O death, where is thy sting?

Ever stopped to analyse the difference between a Christian and non-Christian funeral? Alan Smith has been to a few of both recently and shares his thoughts.

I guess we have all attended funerals of both Non-Christians and Christians. The contrast is often startling.

I recently attended one of the most exciting funerals you could imagine. Almost all of the congregation were committed Christians and they nearly sang the roof off the little country church. 

The funeral was for a lady about 75 years old, who died fairly suddenly. She was a totally committed Christian and all of her immediate family knew the Lord. In a worldly sense she seemed almost insignificant, but she was definitely not insignificant in God’s sight. She was a lady in every sense of the word, and a giant of the Christian faith. 

The service was exciting, uplifting and joyful. There were tears for sure, but many of them were tears of joy. 

Within a short time either side of this funeral, I had attended three funerals of non-Christians. The contrast was very obvious. No Bible, no singing, no prayer, no joy, no celebration, no hope, no God, just tears and grief. Some western or classical music and a poem here and there. 

WHAT MAKES SUCH A DIFFERENCE?

The scriptures assure us that, just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so shall those be who love Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus is at the very heart of our faith, as it is at the heart of our own Christian walk. Without the hope of personal resurrection, we also are without hope. Our faith is useless and we are lost for eternity. 

For me eternity excites hope and defies understanding. Because we are limited by time and space, we are only given little tit bits of information in the scriptures (Paradise, streets of gold, no suffering etc.) Our minds cannot conceive what heaven is like. If we could hold a glimpse of paradise, it would change most of the way we live our lives here and now. To fully grasp eternity would be like putting the Pacific Ocean in a teacup.  

Paul wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 15. The passage is in the context of sewing seed, which must die and then God causes new growth to bring up a bountiful, beautiful and useful crop. Life out of death. 

“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is  sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-43) 

It is foolish to question the almighty power of God to raise the dead – He does it all the time in nature. A seed dies – it is raised a beautiful flower. For the creator of the universe and all that is in it, resurrection should be a relatively easy matter. 

This passage is saying that God will take a perishable, dishonourable, weak and sinful body (in this passage called a natural body), and through the resurrection make it an imperishable, glorious powerful body. (a spiritual body). This body will be fitted for our heavenly abode where we will dwell forever. 

“For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true. (1 Corinthians 15:53-57) 

DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. 

WHERE O DEATH IS YOUR VICTORY? 

WHERE O DEATH IS YOUR STING? 

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 This is all saying that our “natural” bodies will be replaced with a “spiritual body” suited for heaven and for eternity. 

On the cross Jesus dealt with the sin issue, and as a result took the sting out of death. Through His resurrection, He had victory over both Satan and death. That is why Paul could say; 

DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.

WHERE O DEATH IS YOUR VICTORY?

WHERE O DEATH IS YOUR STING?

As born again Christians we should shout this from the rooftops. 

I have no fear of death. God is in control and I won’t die a moment before His time. I may have a concern about how it happens. 

For the one who knows and loves Jesus, there is no need to fear death. For them it is merely a transition, a reward, a victory, a promotion. 

The big question for each one of us is:- 

DO YOU QUALIFY FOR THE RESURRECTION ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES?

by Alan Smith