Introduction: Paul in our text declares what is the very heart of the gospel, that death, man’s last enemy will one day be destroyed. Death, the cessation of human life. The grim reaper. The disrobing of our human vestures. The crumbling of our earthly tabernacle. The broken shell and the deposited seed. Death is interwoven in every aspect of human life. Our earthly state is characterized by constant dying. The birth of a new born baby is marred only by the immediate grip of the hand of death. The old die. The young die. Animals die. Even in the inanimate realm, plants wither and things decay. We are daily victims of death. Whatever we were yesterday, we are not today. In each of our earthly frame, the law of decadence and mortality are constantly at work. Each funeral reminds us that the same thief that stole our love ones will someday creep into our own comfort zone. Everything in the seen realm is changing, it is why the bible says to be carnal minded is death. In a strange way death is a human neccessity. We feed on death and by our own death become food for future existence. Death in a peculiar way provides for heaven a greater harvest.The more humans die the greater the resurrection. The greater the resurrection, the greater will be heaven’s harvest. Large amounts of money is spent trying to cover the pale face of death. The bible is a written record of birth and death. It was not a part of God’s original plan but resulted from human sin. It is an intruder, an invader, an ememy in the plan of God. Our first parents were its first captives. They disobeyed God and died the same day. We must remember that one day with God is as a thousand years. Thus, Methuselah lived 969 years and that’s 31 years short of a thousand. So man did die the day he disobeyed God. Death held men captive until the God man came. It is this joy that the Apostle Paul hoped for, a final release from earthly infirmities and suffering. Christ came to deliver us from captivity. He came down as God, but He ascended as the God man. Paul refered to death as our last enemy. It is also true in Adam that death was our first enemy. Rejoice O’ man of God, Christ has conqured death and will finally destroy him once and for all!
There are three great enemies with whom man must contend. The Law, sin and death. Sin was man’s attempt to be God. Law was man’s reminder of his own
inadequacies. Death was the result of unremoved sin. But today we can shout the victory. In Christ the demands of the law were met. In Christ sin was abolished. In Christ death was conqured and in Him death will be destroyed.
In the first place, Christ Liberated Us From Sin. We are freed from the penalty and power of sin. In glory we will be free of its presence. Just as Adam’s unrighteousness condemned us, the righteousness of Christ justified us.We are saved from sin when we accept Jesus as the Sent of God, the Son of God and the Saviour from sin. Salvation is the apprehending that Jesus Christ through His obedience and the merits of His sacrifice, made a new standing-ground before God for us. That in Christ we have a new place in God and a new relation with Him. That Christ’s righteouness was not personal but shared with every believer. In the presence of sin we stand as saved by grace. In the presence of God’s holiness, we stand in Christ’s righteouness. In the anticipation of judgement day, we stand as already aquitted, for us there is now no condemnation. We are saved, being saved and we will be saved. Whatever the gospel is, it is good news that Christ is the Saviour of sinners. He not only lived a sinless life but is providing the grace for us to be partakers of the Divine nature. It is through the life of Christ, that though our bodies are laid in the grave, a seed from whence, shall in God’s own time rise into a glorious body. The ultimate joy of the gospel is that there no sin, no sickness, no trouble, nor depth, no height which Divine love cannot reach.
In the second place, Jesus Fulfilled the Demands of the Law. The believer is not only declared righteous by God but is renewed in righteous and is progressively sanctified as he applies the word in his life. The believer keeps the law not be saved but to become confirmed to the image of Christ. The law frustrated man and reminded him of his failure. The law told us we were sinners but provided no way out. The law left us sinful, frustrated and hopless. But Christ broke into the realm of humanity and bore the penalty of the law and freed us from its condemnation. Therefore, death has no claim on the child of God. We have been justified, aquitted,vindicated and set free from the demands of the law. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but if we are in Christ, Death has no sting and the law has no hold on us!
In the third place, Christ Conquered Death at Calvary. The record is that He died, was buried and rose on the third day. The evidence was the empty tomb. The wittness were over 500 in number. The pledge is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Incarnate Christ demonstrated His power over death, when He called the dead back to life. But these were restored only to die again. However, at calvary Jesus got up from the grave, never to die again. He is the first fruits of a great harvest. Jesus said in Revelation, I have the keys of hell and death, and I am alive forever more.He has both, the command and the authority of all those who sleep in Jesus. The graves are filled with seeds that will spring up to everlasting life. In Christ the body will rot but the believer will rise. The body that we bury is not the future body, we bury corruption but incorrution will rise. We bury mortal but immortal will rise. We bury weakness but power will rise. We bury a worn tent but a house not made with hands will rise. When Jesus calls forth that great harvest, nothing will prevent his own from coming forth out of the earth. Land and sea must give their hold on those who die in the Lord. Death is of sin and if sin is conquered death is not. If we are in sin, we are without Christ. If we are without Christ, we are without a redeemer. If we are without a redeemer, death will conquer us. Christ was delivered for our offenses and was raised for justification. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through Christ our Lord.
In the final Place, God Will Destroy Death. At the Great White Throne Judgement, God will destroy death once and for all. Death and hell will be cast into the lake of fire. Paul said, Christ abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Conclusion: The day is coming when the joy anticipated will become reality. God will destroy death. A new day will dawn. There will be:
No more tears.....No more death.....No more sorrow.....
No more pain.....No more hospitals.....No more nursing homes.....No more funerals.....No more separation.....
No more standing helplessly along side hospital beds.....
Death is swallowed up in victory. God had given us the victory, through Jesus Christ Our Lord!!!
