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.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Not all will die. There will come a time when Jesus returns and the believers who are still alive will be called to Him. Because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God nor can the perishable inherit the imperishable, something needs to happen to the bodies of those still alive when Jesus returns. At that time, the dead will be raised with imperishable bodies and those alive will be changed and given a body that is free from death and disease. When Paul speaks of a mystery, it refers to something that was not disclosed in the Old Testament but is now revealed.
Paul quotes from Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14 and says that when Jesus returns these prophecies will be fulfilled. We can all join in praising God because he has given us victory from death through Jesus Christ. Because of this, we should be steadfast and unwavering in our work for the Lord (Eph 2:10). In God our work is never in vain, it will be rewarded at the judgement (Bema) seat of Christ (1 Cor 3:12-15).
God will one day completely remove the effects of sin. He will give us new bodies that are glorious and free from death and disease. If this doesn’t motivate you to live consistently for God, then perhaps you haven’t fully realised what you’ve been given in Christ. Ask God to reveal to you the significance that the gift of resurrection is and to grow anticipation inside you for that glorious future that awaits you.