August 23

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:26

Job 8:1-11:20
1 Corinthians 15:1-28
Psalm 38:1-22
Proverbs 21:28-29

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New Testament: 1 Corinthians 15:1-28

Summary: The Resurrection of Christ, The Resurrection of the Dead

Today we learn that we have a living Lord. Jesus is alive, and the gospel message is true. Witnesses who saw him have passed along their testimony to us. When you trust him, you receive resurrection, life, eternal life. Death can hold you no more. And we’ll learn that we have a living hope. Jesus Christ will come again, and the dead in Christ will be raised. We will have glorified bodies like Christ’s body. Now, keep in mind that resurrection is not reconstruction. God does not reassemble the original body that is turned to dust like flowers and fruit from the planted seed. The glorified body is related to the planted body, but quite different from it. And we will learn that we have a living dynamic. See, we have no reason to give up, because Jesus has conquered sin and death. If you really believe in the resurrection and return of Jesus, well, this will characterize your life. The best is yet to come. So let us give him our best now. Right now, today.

We all must deal with many troubles and enemies in our lives. Often, they are so severe that we can hardly manage to stay alive. Our last enemy, however, will be our worst enemy. When death attacks, there is no remedy. We all know that we must die. People may escape from their enemies but, in the end, nobody escapes death.

Paul too calls death ‘the last enemy’. However, there is a difference between Paul’s thoughts and our thoughts; they are, in fact, opposite. We describe death as the last enemy that will defeat us in the end. Paul describes death as the last enemy that Christ will defeat.

That is an astonishing and important statement. Death has controlled the lives of everyone who has ever lived. But Christ will defeat death.

Paul is confident about that fact. Christ has already done everything necessary to achieve that success. Christ died so that God could forgive people. When people believe in him, God gives them life without end (John 3:16). Although their bodies may die, their spirits will never die. However, that is not the end of the matter. Those people’s bodies will, in the future, become alive again (15:21-23). Then they will not have the same weak bodies that they now have (15:42-44). They will have a different, better quality of life that will never end.

Anyone who wants to receive the benefit of these wonderful promises must invite Christ into their life. They must confess their evil deeds to God and they must trust Christ to save them. Then God will teach them how to live in a manner that pleases him.

From: usefulbible.com