How Can Anyone Be Certain that Death is not Victorious?

How Can Anyone Be Certain that Death is not Victorious?

Illustration: Mr. Parker served in our United States Army....in any conflict, victory is the desired outcome; but when it comes to life and death, is there any way to be certain that death is not victorious?

1 Corinthians 15:54–57 KJV 1900

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Death is the end result of a series of truths.

First, the law is that which shows to us our shortcomings.

Whether you accept this as the 10 Commandments or whether you completely refuse the Bible and the 10 Commandments, there is a moral law under which we all live. What the law does is that is reveals that there is a standard.

Illustration: Military living - keeping rooms, bunks clean.

The law reveals a standard. Because there is a standard, be it moral or ceremonial, there is no one who perfectly keeps the standard in his whole being. What I mean is that even if we were to live perfectly, which we all know we do not, we do not think or desire perfectly. Our reasonings and desires even fall short.

Secondly, the falling short of the law is what the Bible calls sin; but what is this falling short in comparison too?

Where did this conscience inside of us come from? From where did the moral law originate? If there is a moral law, then we must consider the reality that there is a moral Law Giver. To fall short of the law is to fall short of the Law Giver. This is God, and this is what it means to sin.

Sin is to fall short of a right and perfect standard.

Not only is there the law and sin, but there is a consequence for sin — death. Unfortunately, we cannot hide our head in the sand on this matter because all of us have been affected by the consequence of sin. The consequence is called death, and death is separation. There are two parts of this separation to consider. First, there is the obvious separation of the soul from the body; but secondly, death is also the eternal separation of the law breaker from the Law Giver. This latter separation is the most devastating of the separations.

Thus, death is indeed the end result of a series of truths — the truth of the law and the reality of sin.

Death is NOT ultimately victorious

It is here where Paul’s words become tremendously encouraging because Paul points to the thank-worthiness of this offended Law Giver. This same Law Giver has given victory over the consequence of sin — death. To be sure when Paul is speaking about victory over death, he does not mean that we will not physically die but that rather than spending an eternity separated from God, we can be re-united to this God, and He has done all things necessary for this victory to be a reality. He is thankworthy.

How is death not ultimately victorious?

There must be clarity though as to how anyone can be certain that death is not victorious. Is this even a possible certainty? Yes. Note that victory is through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul has just finished the longest treatment on the Resurrection in all of the Bible. In this treatment, Paul gives evidences that point to the validity of the Resurrection. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ shows that death is actually NOT the most powerful entity in existence. There is Someone who is more powerful than the separation from God. That is Jesus Christ.

When Paul says that this victory is “through” the Lord Jesus Christ. He is confirming that the offended God lovingly sent His Son Jesus Christ to keep the Law which we could not perfectly keep. In spite of this perfection, Jesus Christ died, but Christ’s death does not make sense since he did not deserve to be separated from God. Thus, we have to consider that Jesus Christ was dying on behalf of others — as a Substitution. He died in the place of others so that those who receive Him as Lord can have their sins completely forgiven before God. To have our sins forgiven by God means that we no longer have to be under the consequence of sin — which is death. This is the only way to be certain that death is not ultimately victorious; but true victory is found in Jesus Christ alone.

So, this brings us to the inevitable question, are you certain that you are victorious over death?

Do you have this hope?

Today, you cannot avoid the reality of death. It is all around us. Only by believing your accountability before the Holy God, seeing that you do not meet his legal requirements of the soul, believing that Jesus is the sacrifice for forgiveness of your sins, and receiving Jesus as your Lord can you be certain. Will you believe in Jesus Christ today?

This is the hope that true Christians have — a hope that means that obvious, physical death is really not the end because their loved ones who do have Jesus are with Him presently.