ICS Daily Devotions
Escaping the Corruption
1 Corinthians 15:54-57 (NKJV) So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “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 law of God is a school master because it reveals to us what is sin and the consequences of sin. It is the law that reveals to us the magnitude of sin and our inability to stand before a holy God. All of us are mortal beings and will die one fine day. We have a mortal and corruptible body. And if we do not have a way to deal with the penalty of sin, then the sting of death will send us straight to hell.
The earth is cursed. There were no chronic illnesses and sicknesses when God created the earth during the time of Adam and Eve. Everything that God created was very good. It was the sin of mankind that brought about the fallen world that we live in today. All the sicknesses, illnesses, diseases and calamities came into the world after the fall of man. The two kinds of death namely the physical and spiritual separation from God are the result of sin.
Psalms 90:10 (NKJV) The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
We witnessed how the lifespan of mankind came down after Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit. We are waiting for a new heaven and earth, but the time is not fulfilled yet. There is a string of evil activities that caused the effect that we are witnessing now. For instance, there is lack of values and ethics caused by business people to allow poisonous chemical to leak into the land and rivers in all countries regardless whether they are developing or developed countries.
We are also witnessing the pain and emotional hurts experienced by people among us. The sin of betrayal toward their loved one brought about emotional hurts and pain in the realm of the soul on the children and spouses. There will be people who will hold onto bitterness in their lives. This will not be healthy for them and there is nothing that the Lord can do because it is a personal choice.
There is chaos and people are fearful of death if they do not know what is life after death, especially an eternity without Jesus in their lives. Praise be to God that Jesus dealt with the sin issue by becoming sin for us so that we can have the righteousness of God on us. We are hidden in Christ. Therefore, God has accepted us based on who we are in Christ. Therefore, death has lost its sting on the Christians and we will live for eternity with God when our spirit man departs this earth when we die. Life on earth is truly temporal as compared to eternity! We are confident to be received into His bosom the moment we breathe our last breath. Jesus is the resurrection and life, therefore though we die, we shall continue to live in eternity with God.
Sermon series: Meditating on the Names of God
