What a great way to start the new year, that is, with q&a #38 of the WSC and Vincent's exposition.Ques. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?
Ans. At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.
Q. 1. How many ways may the benefits which believers receive from Christ at the resurrection be considered?
A. The benefits which believers receive from Christ at the resurrection may be considered in three respects — 1. In respect of their resurrection itself. 2. In respect of the day of judgment, after their resurrection. 3. In respect of heaven, after the day of judgment.
Q. 2. What is the benefit of believers m respect of their resurrection itself?
A. The benefit of believers in respect of their resurrection itself is, that they shall be raised in glory.
Q. 3. What glory doth this refer unto?
A. It doth refer unto the glory which shall be put upon the bodies of believers at their resurrection, which were vile bodies, both whilst they were putrefied in the grave, and whilst alive before, as they were instruments of sin, and subject to diseases and death. "Who shall change our vile body." — Phil. 3:21.
Q. 4. What is that glory which shall be put upon the bodies of believers at the resurrection?
A. The bodies of believers, at the resurrection, shall be made most healthful, strong, spiritual, incorruptible, immortal, most beautiful, and glorious, like unto Christ's most glorious body. "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to snbdue all things unto himself."— Phil. 3:21. "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in in corruption; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sewn in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, aud this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."— 1 Cor. 15:42-44, 53, 54.
Q. 5. What benefits shall believers have after their resurrection, at the day of judgment?
A. At the day of judgment — 1. Believers shall be gathered together from all the corners of the earth by the angels. "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."— Matt. 24:31. 2. Believers shall be all caught up together in the clouds, to meet the Lord Jesus, who will come down with a shout from heaven. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and 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."— l Thess. 4:16, 17. 3. Believers shall be placed on the right hand of Jesus Christ. "And he shall set the sheep on his right hand." — Matt. 25:33. 4. Believers shall be openly acknowledged by Christ to be his, and acquitted from false aspersions which had been cast upon them, and from the real guilt of all sins which had been committed by them, because of their interest in Christ and his righteousness. "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."— Matt. 10:32. "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died."— Rom. 8:33, 34. 5. Believers shall be entertained and invited by Christ to take possession of the glorious inheritance prepared for them. "Then shall the King say nnto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."— Matt. 25:34. 6. Believers shall sit with Christ as assessors in judgment of the wicked angels and wicked men. "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? Know ye not that we shall judge angels ?"— l Cor. 6:2, 3.
Q. 6. What benefits shall believers receive after the day of judgment in heaven?
A. Believers in heaven shall be made perfectly blessed in their flill enjoyment of God to all eternity.
Q. 7. Wherein will consist the perfect blessedness of believers in heaven?
A. The perfect blessedness of believers in heaven will consist-i. In their perfect immunity or freedom from all evil, and that both of sin and misery. "That he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."— Eph. 5:27. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain."— Rev. 21:4. 2. In their full enjoyment of God, the chiefest good.
Q. 8. What doth the full enjoyment of God in heaven imply?
A. The full enjoyment of God which believers shall have in heaven, doth imply— 1. That they shall have the glorious presence of God with them. "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them."— Rev. 21:3. 2. That they shall have the immediate and beatifical vision of his face. "And they shall see his face1 and his name shall be in their foreheads."— Rev. 22:4. "For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face."— 1 Cor. 13:12. "We shall see him as he is."— 1 John 3:2. 3. That they shall have both a full persuasion and sense of God's love unto them, and perfect love in their hearts towards him, which doth necessarily result or arise from the vision of God in heaven. 4. That they shall have fulness and exceeding joy. "In thy presence is fulness of joy."— Ps. 16:11. "Now to him that is able to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."— Jude 24.
Q. 9. What is it that will sweeten the happiness of believers in the full enjoyment of God in heaven?
A. That which will sweeten the happiness of believers in their full elijoyment of God in heaven, will be the eternity thereof— that it shall be without any interruption, and without any end. "And so shall we ever he with the Lord."— 1 Thess. 4:17.
Q. 10. Wherein will differ the condition of unbelievers and all the wicked world, from that of believers, at the last day?
A. The condition of unbelievers, and all the wicked world, will be miserable beyond expression at the last day of judgment: For— 1. Their bodies shall arise, and come forth like prisoners out of the grave, and whats6ever utrength and immortality shall be put upon them, will be only to make them capable of eternal torments and misery. 2. They shall, with horror and dreadful shriekings, see Christ coming in flaming fire, to take vengeance upon them. "Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him."— Rev. 1:7. "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel."— 2 Thess. 1:7, 8. 3. They shall stand before the throne and judgment-seat of Christ, where the books shall be opened wherein all their sins are recorded— according to which they shall be judged, and sentenced to everlasting punishment. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the hooks were opened, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."— Rev. 20:11, 12. "Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."— Matt. 25:41. 4. They shall then be driven away from the presence of the Lord into hell, where they shall be punished with extremity of anguish, and torment in soul and body, without any alleviation or intermission, unto all eternity. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment."— Matt. 25:46. "Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, (shall be) upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile." — Rom. 2:8, 9. "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night."— Rev. 14:11.
Ans. At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.
Q. 1. How many ways may the benefits which believers receive from Christ at the resurrection be considered?
A. The benefits which believers receive from Christ at the resurrection may be considered in three respects — 1. In respect of their resurrection itself. 2. In respect of the day of judgment, after their resurrection. 3. In respect of heaven, after the day of judgment.
Q. 2. What is the benefit of believers m respect of their resurrection itself?
A. The benefit of believers in respect of their resurrection itself is, that they shall be raised in glory.
Q. 3. What glory doth this refer unto?
A. It doth refer unto the glory which shall be put upon the bodies of believers at their resurrection, which were vile bodies, both whilst they were putrefied in the grave, and whilst alive before, as they were instruments of sin, and subject to diseases and death. "Who shall change our vile body." — Phil. 3:21.
Q. 4. What is that glory which shall be put upon the bodies of believers at the resurrection?
A. The bodies of believers, at the resurrection, shall be made most healthful, strong, spiritual, incorruptible, immortal, most beautiful, and glorious, like unto Christ's most glorious body. "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to snbdue all things unto himself."— Phil. 3:21. "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in in corruption; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sewn in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, aud this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."— 1 Cor. 15:42-44, 53, 54.
Q. 5. What benefits shall believers have after their resurrection, at the day of judgment?
A. At the day of judgment — 1. Believers shall be gathered together from all the corners of the earth by the angels. "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."— Matt. 24:31. 2. Believers shall be all caught up together in the clouds, to meet the Lord Jesus, who will come down with a shout from heaven. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and 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."— l Thess. 4:16, 17. 3. Believers shall be placed on the right hand of Jesus Christ. "And he shall set the sheep on his right hand." — Matt. 25:33. 4. Believers shall be openly acknowledged by Christ to be his, and acquitted from false aspersions which had been cast upon them, and from the real guilt of all sins which had been committed by them, because of their interest in Christ and his righteousness. "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."— Matt. 10:32. "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died."— Rom. 8:33, 34. 5. Believers shall be entertained and invited by Christ to take possession of the glorious inheritance prepared for them. "Then shall the King say nnto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."— Matt. 25:34. 6. Believers shall sit with Christ as assessors in judgment of the wicked angels and wicked men. "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? Know ye not that we shall judge angels ?"— l Cor. 6:2, 3.
Q. 6. What benefits shall believers receive after the day of judgment in heaven?
A. Believers in heaven shall be made perfectly blessed in their flill enjoyment of God to all eternity.
Q. 7. Wherein will consist the perfect blessedness of believers in heaven?
A. The perfect blessedness of believers in heaven will consist-i. In their perfect immunity or freedom from all evil, and that both of sin and misery. "That he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."— Eph. 5:27. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain."— Rev. 21:4. 2. In their full enjoyment of God, the chiefest good.
Q. 8. What doth the full enjoyment of God in heaven imply?
A. The full enjoyment of God which believers shall have in heaven, doth imply— 1. That they shall have the glorious presence of God with them. "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them."— Rev. 21:3. 2. That they shall have the immediate and beatifical vision of his face. "And they shall see his face1 and his name shall be in their foreheads."— Rev. 22:4. "For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face."— 1 Cor. 13:12. "We shall see him as he is."— 1 John 3:2. 3. That they shall have both a full persuasion and sense of God's love unto them, and perfect love in their hearts towards him, which doth necessarily result or arise from the vision of God in heaven. 4. That they shall have fulness and exceeding joy. "In thy presence is fulness of joy."— Ps. 16:11. "Now to him that is able to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."— Jude 24.
Q. 9. What is it that will sweeten the happiness of believers in the full enjoyment of God in heaven?
A. That which will sweeten the happiness of believers in their full elijoyment of God in heaven, will be the eternity thereof— that it shall be without any interruption, and without any end. "And so shall we ever he with the Lord."— 1 Thess. 4:17.
Q. 10. Wherein will differ the condition of unbelievers and all the wicked world, from that of believers, at the last day?
A. The condition of unbelievers, and all the wicked world, will be miserable beyond expression at the last day of judgment: For— 1. Their bodies shall arise, and come forth like prisoners out of the grave, and whats6ever utrength and immortality shall be put upon them, will be only to make them capable of eternal torments and misery. 2. They shall, with horror and dreadful shriekings, see Christ coming in flaming fire, to take vengeance upon them. "Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him."— Rev. 1:7. "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel."— 2 Thess. 1:7, 8. 3. They shall stand before the throne and judgment-seat of Christ, where the books shall be opened wherein all their sins are recorded— according to which they shall be judged, and sentenced to everlasting punishment. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the hooks were opened, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."— Rev. 20:11, 12. "Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."— Matt. 25:41. 4. They shall then be driven away from the presence of the Lord into hell, where they shall be punished with extremity of anguish, and torment in soul and body, without any alleviation or intermission, unto all eternity. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment."— Matt. 25:46. "Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, (shall be) upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile." — Rom. 2:8, 9. "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night."— Rev. 14:11.
I recently heard a sermon given by Mark Driscoll where he stated that sometimes we are so weary of this life, not that we're going to commit suicide, but so weary that we truly look forward to the day we are ushered into heaven by our Lord. I must agree. There times when things are so tough that it is such a blessing to look forward to that day knowing what we have here is as temporary as it often is disappointing. We must remember John 16:33, "...but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
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