by Hugh DeLong<\/p>\n
Paul faced many worldly problems because he endured persecution for preaching the gospel. He lists many of them in II Corinthians 11. These were so severe that he “despaired even of life<\/em>” (II Corinthians 1:8). However, even in such a situation, he learned to trust not in himself, his existence, his ability, but in God. Yet, death awaited him! His earthly tent would be torn down. He would die. So he could write that he faced that prospect “knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you<\/em>” (II Corinthians 4:14).<\/p>\n He knew that death would not have the final word! This is because Jesus’ resurrection brings the promise of our <\/strong>resurrection. I watched my 90+-year-old parents go through this ‘tearing down’ of their bodies. Their hope was not in continued living, but in the resurrected life. They held to the same faith and trust that the Lord will raise them, and that death does not have the final word.<\/p>\n That will not be another ‘mortal’ body, but an immortal one. It will be a body fit to live in the presence of God – forever. A body the Lord will provide. A body not made with hands, but one that is eternal in the heavens.<\/p>\n We may groan now as we observe our own body slowly, or perhaps not so slowly, being torn down. We lose more and more physical abilities and bodily health. So be it. And in the end, we die (unless the Lord comes before that end!). But <\/strong>death will not have the last word for us either. Are you prepared for this?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Hugh DeLong Paul faced many worldly problems because he endured persecution for preaching the gospel. He lists many of them in II Corinthians 11. These were so severe that he “despaired even of life” (II Corinthians 1:8). However, even in such a situation, he learned to trust not in himself, his existence, his ability,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[109,664],"class_list":["post-98153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-death","tag-resurrection"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":90678,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/mortal-swallowed-up-in-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":98153,"position":0},"title":"Mortal Swallowed up in Life","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Hugh DeLong Text: II Corinthians 5 The resurrection of Jesus is the pattern for us, for we will be raised in immortal or changed form if alive at His coming. (Romans 8:11; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; II Corinthians 4:14) Thus, the first part of this chapter.\u00a0In\u00a0this\u00a0mortal body, we long for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":86683,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-jesus-die\/","url_meta":{"origin":98153,"position":1},"title":"Why Did Jesus Die? (Hamilton)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer There are many atonement theories, and not every theory is equal. But one undeniable truth is that Jesus died to show how death is conquered through resurrection. By His death and resurrection, we are led to victory, and because of this, we can work with confidence that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56220,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-firstfruits\/","url_meta":{"origin":98153,"position":2},"title":"The Firstfruits","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 25, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ethan R. Longhenry \"But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming\" (I Corinthians 15:23). Despair turned to excitement on that first day of the week so long ago when Jesus arose from the dead (John 20:1-31, etc.). In the midst\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/11\/wheat.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":94153,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/eternal-life-imagine\/","url_meta":{"origin":98153,"position":3},"title":"Eternal Life: Imagine","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Jesus brought immortality to light and made it real by demonstrating His resurrection from the dead. Now we know that eternal life is real. The prophetic word spoke of it, and then Jesus confirmed it; the eyewitnesses verified it. It is not a matter of blind\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34844,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/life-beyond-the-grave\/","url_meta":{"origin":98153,"position":4},"title":"Life Beyond the Grave","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 1, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Clem Thurman in via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 23, June 5, 2009. The salient doctrine of Christianity is the teaching of Jesus Christ about life after death. 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