O Death, Where is Your Sting?

Okay. So last night I was surfing around on Facebook and I saw a status update for a group that I am a part of named TwoChixApologetics. I am not a part of it in the sense that I contribute anything to this group. Instead, I am a part of it so that I mainly get updates about different debates and topics that they host discussions on. Well last night I saw that one of their ministries was holding a debate on "Did Jesus Die on the Cross?" which was between a Muslim man and a Christian woman. Some of the things discussed were actual physical resurrection of Christ and whether or not he even actually died at all. So afterwards, I went and read through 1 Corinthians chapter 15. This whole chapter deals with the Christian belief that there is an actual resurrection that took place with Christ and which will take place with us. After I finished reading it I was very much encouraged by the truth to which we hold to, which is, that we who are in Christ will be clothed and resurrected with a new imperishable body.

The reason this encouraged me is because right now our bodies are corruptible, mortal, and prone to rot and decay. It's a known fact that all of us are slowly falling apart. This can be very discouraging at times or at least I know it is with me. So when I read and was reminded of the truth that,

"So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is
raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body."

The fact that those who died in weakness, dishonor, and in a perishing state who are in Christ, will be raised in power, honor, and an imperishable body! Death is a very discouraging and hard thing to watch. Especially if the dying process of a loved one is drawn out to where we see all the weakness of the body in its full effect. It can be very tough to endure. What should give us hope for the godly who has to go through this, is that the moment they breathe their last, they have just sown their last seed so that when Christ comes back, they will have a most glorious body. Now for the ungodly this should cause a most gut wrenching effect within us because we know that not only now are they suffering the weaknesses of the body, but they are just starting out on a journey that will carry them into an eternity of suffering, corruption, and dishonor.

Now what about those of us who do not die before Christ returns? What happens to our body? 1 Corinthians 15:51-56 says,

I tell you this, brothers: flesh, and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

'Death is swallowed up in victory.'
'O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?'

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Those of us who are left until our Savior (I say our Saviour to clarify what happens to the saved) appears will be transformed in an instant to be like Christ. For just as the scriptures say in Colossians 3:4,

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

So death no longer has a hold on us who are in Christ. It may appear that death is still having it's effect on those who are in Christ, but remember that death is the last enemy to be swallowed up when all things have been brought under subjection to Christ. May we rejoice in that the sting of death has been removed and we will have an imperishable body that glorifies our Savior. May the promises and hope to which we hold to give us endurance under our present weaknesses, for they shall not be with us forever. Amen.