1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-58 – 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. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 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?” 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. 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.”
THEME OF THE DAY: MOTIVATED TO ABOUND IN THE LORD’S WORK. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. That is how fast the Apostle Paul tells us our change is going to be when we see Jesus! The Apostle John also proclaims this glorious truth – See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:1-2). This is our hope and desire, but that moment is not this moment. It will be someday, but not today. Even though this is a future event it should be shaping our lives this moment and for the rest of our moments God gives us.
Coming back to the scripture of the day, the Apostle Paul invests most of the text describing the victory the Lord Jesus has accomplished for His people; the victory over our last enemy – death. And though the victory has occurred, the final application of it is still future. However, there is an immediate application in our service for the Lord. Go back to the scripture of the day and find the word “therefore”. It points us to the application for this life. Paul would say, “In light of the truth that death has been conquered, and we are going to be changed into the image of the Lord Jesus, be busy in doing His work.” When we live considering the certainty of our change from this life to eternity, from still fighting sin to freedom from sin, and from living by faith in Jesus to seeing Jesus, we are motivated to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Take a moment and consider how practical this truth is for daily Christian living. To believe death is conquered and our change from mortal to immortality certain, we will find ourselves powerfully moved to more sacrificial service for Him who gives us both. How could such truths not transform us? To be dead in trespasses and sins, then made alive, and given the sure hope of eternity in heaven should energize us to always abound in ensuring others come to know and experience these same liberating truths.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to look for that Great Day of change as a motivator for daily service.”
QUOTE: “Live as if the last trumpet might be heard today. Someday it will be.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim