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Climb
Higher: Victory in Christ
backtothebible
Read 1 Corinthians 15:50-57 - “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.”
Reflect
· If I died
tomorrow, would I go to heaven?
· Is death the
end?
· How will I
deal with the inevitable loss of those I love so much? Will they have eternal
life?
Death happens all around us
every day, to the point that we don't even bat an eye at the countless
newspaper stories or TV reports of someone's passing.
But when death strikes closer
to home, as it did with the family of the accident victim, it hits hard and deep.
Chances are, you've had your
own sad brush with death -- a parent who passed away when you were very young,
a best friend who was killed in a car crash, a teacher or pastor who quietly
went to be with the Lord.
Unless you've had an
experience with death, the whole issue of dying is probably the furthest thing
from your mind.
But none of us is immortal.
The truth is, scientists will never find a cure for death.
Mankind will never escape it
(on our own, that is).
Someday, whether by accident
or illness or old age, each one of us will die. (Unless the Lord returns
first!)
And death stings. It's an
enemy, not a friend -- both of God and of man.
Worst of all, death is the
ultimate bad day for those who haven't accepted Christ as their Savior.
But if you're a Christian, you
know that your final heartbeat won't be the mysterious end to life.
And when you stand at the
graveside of a Christian brother or sister, you know your loss is only
temporary.
That date when you and other
believers meet Jesus face to face will be the ultimate homecoming. It will be
the grand beginning to a life that never ends.
Sharing the Good News is the
answer. God doesn't want anyone to miss out on eternal life with Him.
But the bottom line is this:
Those who don't have a personal friendship with Jesus -- those who don't repent
of their sins and accept Christ in their hearts -- will not have eternal life
with God.
That's why it's important to
share the Lord's plan of salvation with everyone.
Believe me, it's an awful
feeling when a loved one dies and you're unsure if he's in heaven with Jesus.
Pray
Lord, please give me
hope--even in the face of death. Help me to trust You and to know that death is
not the end. I will spend eternity with You. Help me to share this hope with
others. Amen.
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