January 06, 2023 – Friday
1 Corinthians 15:26 NIV
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:26 NET
26 The last enemy to be eliminated is death.
1 Corinthians 15:26 NASB
26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
Comments
There are three versions of the same verse above and they all have something to say about death. In the NIV death will be destroyed! In the NET death will be eliminated. And in the NASB death will be abolished. It matters not which version you use, death will be no more.
It is also noteworthy no matter which verse you use death is the enemy, The last enemy! Once all other enemies have been defeated, the last enemy will be defeated, the proof of it is the resurrection. Later in verse 55 death will be mocked, Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? Which is drawn from Hosea 13:14.
How is this done? It is done by Christ after the raising of the dead as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:22, For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. And as the Pulpit Commentary puts it, Death and Hades and the devil, “who hath the power of death,” are all doomed to abolition.
Guzik provides the following quote by Spurgeon concerning death, Notice, that death is the last enemy to each individual Christian and the last to be destroyed… Brother, do not dispute the appointed order, but let the last be last. I have known a brother wanting to vanquish death long before he died. But, brother, you do not want dying grace till dying moments. What would be the good of dying grace while you are yet alive? A boat will only be needful when you reach a river. Ask for living grace, and glorify Christ thereby, and then you shall have dying grace when dying time comes. We do not have to wait until death to glorify Christ, we can do our best to glorify Him by how we live our lives. We can live our lives knowing (KNOWING!) death has already been defeated.
Paul makes that point earlier in this chapter when he writes first, 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.Then, 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. So, believe, really believe, for Christ did rise from the dead. His resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit led a small band of men to do the impossible. They changed the world by changing what the world believed because of what they not only believed but had experienced. Their records, gospels, letters, and testimonies continue to change the world.
Bottom Line: Christ has already defeated death; we simply wait for His return awake in this life or asleep waiting for Him.
Prayer: Father God, Thank You for making it so explicit that death has truly been defeated and we have a glorious eternal life to look forward to after Your Son returns. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.