When He appears, we will be like Him … this perishable must put on the imperishable.
                           - I John 3:2, I Corinthians 15:54

This life is not all there is. Everyone will all be raised to life after we die. Christians will spend eternity in paradise with God, while those who reject Jesus Christ will spend eternity in hell, separated from Him. This is the fifth “elementary truth” that Paul mentions in Hebrews 6 — the resurrection.

The first and most important resurrection followed Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. His death and resurrection made it possible for us to spend eternity with Him after we die and are resurrected.

Our Great Hope
Resurrection gives Christians a unique perspective on life here on earth. When trials, tribulations and persecutions arise, our belief — our greatest hope — in the resurrection gives us the faith and strength to persevere and “endure to the end.”

If you believe in Jesus Christ and have chosen to follow Him as His disciple, you will see Him when you die. Your body will be permanently changed. Your attitudes and spirit will be permanently changed. You will be like Him. On the other hand, if you have rejected Him and don’t want to spend your life with Him, you will get what you want — separation from Him, eternally.

You could say you don’t believe in heaven or hell. But that won’t affect their existence anymore than not believing in gravity will keep you from hitting the ground if you jump out of an airplane. The resurrection is a fact that Jesus demonstrated and proved. Many of the most intelligent people who have lived — even those who at first didn’t believe — have been convinced of this fact after examining the evidence. Only our rebellion keeps us from accepting it.

It is crucial that we have a thorough understanding, belief and hope in the resurrection so we will endure in the coming days. God’s word promises the greatest trials are yet to come — trials so great that if He had not shortened the days, even the elect might fall (Matt. 24:22). We need to be convinced of our belief in eternity — and that we will spend it in paradise with Jesus Christ. We must know and believe that we have the same power that brought Jesus Christ back to life – His resurrection power — living within us (Phil. 3:10), in order to get through the days ahead.

Here are a few scriptures about the resurrection and eternal life to help you know what lies ahead…

What Jesus said about it.
“…for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” – Luke 20:36

“…and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” – John 5:29

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26

What the apostles — most of whom died for their faith — said about it.
“But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.” – Acts 24:14-15

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. – Romans 6:5-10

Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. – I Corinthians 6:14

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. – I Corinthians 15:12-14

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep [died]. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. – I Corinthians 15:20-22

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. – I Corinthians 15:35-44

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – I Corinthians 15:51-57

But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I Believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. – II Corinthians 4:13-14

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:7-15

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep [die], or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. – I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. – 1 Peter 4:12-13

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. – I John 3:2

Believe it!