Until Next Easter and Until Then
Have you attended a funeral recently? We all hate funerals because they confront us with the reality of death and the inevitable final separation from life in our bodies on this earth.
But there is one funeral we can look forward to and will eagerly attend: the funeral of sin and death.
That’s what we just celebrated this past Sunday on Easter. More than likely, you either sang, recited, or heard these words from 1 Corinthians 15:55:
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
If you are God’s child, waiting for you on the other side of the death of sin is a glorious eternal life!
But what about until then?
Until the promised return
of the Messiah King
when all things will be
made right again
and we will be transformed
into the likeness of the
King.
Until wars cease
evil breathes its last
disease wanes
suffering screeches to a halt
death finally dies.
Until we are gifted with
a new heaven
and a new earth
with peace and righteousness
reigning
forever and ever.
Until shalom
covers the cosmos
and all things are
made new.
Until then,
there is a great danger.
Until then,
God-forgetting
man-exalting
pleasure-worshipping
foolishness
will still
seduce
deceive
manipulate
kidnap
destroy.
We are all the target.
We are all susceptible.
We all need protection.
We all need rescue.
None of us has the power
to escape this danger
on our own.
Until then,
wisdom may not attract us
may not look beautiful
may not seem best.
We may think of ourselves as
smarter
our way seemingly better
God’s warnings unnecessary
his boundaries unloving
his call to obedience
the opposite of
freedom.
Until then,
it is humbling
it is right
it is necessary
to admit that foolishness
still lurks in the dark corners
of our hearts,
attracting us to the
God-forgetting
man-exalting
pleasure-worshipping
foolishness
that surrounds us.
May we always rejoice
that we are marching
to the
Until Then
that is to come:
the funeral
of sin and death
May the eyes of our hearts
be open
to the danger between
the promise and
the fulfillment.
May we live in the
hope and courage
that comes from being sure
that the promises
of the King
are accompanied by
the victory
and presence
of the King.
Until then,
he has the power
to rescue fools from fools
and to fill our hearts
with an insatiable desire
for the wisdom
that only ever comes
from him.
Living in light of the funeral of sin and death also means this: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
As we live in this world where sin still does its ugly work inside and outside of us, we live with the promised defeat and death of sin in mind. We refuse to give up hope and to give way to what Christ defeated and will finally destroy.
Living in light of the final death of sin means living a life of courage and hope. It means standing strong against the seductive voice of temptation. It means refusing to move when evil beckons. It means refusing to live for things that will soon pass away.
It means giving your time, strength, resources, gifts, and energy to things that have eternal significance. It means understanding that you have been called to the Lord’s work. And it means understanding that nothing you do in the Lord’s name is ever a waste of your commitment and time.
Living with the final victory in view means living a life of victory as you wait for that final victory!
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.
(1 Corinthians 15:51-57)
A Prayer for Today: Lord, as I live in this sin-soaked world that is full of despair and death, help me to remember that there is a final funeral coming that will not be full of mourning, but joy—the funeral of sin and death itself. Help me to live in light of that coming day and would you fill my heart with an insatiable desire for the wisdom and strength that only comes from you. In the name of Jesus my Lord, amen.
God bless,
Paul David Tripp
Discussion Prompt for Children
What do you think it means that sin and death will one day die and how can that truth change us right now?
Reflection Questions
1. What kind of specific dangers are you facing right now that would lead you away from God? What do you wrestle with day-to-day that is man-exalting, pleasure-worshipping foolishness? How is it specifically seductive, deceptive, and manipulative to you?
2. What kinds of secret sins lurk in the dark corners of your heart? What would it look like to refuse to live for those secret sins, knowing that they will soon pass away? How can you drag those secret sins into the light even though they might kick and scream along the way? Who are the people in your life you can talk to about those sins right now?
3. How does the final death of sin give you courage and hope to fight your sin right now? How does the final death of sin motivate you to stand strong against the seductive voice of temptation? What are some practical things you can implement into your life that champions eternal significance instead of temporal pleasure? Why is nothing you do in the Lord’s name ever a waste of your commitment and time?