May 30
“Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Death, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1 Corinthians 15:54-56.
The fifteenth chapter of the apostle Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians ends with a victory song. The apostle is quoting from the Books of several of the Old Testament prophets. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth: for the Lord has spoken,” Isaiah 25:8. The prophet Hosea wrote, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction!” Hosea 13:14.
“Death is swallowed up in victory!” Death has been conquered by Christ, who rose from the dead, and He promises all who believe in Him as God’s Son and their Savior, “Because I live, you shall live also,” John 14:19. When Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, died, Jesus said to Martha, “‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God who is to come into the world,’” John 11:23-27. Jesus came into the world to conquer sin, death, and the devil for all people.
Speaking of the life of all believers in heaven, the evangelist John wrote in the Book of Revelation, “God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away,” Revelation 21:3-4.
Sin and death are not an essential part of a true human being. Adam and Eve were two perfect people when they were created. Then, God told them, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die,” Genesis 2:16-17. Contrary to God’s will, they ate of the forbidden fruit; they sinned, and death entered into the world. In his Epistle to the Romans, Paul wrote, “Just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned,” Romans 5:12. Then he wrote, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death,” Romans 8:2. Sin and death are separable evils from the human body and soul. We will live happily in heaven without both!
The power of sin and death has been conquered by Christ. He suffered and died on Calvary’s cross to wash away our sins. He rose from the grave and conquered death and the devil. His victory becomes our victory by faith in Him. “(God) made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” 2 Corinthians 5:21. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me,” Psalm 23:4. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” Amen and Amen!
“I am content! My Jesus liveth still,
In whom my heart is pleased.
He hath fulfilled the Law of God for me,
God’s wrath He hath appeased.
Since He in death could perish never,
I also shall not die forever.
I am content! I am content!” Amen.