1 Corinthians 15:49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
Every person bears one or two images. The first “we” includes all human beings. Everyone is born in the likeness of Adam. This is a positive thing, because Adam was created in the image of God. However, because of sin, something in this image was lost. As a consequence, Adam was judged with the consequence of returning to the dust from which he came. “Dust” in this verse is a metaphor for death and is used in comparison to “heaven,” which represents eternal life. We each have to follow the path set by Adam. Death is not an option, except for those who are alive when Jesus comes again. It is inevitable. Many people live as if death will never come to them. We rarely think of our own death unless there is a situation that reminds us of it.
The “we” of the second clause refers to those who are in Christ, those who have believed and put their trust in Christ for their salvation. This “we” includes Paul and the Corinthians. Those who believe have a new image that is a gift of grace from the one who bears this image. Paul has a similar idea in 2 Corinthians 3:18. This image of Christ is from heaven because it is the resurrected life of eternity. We get a foretaste of this resurrection in this lifetime through the work of the Holy Spirit transforming us into this image more and more. This new life cannot be stopped by death but overpowers and overcomes it.
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