They asked the wrong question, but Jesus gave the right answer. It is not about what we do but what God has done. The “work of God” is to bring humanity to faith in His Son Jesus, the Savior of the world. God’s work will not be complete until “every knee” bows and “every tongue” joyfully agrees that Jesus is Lord.
Will God fail in His work? - NOT A CHANCE!
"Wherefore, also, God highly exalts Him, and graces Him with the name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus EVERY knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and EVERY tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11)
When humans without faith now are resurrected, they will all become believers. Paul told humanity that Jesus would return to resurrect all humans, good and bad.
"...there shall be a resurrection which is impending for both the just and the unjust...I stand attesting both to small and to great, saying nothing outside of what both the prophets and Moses speak of impending occurrences - the suffering Christ - He, the first out of a resurrection of the dead, is about to be announcing light both to the people (of Israel) and to the nations." (Acts 25:15; 26:22-23)
The work of God is to save humanity out of death, the wages of our sin.
The work of God is to save humanity out of death, the wages of our sin.
"For, if the dead are not being roused, neither has Christ been roused. Now, if Christ has not been roused, vain is your faith -- you are still in your sins! Consequently, those also who sleep in Christ perished. If we are having an expectation in Christ in this life only, more forlorn than all humans are we. Yet now Christ has been roused from among the dead, the Firstfruit of those who are sleeping. For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead. For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)