Featured John MacArthur is addressing Catholic heresies

It refers to the time of the rapture of the Church, or his Second Coming, depending on your viewpoint!

At that event saints will immediantly become transformed to being exactly same type/kind of body that Jesus had when he was raised!

 

Yeshua, the 'transformation' refers to those physically living Christians caught up in the Rapture/ the parousia; it says nothing about those who have already physically died. Thus my question remains unanswered.

Poor analogy but let's run with it.

Yes, the fuel is essential for the car to run. But it won't get very far if there is no oil in the engine or water in the radiator: it will overheat and seize up very quickly without these. It will not move at all if it has no wheels: you can floor the throttle and the engine will roar but you won't move an inch.

 

It is a poor analogy because I was trying to simplify it. But as I predicted in the above post you would not accept a simplification of the analogy and say that everything else is necessary to make the engine run.

If one has a complete engine he can take it out of the vehicle, put fuel in it and make it run. We can start with that premise. Everything that makes up the engine is therefore the engine.
For the engine to run it needs fuel.
For the engine to travel it needs wheels.
Most basic of "vehicle", perhaps a go-cart. It has an engine, a platform or place for the engine, fuel, and wheels. Nothing complicated. We are right down to the basics here.
An engine needs fuel to run. Put your faith in Christ.
The distance you go is the distance you walk with Christ.
What you are able to do after you begin are your works.
But first you must put your fuel in the engine to be able to do anything.
And that fuel is faith in Christ (the engine). Perhaps revising the illustration that way makes better sense.

Salvation is effected by those who put their faith in Christ. To them are given all the promises of God. They are the ones that look forward to the rapture, the first resurrection or resurrection of believers. They are the ones that will be transformed into the image of Christ, not totally while on earth, but only partially. Total glorification can only take place at that resurrection when the believers receive their glorified bodies. Salvation is a one time act. Salvation happens when the "engine" becomes "alive" because "fuel" is put into it. Of course Christ is always alive, and a person always has potential faith. He must put his faith in Christ in order to access that salvation. Then his journey begins. It is a journey of sanctification. But at that point of salvation, as far as salvation is concerned God has set him apart, made him holy, forgiven all of his sins, purged him, justified him, sanctified him, and given him the gift of eternal life. Therefore he will never fall off those tracks. He will never lose his salvation. It is impossible for the Lord himself is taking care of him.

We all have our troubles on our way. But we are never disowned by the Father.

 

To continue then with the analogy, an engine even if fully fueled up isn't going to go anywhere unless it's in the car; likewise the Christian must be in Christ and remain in Christ per John 15:1-10

 

I tell you what. I will just concede in that it was a poor analogy to begin with.

 

paul said that thosewho died in Chrsit will be the FIRST to beraised and glorified, THAN we alive shall be caught up and changed!