I Corinthians 15:40  There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
42  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

God directed Paul to show that He made divisions between the animal world and man. He also made divisions between heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. Angels are different from human beings. Some people assume that when children die, they automatically become angels. Angels were created during creation week. They do not procreate so there are no new angels being made. Angels cannot be saved nor can they experience salvation. The godly angels rejoice when a sinner repents and is saved. Fallen angels cannot be forgiven and saved. Human beings were created on day six and they were created without sin and with the ability to choose whether to obey God or not. They were also created with the ability to procreate. There are unique features of human beings that make them different from the angels.
In verse 41 we are further reminded that the glory of the sun is different than the glory of the moon. The sun has its own source of light. The moon reflects the light of the sun. The stars are smaller than the sun and they also have their own source of light. There are those who suggest that the sun is also a star but just a bigger one. God differentiates between the sun and the stars. I am content to go by God’s classification. God tells us that there are differences among the stars as well. There are certain stars that stand out from the other ones.
In verse 42 God directed Paul to bring this back to the matter of the resurrection. Since the fall of man, it is appointed unto man once to die. Death is a reality for our bodies. There is also the fact that at the resurrection our bodies are raised to never die again. Even the lost will never die again. They are spiritually dead and after their physical death, there is no further opportunity to be saved. However, the Bible tells us that they will be raised up and cast into the lake of fire to experience the torment of that fire for all eternity.
For the saints, heaven is the destination at death and eventually the saints will inhabit the new heavens and the new earth. At the resurrection of the saints, our bodies will be raised up and our souls will be reunited with our bodies; however, our bodies will have been changed. In verse 43 we are reminded further that the original birth of man is sown in dishonour. Sinners commit sin. Sinners mock the holiness of God. However, when a person gets saved, he/she is designed to honour God. Certainly at the resurrection of the saints they will all glorify God. In heaven there are no golf courses, or ball diamonds. There is no need to build houses or fix cars. In heaven we will glorify God for all eternity. We will worship before the Lamb that was slain. The saints will appear at the judgment seat of Christ and be judged as to faithfulness or lack of faithfulness. There is no further opportunity to change our standing before the Lord. Heaven is a beautiful place and all saints will appreciate heaven for all eternity. The restlessness that often accompanies our lives here will not be there. There will be no need to remodel or upgrade anything.
Man is born weak. He yields to temptation. Even saved people can yield to temptation. Saved people cannot remain in sin. They must glorify God with their body, soul and spirit. The resurrected saint will glorify God at all times and in all things. There is no sin in heaven and from what the Scriptures declare, there will be no sin in the new heavens and the new earth.
In verse 44 we are reminded that we are created as a natural body. At the resurrection we will receive a spiritual body. That body will be like Jesus’ resurrected body. That body can travel from earth to heaven without a space craft or a space suit. There will be no concern over the need of oxygen, etc. The spiritual body is different.
In verse 45 we see that the first Adam was made a living soul. God created Adam from the dust of the ground. After He formed the man, He breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soul. At the fall, Adam died spiritually immediately, and eventually physically as well. The last Adam, Jesus Christ, took upon Him flesh for the purpose of going to the cross, shedding His blood there and dying for our sins. He is the quickening spirit that gives eternal life to those who turn to God in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
In verse 46 we are further reminded that the natural man was made first. We know that God never intended to leave that form of a man, shaped from the dust, lying there on the ground. He made that man, Adam, alive both physically and spiritually. After the fall of man, God provided that quickening spirit in Christ, and at the resurrection of the saints, their bodies will be raised by Jesus Christ and their souls will be joined with their bodies to enter heaven as spiritual beings.
Adam was of this earth and Jesus Christ was the Lord from heaven. Jesus came down from heaven to become a man. Adam was formed from the earth and made alive through God breathing the breath of life into him. He needed God to make him alive in the first place, and man needs the Lord Jesus Christ to make him spiritually alive since the fall.
In verse 48 we are reminded that the natural man remains earthy. Man cannot save himself. He cannot enter heaven in his natural state. Those that are saved are given eternal life. They have a home in heaven and their bodies will be changed so that they can enter heaven. It is Jesus Christ who will change the body of the saved persons.
In verse 49 we see that man originally bears the image of the earth. When a person dies, they go back to dust. The body breaks down and over time it goes back to dust. The bones are the last to break down. We know from the dinosaur bones that they find, that the bones last for a long time. Not millions of years, but the dinosaur bones are from the time of the flood, just over 4,000 years ago. However, those who are saved, are raised up to be as the Lord Jesus Christ. We never become gods. We are free from sin when we enter heaven. On this earth, those who are saved need to learn how to walk by faith and thus not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Saved people have the ability to walk in obedience to the Lord. When a saved person sins, they must confess that sin to God and be forgiven. The saved person does not confess sin so that he can go out and sin again. He hates sin and wants to be free from the guilt of sin. At the resurrection of the saints, there will be no further temptation to sin and no further sin committed by the saints.
The resurrection of saints is a blessing. The resurrection of the lost is not so. It is important to be saved now and live for the Lord. That is the only hope of man. Denying the resurrection does not take it away. Knowing God and submitting to His will is the answer. God is loving and merciful. He is also just and holy. The wise person is the one who submits to the true God in salvation and then growing in the Lord in obedience to His Word. Those who are saved need to be growing in the Lord.
Pastor Bartel