Page 75 - Gods Plan of the Ages

resurrected to life in Christ. Nevertheless, there will be much that distinguishes the
firstborn sons of God, and the latter born sons. The apostle Paul discusses the differences
that will exist in the resurrection of the dead in the following passagefrom his letter to the
church in Corinth.

I Corinthians 15:35-42
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.

We see in this passage that Paul's subject is the resurrection of the dead. He is
particularly pointing out that there will be differences of glory among those who are
resurrected. Those who attain to the first resurrection will be preeminent among their
brethren. They will be like the Sun shining in its strength. It is the Father's desire that His
children contend for the prize of attaining to the first resurrection from the dead. In this will
He be greatly glorified, that of a free will His sons laid down their lives to attain to that
conformity to His own image and likeness that He has desired for them.