We Live

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

WE LIVE

1 Cor 15:20-28

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

NIV

There is a resurrection because Jesus was resurrected and that is that, no question about it. It is interesting how some people think that because they are a good person that they will go to heaven when they die. But that is not the case. All of us were born in this life as a descendent of Adam and through his disobedience, he was cast out of the garden, or the paradise of God, and became a mortal man who would experience death. That means unless people are born again into the family of God through Jesus Christ, they are not going to heaven, but they will simply die, experience what it means to perish. Adam gives us death, but Jesus gives us life. It is also interesting that God, Theos, as the Greek word used here, gave all authority to Jesus. Paul means, by the word Theos, God the Father, who sent His Son, Jesus to destroy all dominion, authority, and power, which means of this world. This includes the devil and all his power over this world. Jesus will not only conquer the Devil but death itself. Because we are in Christ and He is in us, we do not have to fear death as we will live. Death as we know it, death of our body, is just a transition to life with Jesus in the place He has prepared for us. The other interesting point Paul makes here is that once Jesus accomplishes everything, which would include the battle at Armageddon and defeats the devil once and for all, throwing him into the lake of burning sulfur, and completing the destruction of this heaven and this earth and establishing the new heaven and new earth, Jesus will then yield all authority to the one who gave Him that authority. Although we will be with Jesus and although Jesus is God, it is the Father who is supreme over all things. It is still somewhat of a mystery as to God being three in one. God is the Father and God is the Son and God is the Spirit, but each of them is not each other but is all God. Nevertheless, even if we cannot fully grasp that in our finite minds, we believe it. The point is still the same. We are saved from death through Jesus and we will be resurrected from the dead because of Jesus. Death has no sting for us, it is just a path we travel. No problem with that, because Jesus lives so do we.