Resurrection And Accountability

by J.L. Ferguson, Barrhead, Scotland. | Category: A Centenary Review Of Major Themes | Dec 1988

It was the Son of God who said that the dead are raised (Luke 20:37). Again He said, "the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs ... shall come forth" (John 5:28,29).

The Holy Spirit confirmed the position through the apostle Paul in Acts 24:15, "there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust". We can have no higher authority and therefore require no other, and those who speak to the contrary are in danger of the judgement of God.

Resurrection's sure token

It would be strange indeed if any of our readers should doubt in any way the reality of resurrection. It was, however, disputed by certain in the church of God in Corinth who had probably neither enlightenment nor conviction on the subject at conversion. To Paul the proof of the matter was crystal clear. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus was itself evidence for all time of the power of God to raise the dead. "But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep" (1 Cor. 15:20). In common with believers in the Lord Jesus everywhere we accept the fact of His resurrection as confirmation of universal resurrection in accordance with the revealed will of God, and of resurrection having a meaningful place in the faith

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How then are the dead raised?

The Greek word anastasis denotes a raising up. All who have died will be raised. God said of Israel, "Thy dead shall live; My dead bodies shall arise" (Isa. 26:19). His Son said, "All that are in the tombs ... shall come forth" (John 5:28).The Holy Spirit said, "The sea gave up the dead which were in it" (Rev. 20:13). What lay down in death will be raised again in resurrection.

"It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body" (1 Cor. 15:44); the "it" is the same thing in each case. What is sown is raised. Myriads of human bodies returned to irrecoverable dust long centuries before will all be raised again as. spiritual bodies. It is baffling, incomprehensible. But the One who will accomplish it all said quite simply to the unbelieving Sadducees, "ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God". (Mat. 22:29). And Paul said through the Holy Spirit to King Agrippa "why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?" (Acts 26:28). Corinthians 15 makes it clear that there is a correspondence between the seed sown and the glorious fruit which in its season will emerge. So the lecturer was right when he said to his students in effect, "Here are two identical seeds. The constituents and appearance are the same. But nature deposited one and I made the other. The difference will be seen when we plant them. Nature's seed will grow again for there is a life principle in it". Resurrection must always remain a mystery known only to the God who will accomplish it.

With what bodies do they come?

2 Corinthians 5:14 explains that when the believer dies, his old tent folds up but he has a building from God, eternal in the heavens. 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 makes it clear that the believing dead will be raised, and what had been in lifetime a natural corruptible body will be raised a spiritual incorruptible body. It will "put on incorruption". At the same time, the living believer will experience the body change and "this mortal shall put on immortality". And what is mortal will be swallowed up of life (2 Cor. 5:4). Thus the dead body will be raised; the new and spiritual body will come down. The resurrected body will put on the new body from heaven and then the former will be dissolved, "swallowed up". The triumph in the gospel will be complete. The sons of God will come into the final aspect of adoption, the redemption of the body. Yet as we write we are deeply conscious of the paucity of our understanding in a matter of such limited revelation in scripture and we are hound to say with Job - "Lo, these are but the outskirts of His ways: and how small a whisper do we hear of Him!" (Job 26:14).

Accountability

It is possible to pursue this brief study simply as the consideration of an academic subject. And even had we space to develop such oft-discussed questions as, How are the dead raised? with what bodies do they come? and will there be recognition in glory? they could prove to be matters of absorbing interest, but the reader might well lay die magazine down without the slightest impact having been made on his spirit. No sense of urgency. No resultant stimulus. So we proceed to the inevitable consequence of resurrection.

We leave for the present the glory attendant on the resurrection. The first sight of the Altogether Lovely One. The presentation with myriads of believers to the One who bought us at Calvary. The marriage of the Lamb. Then with Him down through the eternal ages in the indescribable glories of the service of God; no more shadows crossing the path. We consider rather just that moment when our name is called and we step up to the Judgement Seat. And those eyes which are a flame of fire will search through our life work and we give private, personal, spoken account of our stewardship. It is that solemn moment about which we are now thinking - the hour of accountability.

Where is accountability taught in the Faith?

A good question. Relevant scriptures include:

Mat. 12:36 "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof".

Mat. 18:23 A certain king which made a reckoning with his servants.

Luke 16:1,2 What is this that I have heard of thee? Render the account of thy stewardship.

Rom. 14:12 "So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God".

1 Cor. 3:13 "Each man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it".

1 Cor. 4:2 "It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful".

2 Cor. 5:10 "For we must all be made manifest before the Judgement Seat of Christ: that each one may receive the things done in the body".

Heb. 13:17 regarding overseers - "For they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account".

Rom. 2:5,6 "The righteous judgement of God; who will render to every man according to his works.

Will there be degrees of accountability

Of course. The divine principle is, "to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required" (Luke 12:48). And again "Each shall receive his own reward according to his own labour" (1 Cor. 3:8). In the parable of Matthew 25 one servant received five talents, another two, another one. The basis of distribution was ability. On their master's return he called for an accounting. They reported a gain respectively of another five, another two and nil. To the first two the same appreciation was expressed and proportionate reward given. It was the quality of a faithful motive, related directly to the talents given, reflected in the outcome of the servant's labour, which earned the master's Praise.

Spiritual trading for the Master's gain

Have we not received from the Lord's hand a very great variety of gifts for which He is bound to bold us accountable? The Lord gave two relevant parables in Luke 19:11-19 and Mat. 25:14-23. In the first case each servant received one pound; in the second their talents varied in amount. So it is with ourselves. From one point of view we can all be viewed as receiving the same gift in common. Some may think of it as eternal life, or the Holy Spirit within, or the Scriptures in our hand, or such like. But in addition we have each our several distinctive gifts from the Lord, different personal endowments of the Spirit for service. All these are the spiritual assets which enable us to "gain by trading" as the Lord put it.

So we must examine Our Personal assets in the spiritual sphere; and make sure that we use and develop them to the Lord's glory and the blessing of others. There are such mailers as:

Time - set apart for Him and the demands of His Service rather than spent on personal selfish interests.

Spiritual gifts - those endowments of the Spirit not given to us for our own enjoyment but to be vigorously pursued for the imparting of spiritual help to others.

Light from the Word - graciously and generously granted to us in the whole counsel of God so that through prayerful study and exercise, by one means or another, light may be passed on to those who do not understand salvation or discipleship.

Assembly services - loyalty to the divine principle of "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" is very well pleasing to the Lord who still considers it good and pleasant for brethren to dwell, not simply meeting, together in unity.

Financial resources - when the -pleasure of having equates with the sheer joy of giving then probably the balance is about right. As the Lord prospers so the channels deepen for the Lord's share to flow out in whatever way He may direct.

Yes, in relation to all these and such other gifts from the Lord we shall have to give a spoken account as we come from the glory of the resurrection to the solemnity of the Judgement Seat of Christ. There His eyes of fire will examine each of our lives searching for the worthwhile things which will survive the scrutiny and call for His appreciation; not looking for failures to condemn but for the little golden nuggets of achievement for Him to acknowledge. May it be true of us all that we shall "find mercy of the Lord in that Day".

The Great White Throne

Yet as we contemplate the infinite grace which has planned for the believer degrees of glory in the resurrection we must sorrow as we think also of the degrees of eternal judgement which will be the, fearful lot of the unsaved when they too come from the assessment of accountability at their own judgement of the Great White Throne. There is a divine principle of retribution - "according to their works" (Rom. 2:6; Rev. 20:13); the many and few stripes of Luke 12:47, 48; the "more tolerable" of Matthew 10:15; the "greater condemnation" of Luke 20:47.

To Paul's great heart the contemplation brought "great sorrow and unceasing pain". The preacher A.B. Simpson was found in his study one night sobbing, his arms clasped round a globe of the world.

As touching ourselves today may thoughts of the coming glory inspire us in our upward calling; while the haunting cry of the lost demands of us some positive response in an outward rescue mission.

J.L. Ferguson, Barrhead, Scotland. | Dec 1988
A Centenary Review Of Major Themes