up in victory”.

And the Bible goes on to state,

“O death where is your sting? (No, Shakespeare did not coin this.)
O Hades where is your victory?”

The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law, but we can thank God almighty for providing us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ who will remove us from the bondage of sin forever. No more death, no corruption, just glory and honor and wonderful times ahead forever.

Tomorrow at the funeral, this is what I will be trying my utmost to be keeping in mind. Yes I will miss him terribly, but life is short and eternity is forever and I know what is in store for us and it will be glorious! This will help me to labor on, to grit my teeth and bear it, maintaining my faith to the end in spite of the best that satan throws at me

1 Cor. 58
Therefore my beloved brethren
be steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that your labor is not in
vain in the Lord.