ICS Daily Devotions
The Sting of Death Is Gone
I Corinthians 15:55-57 NKJV “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“The sting of death is sin” in this passage refers to the spiritual death and separation from God because of sin. The good news is that Jesus dealt with the sin issue that separated us from God which destined us to hell and judgement. The sin of mankind was put unto Jesus Christ and he was judged for our sins. Jesus shed his blood as payment for our sins. His redemption made us righteous before God.
II Corinthians 5:21 NKJV “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Galatians 3:13 NKJV “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),”
The strength of sin is the law and its curse is such that no man can ever fulfil the entire law. We stand condemned when we try to use self righteousness to justify ourselves before God. It is an impossible task. Only the work of Christ satisfied the law as claimed. While the wrath of God towards sin was upon Christ, his righteousness was imputed to us and are we are no longer condemned but forgiven. The bible says “there is no condemnation on them who are in Christ.” God has removed sin from us, forgotten it, buried it in the seas and removed it as far as the east is from the west. He has wiped us clean, we are accepted, seen as holy and righteous in Christ. Even if our bodies are aging by the day, we are growing stronger each day that we are in the Lord.
Thus death has lost its sting for the Christian because we will not be separated from God but have life in eternity with our Maker. Life doesn’t stop at death but we continue to live in the eternal life that God has prepared for us. So there is absolutely nothing to fear in this life if we have conquered the fear of death because Jesus took the sting of death on our behalf.
Sermon Series: Fear Does Not Belong to You
