'Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed' (1 Corinthians 15:51)
"... The dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:15,16)
The Church of the first century looked forward with all eagerness to the soon return of the Lord. Therefore, they lived a continuous holy life, separating themselves unto the Lord, purifying themselves by the blood of the Lamb, by the Word of God, and by the Holy Spirit. They longed for entire sanctification. There was a cry in their heart to be like Jesus, to partake of His divine nature, and to live, in this world even as He lived. They realized that “He hath chosen them in Him before the foundation of the world, that they should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4) and that “He (Jesus Christ) gave Himself…that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that they should be holy and without blemish”. (Ephesians 5:25-27) The Apostles, therefore, warned the churches against all defilements that strove to enter the Church through the world, the flesh and the Devil. St. Paul , therefore says, “We preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (Colossians 1:28) “Let us go on unto perfection” was the one driving point of their messages and ministry. While living such victorious lives fighting the good fight against sin, satan and false teachings, keeping the precious faith in Christ, which was tested by many fiery trials, running the race steadily and patiently, looking unto Jesus, and living an abiding life in Christ, they comforted one another saying, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed”. They were taught that to be saved from sin at new birth was just the beginning of their spiritual experiences. They looked forward for spiritual growth, “to grow unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13), "to grow into Him in all things” (Ephesians 4:15). Therefore they were getting “rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith” as they had been taught. (Colossians 2:7) They pressed toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling in Christ Jesus. The hope of His return for His glorious Church was their joy and the greatest incentive in their spiritual life to press forward, without turning back or failing away.
They triumphantly shouted “We are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” (Hebrews 10:39) They proved to the world that they were the sons of God, being blameless and harmless in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom they shone as lights, holding forth the Word of life. (Philippians 2:15-16) They remembered the warning of Jesus Himself, given through St. John , saying “The time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be”. (Revelation 22:10-12) But, sad to say, we rarely hear such messages from the pulpit today.
False Teachings
We are living in the days of a great apostasy and as iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold. The time has come “when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears." (2 Timothy 4:3) The devil has laid his axe at the very root of the sacred doctrine of His coming for His glorious Church. What does the apostate church teach? “We shall all be changed,” they say. “All those who are saved are IN Christ. The dead IN CHRIST shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them”. As all the born-again are in Christ, arid all will be caught up, there will be none left behind. There is therefore no room to believe in the SELECT RAPTURE, since all will be caught up. Let us search their teachings in the light of the Word of God.
All
When St. Paul made the statement to the believers in Corinth, saying “We shall all be changed” he did not by any means give them any assurance that everyone then present in the church would be raptured should Christ come during their time. On the contrary, he warned them saying, “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how ALL our fathers were under the cloud, and ALL passed through the sea, and were ALL baptized unto Moses.. .and did ALL eat the same spiritual meat; and did ALL drink the same spiritual drink.. .but with MANY of them God was not pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness... Now all these things happened unto them for examples and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1 Corinthians 10:1-5&11) Though we could cite many more passages in the same epistle, there is nothing clearer than what is quoted above. See his argument. ALL were brought out of Egypt , but all did not enter into Canaan, because many were overthrown in the wilderness, due to their turning back to Egypt in their hearts, and due to their murmuring, their committing fornication, and for idolatry, drinking and gluttony etc. Then he says “Now these things were our example to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.”
In the same epistle he says, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run ALL, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.” (1 Corinthians 9:24) From these quotations we can see what is in the mind of St. Paul when he said “we shall all be changed.” Not ALL who start the race, but ALL who finish the race. ALL who finish the race triumphantly, will be changed and be caught up at His coming. Jesus said “He that shall endure unto the END, the same shall be saved”. (Matthew 24:13) Again he says “But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations” (Revelation 2:25-26)
In Christ
The value of this term ‘IN CHRIST’ is most precious. It was used very frequently by Christ and by his apostles in many places to denote a specific meaning in each case. It covers every aspect of God’s plan of salvation, reconciliation and resurrection of mankind. It involves every one in heaven, including God the Father. It claims every men on the earth, sinner or saint. Its power extends to all the dead, saved or unsaved. It covers every human being belonging to Adam’s race. This being the vastness of the term ‘IN CHRIST’, Paul’s statement the dead in Christ shall rise first, needs further clarification.
Does the term ‘IN CHRIST’ really involve everyone, as stated above? Yes, it does.
1. God himself was IN CHRIST reconciling the world unto himself. (1 Corinthians 5:19)
2. The final reconciliation of all the saved, both in heaven and in earth, covering all dispensations since the fall of men, is IN CHRIST JESUS. ‘...he hath purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one (family) all things IN CHRIST, both which are IN HEAVEN and which are ON EARTH even in Him (CHRIST). (Ephesians 1:9-11)
3. As regards resurrection of the dead, whether they be sinners or saints, God has ordained that IN CHRIST should all rise. ‘As IN ADAM all die, so ‘IN CHRIST’ shall all be made alive’. (I Corinthians 15:22). This speaks of bodily resurrections of various orders. That is why Jesus Himself said, “Marvel not at this. For the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation”. (John 5:29) So our next important question is- What should our place IN CHRIST be to be caught up at His coming?
A New Creature
Dealing with the question of the ‘IN CHRIST’ experience, St. Paul says, "We thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, then they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more. Therefore if any men be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-17) His argument is simple, his claim is that every living believer in Christ must die to himself and to all that he was living for, and live a risen life with Christ as a NEW CREATURE in Christ. Therefore, to become a new creature in Christ, involves three experiences, namely (1) Crucifixion with Christ (2) Burial with Christ and (3) Resurrection with Christ. Crucifixion speaks of true repentance for one’s sins. He confesses his sins and accepts Christ as his personal Saviour. He crucifies himself, as St. Paul says ‘I am crucified with Christ.’ (Galatians 2:20) He crucifies his ‘flesh with the affections and lusts’. (Galatians 5:24) This speaks only of the earnest decision he makes when he receives his free pardon from God, being ‘accepted in the beloved’. (Ephesians 1:6) But the real grace of God to remain entirely dead to sin, and to live up to his decision is imparted only at water baptism. ‘How shall we,’ says St. Paul, ‘that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?’ (Romans 6:2) Explaining further that we are dead to sin at water baptism, he adds ‘Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?’ So, we conclude that at water baptism, we are dead to sin, sharing Christ’s death. (Romans 6:3) Baptism introduces us to the next step called resurrection with Christ, which makes us a NEW CREATURE in Christ. How did Christ rise from the grave? It was the Holy Spirit who raised Him from the dead. He was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:18). This is the same Spirit that quickens us after we take water baptism. This is the same spirit who came upon all of those who gathered in the upper room. When the spirit fell on them they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. This experience followed whenever they were baptized in water. This is called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, who raises us up to live as new creatures in Christ Jesus. Though we become new creatures in Christ at the baptism of the Holy Spirit, yet it is only the beginning of the spirit-filled life in Christ Jesus, which St. Paul calls as being babes in Christ.
An infant is liable to make many mistakes, but as it grows in stature it also grows in knowledge. The increase of knowledge helps the child to put an end to the childish mistakes it committed. As regards physical growth, it feeds on milk for some time, but as it begins to grow, by and by it desires solid and strengthening fond. Similarily, a newly spirit-filled child of God, is only a BABE in Christ, being liable to make many mistakes, but as he grows in Christ Jesus, he begins to rectify his mistakes through the Spirit of God, who guides him in all truth. He begins to drink the sincere milk of the Word of God, as a new-born babe, having tasted the love of God. (1 Peter 2:2,3) As he grows still further he discovers strong meat in the Word of God. Having these things in mind, St. Paul says to the believers in the Church at Corinth , brethren, 'I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with meat.’ (I Corinthians 3:1,2). Every babe in Christ was taught to grow to become.
Perfect in Christ
