From Dust To Glory

Preacher:

Main Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:47-49

Series:

From Dust To Glory

1 Cor. 15:47-49
Dafydd Hughs (Pastor of Crosspoint Church in Palmerston North)
Crosspoint Church
We live in a world full of suffering and sorrow, because of sin. Sin came into the world very soon after the world was created. How, then, do we overcome sin and the sufferings it entails? We go to the word of God for the answer, to the revelation of the God who made this world.
From the dust, we were created, according to the word in Genesis. It does not sound very appealing, but God created men out of the dust of the ground, with glory—in His likeness—to imitate Him and work for Him in this world.
Having made man from the dust, after His likeness, He put them in the garden of Eden, which was His temple, for them to multiply and make all of the earth like Eden.
The first couple who met and walked with God rebelled and disobeyed God. They were thrust out of the garden into the wilderness.
And that's how this world began to fill with sin. It is how we are—image-bearers of our first parents. However, God didn't stop there. He had an answer. His answer is another man—the Second Man, who is from heaven—Jesus Christ.
Jesus, who is eternally being praised by the multitude of angels in heaven, came to this temporary world, took on the likeness of man, though without sin.
While Adam was punished by being pushed out of the Garden—away from the blessedness, peace, and glory of God, Jesus brought the presence of God into our midst.
He came as the perfect image-bearer and exact representation of God among us. If we want to see God, we must look at Him.
His words are God's words.
His works are God's works.
Everything in Him truly reflects the character of God—His holiness, righteousness, love, kindness, and power.
More than that, this Man stood in the place of sinners and lived His life on their behalf. He walked the walk they should have walked but didn't. He lived the life they should have lived but didn't. He did everything perfectly for the sake of humanity, so that He may do what Adam couldn't do.
He suffered the worst form of execution. But that was not the main issue, which was that He was forsaken by God the Father. The Father turned His face away. God's wrath was poured out upon the Son, in the sinners' stead. Then, His righteousness was imputed to them. "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)
So, Paul said in our text, "As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the Man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven" (1Cor 15:48).
It was God's plan to complete what Adam had failed to do by giving us His Son so that "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)
What comfort that is!
Come to Jesus, believe in Him, walk with Him, and God will do it. All sufferings and sin will fade away forever, though not straight away.
Why not? Why must we suffer? We must suffer so we can be image-bearers of the Lord.
Through it all, He intends that we will all be transformed—sinful attitudes will be purged, sinful thoughts will be purified and conformed to the likeness of His Son. From dust to glory!
God's way alone is the way to life. Everything else is the way to judgment and hell. Come to Him.