A Mystery Bringing Hope and a Sense of Urgency

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

 

1 Corinthians 15:55

“O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

(ESV)

 

The struggles and challenges of life can cause one to lose hope, especially if one does not have hope in Christ from a personal relationship. However, even those who know Jesus as their personal savior can lose hope during times of struggle by focusing on their circumstances instead of the eternal hope they have in Christ. In this text, Paul reveals a mystery that should bring us hope but also create a sense of urgency to remain diligent and steadfast in declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

The text begins with Paul telling the Corinthians that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:50). This means it is not our present flesh and blood bodies that move on for eternity, but the resurrected bodies provided at the resurrection of the dead. However, there is a mystery Paul must reveal that all will not experience death but instead experience change in an instant at the last trumpet. When the last trumpet sounds the dead will rise in their resurrected bodies and those in Christ who are alive changed (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Our perishable mortal bodies must change into imperishable and immortal bodies to inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:53). This transformation brings victory over death as those in Christ receive their imperishable immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:54).

 

At this moment in the text, Paul taunts death asking where its victory and sting are (1 Corinthians 15:55). The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law with the resurrection of Jesus Christ freeing us from sin’s sting and power over our lives (1 Corinthians 15:56-57). Therefore, Paul urges the Church in Corinth to remain steadfast, immovable, and abounding, or diligent, in the work of the Lord, because our work in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

 

After Paul’s teaching of the resurrection of Christ providing the path to salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-11), the importance of believing in the resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12-34), and the resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:35-49), Paul unveils the mystery of the rapture of the Church (1 Corinthians 15:50-58). Paul began this chapter by teaching how the resurrection of Jesus Christ not only provided a path to salvation, but that Jesus was the first fruit of the resurrection of the dead, indicating there would be others. However, it is not possible to believe this if one does not believe in the resurrection of the dead, an issue Paul handles in 1 Corinthians 15:12-34. Paul then describes the qualities of the resurrected body with this text explaining the mystery of how believers will receive their resurrected body (1 Corinthians 15:50-58), something reinforced in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. This passage provides hope of eternity with Christ, but Paul also calls the Corinthians to abound in the work of the Lord knowing it is not in vain but points to eternal life with Christ (1 Corinthians 15:58).

 

As we look at what is occurring in our world, we observe ungodliness at an unprecedented level. Abortion murdering the unborn before they can even take their first breath. Society's acceptance of homosexuality with pressure put on the church to accept it with many Churches giving in to the pressure. Transgenderism changing society's definition of what it is to be a man or a woman, slapping God in the face for the gender He provided them. The world needs Jesus but the clock is ticking, creating a sense of urgency to tell everyone about the Gospel before the Lord raptures the Church so no one left behind does so without warning.

 

Like the Corinthian Church, the Church today must be diligent in their work of spreading the Gospel and making disciples (1 Corinthians 15:58). However, the Church of today more resembles the Laodicean Church believing their wealth and prosperity were all they need and that they did not need Christ (Revelation 3:15-17). The Church lacking a sense of urgency in spreading the Gospel risks Jesus standing outside a closed door when the rapture comes (Revelation 3:20) instead of an open door like the Church of Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7). The Church today needs to return to the mission of spreading the Gospel and making disciples with a sense of urgency because the time is short (Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). If anyone is reading this and has not prayed to accept Jesus as their personal savior, I urge them to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.