1 Corinthians 15:50-53 “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
The scripture clearly teaches us that God has a kingdom here on this earth. We are brought into this kingdom by the regenerating power of the Holy Ghost and the grace of God which reveals to us His truth. Being drawn into this kingdom has nothing to do with our nationality or genealogy. However, it appears by Paul’s language in the previous verses that he was looking at something even more lasting than this gospel kingdom.
As Paul has in the previous verses been pointing out the difference between that which is mortal and that which is immortal, he appears to be continuing that line of thought here. He is looking toward a place outside the boundaries of time where God’s children will no longer deal with death and decay. These bodies will put on something they have not known before; incorruption. Again, this will not be a matter of natural family ties, but beyond that will not require either flesh or blood as we have known it here.
Our blood carries with it the taint of sin. It was this that necessitated our Lord Jesus Christ washing us clean in His blood. Our flesh (body), being corruptible, suffers all manner of disease, injury, failure, and ultimately death here. We cannot inherit God’s eternity while still bound to that which is mortal and corruptible, although we do receive an earnest of our inheritance while we are in His kingdom here (Eph 1:13-14).
Then Paul says he is going to let us in on a secret (mystery – see Strong’s). Not all of God’s people will fall asleep in death. Some will be alive when the last trumpet sounds. Again, according to Paul’s declaration, there will be a final sounding of the trumpet; a final end. Something most glorious is going to occur for God’s children, both those that are alive on the earth and those that are dead. The dead shall be raised and be something they never were in this life; incorruptible. Those that are alive shall be changed to be something they never were before; incorruptible.
Paul then declares the immutability of this truth. That which is corruptible must put on incorruption. That which is mortal must put on immortality. It is binding by the authority of God that His children will be finally able to look fully upon His face and live!
May we give God praise for loving us to such an extent that He was willing to send His only Begotten Son to secure for us immortality and incorruption!