If you only knew what tomorrow held, it would impact greatly how you live today, wouldn’t it? At least in theory we think that to be true. This is the reason why people wanting to invest their money in the stock market often consult with a financial advisor in hopes of hearing an educated guess on what stocks will do tomorrow. It’s why some people might pour over health journals, trying to discern what their habits today will likely result in for their future health. And we could compound examples, but the principle is consistent, isn’t it? Knowing what tomorrow holds should impact how we live today.
We find this to be true even in regards to Jesus in his earthly ministry. The author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus endured the cross “for the joy that was set before him” (Heb. 12:2). That is, knowing there was joy on the other side of the cross, he endured the pain and shame of that terrible death.
Now, I recognize that our next response is that we simply don’t know the future. No matter how gifted the financial advisor is, he may well be wrong in his predictions concerning the market. And it’s tough to compare ourselves with Jesus who was the omniscient God-man and could say to Nathanael, “Before Phillip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you” (John 1:48). As we’ve noted before, this is the loophole in asking, “What would Jesus do?” The answer is a bit daunting when you’re standing on one side of a lake and want to get to the other side. Glancing at your WWJD bracelet in that moment might not be the best idea.
So, how is it helpful to note that knowledge of the future affects the way we live in the present when we don’t know the future and we aren’t God the Son incarnate? The answer is that while there are a number of things we don’t and can’t know about the future, there are some things we can know are certain. And these things we can know for certain should most definitely impact how we live in the present. In fact, I think this is Paul’s message to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, it seems that the Corinthians were struggling to accept the future bodily resurrection of believers because they couldn’t square exactly how this body – that is weak, gets sick, will die, and will decay – could be raised and dwell in a new heavens and new earth where there is not weakness, sickness, death, or decay. Therefore, in 15:12-34, Paul made clear that if you want to deny bodily resurrection, then you have to deny the resurrection of Christ, and if you deny that, then there simply is no Christianity. Then in 15:35-49, Paul argued that the resurrection functions along the same principles that we see in the world, if we consider a seed put in the ground, dying, and being raised to a more glorious body, so it is with the resurrection of the dead. We’ll be raised to have bodies like the resurrected Christ, bearing the image of the man of heaven. Now, in 15:50-58 we’ll see that Paul shows the Corinthians that at Christ’s return, all believers will have resurrected bodies, death will finally be defeated because of Christ’s work, and the certainty of this coming, future reality should affect the way they live in the present. That’s the message of 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.
And because the future coming of Christ when all believers will get resurrection bodies is certain for us as well as for the Corinthians, then this text should impact how you and I live as well. We must make present decisions and live certain ways now in light of what we know the future holds. Therefore, let me walk through what this text tells us about what we can know for certain about the future and about how this should impact us in the present. First, in verses 50-53, Paul shows us that:
As the Corinthians were refusing to acknowledge a future bodily resurrection for believers because this perishable body is incompatible with an eternity that is imperishable, Paul begins this section by agreeing with this proposition. He actually states it in verse 50, writing, “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”
As the Corinthians heard this verse read, they may have thought, “That’s our point, Paul. You’re finally coming around. That’s why we can’t believe in a future resurrection of this body because this body is perishable, and our hope is in an imperishable future reality.” But Paul doesn’t stop there or leave them any time to think this incompatibility of a perishable body and an imperishable eternity should rule out belief in a future resurrection. Rather, he immediately shows them that the Lord will change all of our bodies into imperishable, immortal bodies.
He writes, “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” (vv. 51-53).
When Paul writes that we shall not all sleep, he’s using “sleep” as a metaphor for the believer’s death. Since he knows that believers are raised to life, Paul speaks of the believer as simply sleeping when he or she dies. And though Paul’s been talking about us dying and being raised, he wants to make clear that it’s not just those who die who will get resurrection bodies, but we all will have our bodies changed to glorified, resurrection bodies. He notes that we’ll not all die (“sleep”), but we will all be changed.
It’ll happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, that is, in the briefest instant. It will happen at the last trumpet. The last trumpet is used in Scripture as a signal that Christ is returning. So, for example, in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 Paul writes, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.”
So, when Christ returns to manifest his reign over every enemy, he’ll come with a trumpet. There have been a number of trumpets mentioned in the Scripture, but this is the last trumpet. There are no trumpets after this one. And when that trumpet is blown, announcing the return of our Lord Jesus Christ to reign over all, in that instant – in a moment, in the time it takes you to blink your eye – those who are dead will be raised with resurrected bodies, and we who are alive will be transformed to have resurrected bodies of our own. All believers, whether alive or dead at the time Christ returns will have resurrected bodies.
And the reason this must take place is because we must be made to be able to dwell in a perfect, imperishable, and immortal new creation. Our perishable, mortal bodies but put on imperishable, immortal bodies – like we put on clothes – so that we’ll be transformed and made fit for a glorious eternity.
That’s the first thing Paul wants us to know. That day is coming. Our bodies will be transformed into resurrection bodies at the return of Christ, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return. And that bodily transformation will happen in an instant.
But that bodily transformation is not the only thing that will take place at the return of Christ. Paul also shows us in verses 54-55 that:
Paul makes clear that death will be no more (ever again) when Christ returns and our bodies are transformed in that instant. He writes, “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?’” That is, in that moment that is as quick as the blinking of an eye when our bodies are changed to resurrection bodies, that will mark the moment when death will finally and completely be defeated and done away with, forever.
Now the way Paul shows this is a bit odd. He argues that the end of death will be a fulfillment of a saying that he quotes in verses 54-55. But when you look at the Old Testament, you don’t find these phrases together. What you find is that the first part of the declaration, “Death is swallowed up in victory” is similar to Isaiah 25:8. Then you find that the second two sentences are similar to Hosea 13:14. So, what is Paul doing?
Well, the Isaiah 25:8 text appears in a text where the Lord is speaking of bringing salvation to his people by defeating their enemies. And as the Lord brings this glorious salvation to his people, Isaiah notes that death will be swallowed up forever, and the Lord will wipe away every tear from the eyes of his people. John obviously picks this up in Revelation 21:4.
The Hosea 13:14 reference falls with a little different situation. The Lord is disciplining his people. And as a parent saying, “Where did I put my paddle?” or something to the effect when disciplining the child, the Lord is asking where the sting and power of death that he can use as a disciplinary tool against his people.
It’s as if Paul, though, takes each of these situations and quotations and filters them through what the return of Christ and the resurrection of his people will mean. It means that final salvation is here, like Isaiah foretells. It means no more death. And because it means no more death, then instead of asking death where it’s sting is because you want to utilize it, Paul notes that this will be a legitimate question, “Death, where is your sting?” It’s gone. That is, the return of Christ, which brings about the bodily resurrection and transformation of his people to life will signal the full, final, and complete removal of death. Death will be no more.
And as those who have tasted death so much in this world, won’t that be a day of relief! After all, death in the Scripture is more than just the expiration of the body. It is an enemy. A tyrant that rules over the whole created order and holds people in slavery. It is an enemy. It is the last enemy to be defeated. But it will be defeated. Death will finally be done away with, never to be known again, at the return of Christ. Won’t it be glorious when it’s been a trillion years since we last saw death! That day is coming. It is certain.
But Paul doesn’t just tell us that death will be defeated, losing its sting and victory. He tells us why. In verses 56-57, he notes that:
Paul writes in verses 56-57, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now, it’s clear when we read this that Paul is giving us the logic of why death will have no sting and why it will have no victory in the end, but Paul’s logic is not that clear. Let’s try to examine the argument of these verses one element at a time.
First, Paul notes that the sting of death is sin. If you’re like me, your first thought is that you would have written that just the opposite of the way Paul wrote it. Wouldn’t you write, “The sting of sin is death”? In fact, in my meeting with the interns the other day as we looked at this text, I asked them to talk us through the logic and Paul’s argument here, and the first thing he said was something like, “Well, we know that sin leads to death.” And we know that to be true, don’t we? The wages of sin is death. Sin leads to death. Sin results in death. So, why is sin the sting of death?
Well, I think Paul’s argument is built upon the understanding that death is terrible (or, we might say, carries a sting) because of sin. That is, if you could imagine dying but having no sin, then death wouldn’t carry much of a sting, would it? It’d just be the expiration of this body. But because of sin, we know that death exists as a penalty. We know that death is a gateway to stand in judgment before the Lord. It is appointed for man once to die and then judgment, and judgment is a terrible reality to think of because of sin. Sin is what gives death its sting. That’s one part of the argument. But there’s another part.
Paul also notes that “the power of sin is the law.” What does this mean? Well, sin wouldn’t be a huge deal if it weren’t for the law. The law reminds us that because of our sin, we’re condemned. The law reminds us, as an expression of God’s holiness, perfection, and justice, that he commands perfect obedience. If there were no law, and God were some unloving Creator who cared nothing about goodness, sitting in heaven saying, “Boys will be boys,” then sin wouldn’t be that big of a deal.
But that’s not reality – thank the Lord! The law is an expression of God’s perfect justice, and the law says that sin will be judged. Sin would be powerless without the law, but the law constantly reminds us as sinners that we stand condemned. Therefore, Paul notes, the law is the power of sin, reminding us we’re condemned, and the sin is the sting of death, reminding us that death is a manifestation of our condemnation because of sin.
But here’s the good news. Jesus Christ was born under the law, as Paul says in Galatians 4:4, so that he might perfectly fulfill the law. That is, whereas the demands of the law were met in our lives with sin, Jesus responded to the law with perfect obedience. The law could not speak continual condemnation to him because of sin because he had no sin. Yet, he died as a sin offering for us, bearing the sting of death through sin for us so that we who were cursed might be freed from the curse of the law. Then, he was raised on the third day because sin and death had no power over him.
This means for those of us whose faith is in the crucified and risen Lord, that we stand united with Christ so that his work counts for us. That is to say, the law cannot tell us constantly, “You are condemned,” for we can answer, “Christ perfectly obeyed the law on my behalf.” Sin cannot constantly say, “You deserve to die,” for we can say, “But Christ bore my sin and paid the penalty for sin by dying in my place as my substitute.” And even death cannot stand as a tyrant, for we do not die with sin credited to us as condemned men. Death has been emptied of its power for the believer because of the work of Christ. Therefore, though we still hate death and long for its ultimate demise, we can see death merely as a temporary expiration of the body and no longer as a manifestation of condemnation in our lives. It will not have victory over those whose faith is in Christ because, as Paul says, “God . . . gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Instead of death constantly standing over us and taunting us, we in Christ can say, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” And if death tries to answer, we simply point to the finished work of Christ on our behalf where in his life, death, and resurrection, he has emptied death of its power and dealt to death a fatal blow. We can live, knowing that for the believer, it is not death to die. And that should change how we live, which is how Paul finishes.
Since Christ has freed us from slavery to the fear of death, emptied death of its power, and promised us transformation to resurrection bodies at the very moment he returns, we should live in light of that reality. Paul says specifically, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (v. 58).
What Paul is saying is that since it’s true that there is a resurrection to come when death will be defeated, then every promise Christ has held out and holds out to us is true. Therefore, labor in obedience to Christ. Be willing to give money toward the fulfillment of the Great Commission, knowing that one day you’ll be raised and Christ will give you treasure that will not disappear. Stay in your difficult marriages, care for your elderly parents, abstain from sexual immorality, keep fighting against the temptation to sin and don’t give in, be willing to move across the world if necessary for the gospel, go be part of a church plant, and do a hundred other things that are hard and difficult and would make no sense if this life and this world were all there is. But do those things, and be steadfast in them, knowing the resurrection is true and knowing, therefore, that your labor is not in vain. Take up your cross and obey Christ, even if it costs you your life because the resurrection is true.
A dear brother of ours, Mike Oliver, went to be with the Lord about ten months ago now. Before Mike died, he’d passed along a song he was particularly fond of. He passed it on, having no idea that he was soon to die. The words of the song go like this:
It is not death to die To leave this weary road And join the saints who dwell on high Who’ve found their home with God It is not death to close The eyes long dimmed by tears And wake in joy before your throne Delivered from our fears
It is not death to fling Aside this earthly dust And rise with strong and noble wing To live among the just It is not death to hear The key unlock the door That sets us free from mortal years To praise you evermore
O Jesus, conquering the grave Your precious blood has power to save Those who trust in you Will in your mercy find That it is not death to die.
One day the Lord will return, and with a trumpet blast he’ll say, “Michael Oliver, you rise from the dead,” and he will. So will any of us who have died in Christ. And if we are alive in that moment, we’ll go through a bodily transformation that is hard to imagine, as this body will put on imperishability and immortality. Then, we’ll never know or see or hear of or taste death for all of eternity. Death will be no more. This is certain because of Christ’s redeeming work for us. Therefore, let us give our lives in obedience, even costly obedience to him, until that day. Amen.