Putting on immortality

I was just listening to “What Do I Know” by Sara Groves which was so interesting in its timing since I’ve been meditation on 1 Cor 15:54-57. The topic? Putting on immortality.

But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about 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.

With immortality, is death an empty threat?

immortality

You know, the only REAL weapon the enemy has is death. For the believer, it isn’t a weapon at all. When Jesus burst OUT of that grave, Satan was, I imagine, completely taken off guard. I really don’t think he saw it coming. Not truly.

At that moment death was swallowed up in victory!

The Greek word for swallowed has a connotation for being devoured, completely consumed. Don’t think of this as your 4 year old swallowing the peas you put on his plate where some get spit into his milk, some get dropped on the floor in the hopes the dog will eat it and maybe a few get squished down his pants. Think of that one “cheat” you allow yourself on your diet. Maybe a small piece of chocolate cake with a teeny scoop of mint ice cream. You find every single bit and morsel of cake on your plate, you lick your finger to pick up the crumbs mice might miss. And you might even lick that plate to get the all the drippings of the ice cream!!

That treat is swallowed completely; it is devoured!

But the scripture doesn’t end there. That’s exciting enough, but there’s more! It’s not just that death is swallowed. It is swallowed up IN VICTORY! It is totally vanquished. We don’t use that word very often today. It is often taken out of some of our older hymns in preference for a more common expression. It means total conquered, subdued or totally wiped out by superior force. Whoa! Death is devoured (eaten, swallowed, destroyed) by a greater, superior conquering force and is totally defeated!

We still walk in the mortality of our flesh. We can and will still physically die. But that death is no longer a weapon for us. It has been beaten by the blood of Jesus. Our years left here, however long they may be, are to be spent understanding the power and victory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This victory is putting on immortality. We live in the temporal here and now while at the same time living in Eternity. We see the Spirit as our down payment, as a promise of the Unity with God we’ll have in Glory and as the hope of what He has promised us in complete and total salvation.