Death - swallowed up in victory

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:

 “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

During this week we got the terrible news that one of my eldest daughter's friends, whom she grew up with in school, tragically lost his life in a motorcycle accident. So it was quite a surprise to see that verses 50-58 is our next pitstop in our journey through the book of Corinthians. Amazing timing from Father I would think.  He reminds us that at some point in time - whether we be young or old - we have to exchange the corruptible for incorruptible, the mortal for immortality - but then the immense encouragement that comes with it is the thought that death is swallowed up in victory,  death has no sting anymore, for the sting of death was sin and the law which was dealt with by Christ our saviour, Who overcame death and gave us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  

What more encouragement can we get in times like these?  Somewhere else Paul says death is gain.  Mostly we do not think about it in this way, but for the child of God living is a joy and holy, for it means that we still are living out our callings for God on earth, but death is also gain when ultimately our task is done and Abba takes us home - death is swallowed up in victory and we exchange the corruptible for the incorruptible. 

Death where is your sting - Cory Ashbury