When Death Dies: Why The Resurrection is Our Steadfast Hope
What if death itself is destined to die? The Apostle Paul shows how the resurrection reveals a future so astounding it reshapes everything we do now.
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Mystery and Victory
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 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 imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 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.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”56 The sting of death is sin, and the power 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 brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Living in Light of Eternity: Your Future in Christ
Memphis, Tennessee, is unique. As the fifth most religious state in the nation, with 44% of Tennesseans being deeply religious, Memphis has been called one of the capitals of the Bible Belt. One report ranks Memphis fifth in the nation for having the most churches per capita—one church for every 804 people.
This tells us something significant: Our church, Christ Methodist, is located in a city that is supersized in terms of exposure to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even if you don’t attend church in Memphis, you’re going to encounter people who know Jesus and know the gospel. This makes Memphis one of the most unique places in the world.
But consider this sobering reality: Two to three billion people on this planet have no access to the gospel. Eighty-four percent of Muslims will be born, grow up, live, and die never meeting a Christian, never having exposure to what you have in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As we examine what your life in Christ means for your future, be mindful that the majority of the world has no access to this reality. We should not be indifferent to that fact.
The Qualities of Your Future Body
“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.” 1 Corinthians 15:50-52
If your life is in Christ, God has certain qualities coming your way.
An Instantaneous Quality
What’s coming for you one day, if your life is in Christ, is that “in the twinkling of an eye,” you will experience an instantaneous transformation into a resurrected body. When the Bible refers to “the last trumpet,” that’s terminology conveying that the transformation will be final.
An Imperishable Quality
The Apostle Paul goes on to say it’s not only instantaneous but imperishable. Verses 52-53 declare, “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.”
If we were to open your refrigerator this morning, no doubt there are certain things with dates indicating when the contents will perish; There are leftovers that will spoil. The Apostle Paul taught that your body will be raised in an instantaneous manner one day, in a non-perishable quality. In other words, it will endure forever. Try to wrap your head around that—forever.
An Immortal Quality
You will take on an immortal quality, meaning you will live forever, never dying. “This perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53). An instantaneous change that’s imperishable and immortal.
This has implications. The Apostle Paul 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?’” 1 Corinthians 15:54-55
When he says “it is written,” he’s quoting the prophet Isaiah, who was predicting what’s coming for you, believer.
The Death of Death
Consider this description of a certain preacher:
“There is a preacher of the old school, but he speaks as boldly as ever. He is not popular, though the world is his parish. He travels to every part of the globe and speaks in every language. He visits the poor and calls upon the rich. He preaches to people of every religion and no religion, and the subject of his sermon is always the same. He is an eloquent preacher, often stirring feelings which no other preacher could, bringing tears to eyes that never weep. His arguments none are able to refute, nor is there any heart that has remained unmoved by the force of his appeals. He shatters life with his message. Most people hate him. Everyone fears him. The name of this preacher is Death. Every tombstone is his pulpit. Every newspaper prints his text. And someday, every single one of you will be his sermon.”
What the Apostle Paul is preaching in these verses is what the prophet predicted: that one day the preacher will be retired. One day, that preacher will no longer have a job. Death itself is going to die.
“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?’” 1 Corinthians 15:54-55
The Apostle Paul referenced something written more than 1,000 years ago in Isaiah 25:8, where the Lord declares:
“He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.”
That’s not the only place this reality is cited in the Bible. In Hosea 13:14, the Lord declares, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?” God is announcing the death of death. He’s going to end it. Death will be no more. He is going to destroy it.
The language God uses is very strong. “Death is swallowed up in victory.” This word in the original language literally means “eaten up,” “totally consumed.” The prophets predicted that this day would come when death would die, and the Apostle Paul cites that in 1 Corinthians 15.
In the natural, death seems undefeatable. But in the Spirit, Jesus defeated death through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Those who trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior will defeat it, too. Death has no victory. Death has no sting. It cannot hurt you.
[READ MORE: The Problem of Evil]
Why Death Has Lost Its Power
“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.” 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
What does he mean by “the sting of death is sin”?
Death is part of the curse of sin. Death didn’t exist in the original creation. When the fall came into the created order, death was introduced. When we read Genesis, we see that the early patriarchs lived long lives. Many scholars speculate that in the original creation, as humanity lived fully in the presence of God, they were living into their full design as God intended, so life was extended. But as the effects of God’s presence faded through the fall, life got short. Death was introduced as part of the fall.
“The power of sin is the law.” What does that mean?
The power of sin operates in a way that the law doesn’t solve our sin problem. What the law does is expose our need for a Savior because we’ve all broken God’s law. That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote it all together: “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.”
The Apostle Paul wrote this because the law doesn’t solve our sin problem, and it can’t solve our death problem. But thanks be to God, Jesus Christ solves both. The law can’t solve your sin problem, and the law can’t solve your death problem. But Jesus Christ solves both.
Therefore: How Then Should We Live?
What does it profit a person to gain the whole world but lose their soul (Mark 8:36)? This has huge implications. That’s why the Apostle Paul now moves to the word “therefore.” Any time you see in the Bible the word “therefore,” you need to pause and look at what it’s there for. This is leading to something.
So, what is it leading to?
“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.” 1 Corinthians 15:58
In light of the fact that Jesus has conquered your sin problem and He’s conquered your death problem, we’re given clear instruction to: “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” This word “steadfast” means to be steady, constant, settled, and immovable. It carries the idea of being firm and sure.
The gospel of Jesus, which means if He’s risen, you will also rise one day, is why you and I should be immovable in our trials and sufferings that we experience in this life, holding on to Christ. [READ MORE: How to Deal with Anxiety]
Always Abounding in the Work of the Lord
Let’s drill further into verse 58.
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58
Take special note of that word, “always.” Not most of the time, not some of the time, but always at work in the Lord. Not only always, but always abounding in the work of the Lord.
For something to be abounding means that it has abundance or excess. Therefore, our instruction is this: In light of the fact that Jesus has secured your future through bleeding and dying for your sins, and you have the security of a resurrected, immortal body ahead of you, overflow with good works for the Lord.
How was it possible in the Apostle Paul’s life when he suffered, when he was beaten repeatedly, shipwrecked, or in prison? The Apostle Paul answered that question earlier in chapter 15:
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10
When you see the word “grace” in the New Testament, many times we associate it only with forgiveness. While it does mean that, however, most of the time when we see “grace” in the New Testament, it’s a reference to the empowerment of God that’s available to you. Scripture shares, “God is able to make all grace abound to you” (2 Corinthians 9:8). That’s like waves of tsunami grace, just wave after wave coming at you; Holy Spirit power.
That’s how the Apostle Paul lived it out. The grace of God not only forgives his sin but also fuels him in ways where he can overflow in the work of the Lord.
What this means for all of us is there’s no such thing in the kingdom of “I’ve done my part.” That doesn’t exist. We don’t stop working for the Lord, serving the Lord, being fruitful for the Lord, because we have trials or problems. We don’t stop overflowing for the glory of the Lord for any reason.
The Apostle Paul says nothing stopped him from working, from serving the Lord, because he understood that the grace of God is at work in him. If we’ve stopped overflowing with the work of the Lord, we have stopped appreciating the grace of God, abundantly available to us through what Christ has done at the cross and through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
God has given you victory over sin and death, and He will raise you to new life in the person of Jesus Christ. Overflow in the work of the Lord.
Many Ways to Overflow
There are many ways to overflow in the work of the Lord:
Praying for a neighbor to know Christ.
Praying for a colleague to know Christ.
Praying for a family member to know Christ.
Speaking the good news to them so they may know Christ, because “how will they hear unless someone tells them?” (Romans 10:14).
The church of Jesus Christ really doesn’t battle persecution as long as she stays huddled. We’re supposed to huddle in worship, but where the body of Christ historically faces persecution is when you begin to move out of the walls of the church and, in your saltiness, get on a mission for Jesus and begin to share the gospel with people.
Remember what Jesus said: “Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you” (Luke 6:26). He’s referring to the fact that you should be salty enough that at times people misunderstand you or even persecute you. But there should be overflow emanating out of love for God and love for people who are far from God.
Whether you’re teaching children, students, adults, or serving on a serve team or serving the imprisoned, the poor, or the broken, then your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Your work in the Lord is not a waste of time. Your service is not useless. Your saltiness is not a waste. Your giving of your heart, your time, and your resources isn’t empty. [READ MORE: When Giving Becomes Grace]
The Apostle Paul reminds us of this, and I’d like to express it in positive terms: The giving of your life to the kingdom has meaning. Your work in the Lord has value. Your work in the Lord will be rewarded by God.
What do you value supremely in life? What do you think is most important in life? The Word of God is telling us that work in the Lord has value, that your work in the Lord is not for nothing.
Therefore, because of your hope in the resurrection that’s coming for you and what Christ has done for you through forgiving your sin at the cross, be constant in fruitfulness. Overflow in the work of the Lord always, knowing that your work for the Lord is valuable and will be rewarded.
[READ MORE: 4 Tips for Sharing the Gospel & Inviting Someone to Church]
Two Challenges
Based upon the Word of God and what the Apostle Paul reveals in this passage, I have two challenges for you.
First, work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).
Examine your own heart: In light of what God in Christ has done for me in bleeding and dying there, is my life in Christ? Am I in church, or is my life in Christ? Have I put my faith and trust in Him as Lord and Savior, surrendered my life, my will, my being to Him, trusting that what He’s done on a cross cleanses my heart, cleanses my sin, and reconciles me to God?
[READ MORE: Sanctification: A Moment and the Process in the Life of Every Believer]
Second, develop a theology of suffering for Jesus.
You so seldom hear this in the Western church. Maybe this is the first time you’ve heard a pastor challenge you this way, but develop a theology and understanding that suffering for Christ is part of following Jesus. As you’re salty in the workplace, in the marketplace, there are going to be people who don’t understand you. There will be people who push back against the message of the gospel.
That’s part of why Jesus says things like, “If you’re going to follow me, count the cost” (Luke 14:28). What person doesn’t first measure the cost of building a tower before beginning to build it? Based upon the Word of God, develop a theology that understands there are going to be times when the culture doesn’t understand you, when the culture doesn’t give you the label of having the best reputation because you follow Jesus Christ.
It is impossible to follow Him without being labeled countercultural in some way. When we’re looking at the testimony the Apostle Paul raises up about a church called Corinth, remember they are in a land where they are persecuted. They live in a land where many gods are worshiped.
In light of the truth of the gospel, you have complete hope to stand strong for the glory of God. Your future in Christ is secure. Live in light of eternity.
TL;DR
Paul describes the believer’s future as instant, imperishable, and immortal—a transformation ushered in at the last trumpet.
Because Christ has defeated death, the prophets’ promise comes true: death is swallowed up and stripped of its sting.
Resurrection hope makes Christians steadfast, immovable, and overflowing in the work of the Lord.
Nothing done in Christ is wasted—every act of faith carries eternal value in God’s kingdom.
