Death is not the end

Q: What does the Bible say about resurrection after death?

The Bible teaches that there will be a resurrection of the dead, as evidenced by Christ's own resurrection. The resurrection of the dead is a central tenet of Christian doctrine, particularly highlighted in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57. The Apostle Paul affirms that just as Christ was raised from the dead, so too will believers be resurrected. This is a matter of both scriptural prophecy and significant witness, with over 500 people reportedly having seen the risen Christ. The resurrection proves that death does not have the final say; rather, it is swallowed up in victory through Jesus, providing believers with a hope that transcends this life.

Q: How do we know the resurrection of Jesus is true?

The resurrection of Jesus is supported by scripture and eyewitness accounts. Historical and scriptural evidence supports the truth of Jesus' resurrection. Paul emphasizes in 1 Corinthians 15 that Christ died, was buried, and rose again, all according to the Scriptures. Furthermore, He appeared to many witnesses, including over 500 individuals who could attest to His resurrection. These accounts were documented in the Gospels and early Christian writings, reinforcing the belief in the resurrection as a cornerstone of faith and a pivotal moment in God's redemptive plan.

Q: Why is the resurrection of Christ important for Christians?

The resurrection of Christ is crucial as it assures believers of their own resurrection and victory over death. The significance of Christ's resurrection cannot be overstated in sovereign grace theology. As articulated in 1 Corinthians 15, if there is no resurrection, then Christian faith is in vain, and believers remain in their sins. The resurrection provides assurance of the victory over death; just as Jesus rose, so will those who are in Him. This assurance transforms the Christian's outlook on death, offering hope and a promise of eternal life with God, free from the sting of sin and death. Thus, it affirms the believer's identity and hope in Christ's victory.

Q: What happens to believers when they die?

Believers in Christ go to be with Him in paradise, and will be resurrected at His coming. When a believer dies, their soul is separated from their physical body and goes to be with the Lord in paradise, as hinted in the Scriptures. This is not the final state, as there will be a resurrection of the body at Christ's second coming. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that those who are 'in Christ' will rise as firstfruits of the resurrection. This hope comforts Christians amidst the grief of physical death, as they anticipate a glorious eternal existence in the presence of Christ, free from sin and suffering.

Q: What is the significance of the phrase 'death is swallowed up in victory'?

'Death is swallowed up in victory' signifies the defeat of death through Christ’s resurrection. The phrase 'death is swallowed up in victory' reflects the triumph of Christ over death, emphasizing that through His resurrection, the power and finality of death are defeated. In 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, Paul not only questions death's sting but celebrates that believers no longer need to fear it. This victory brings profound comfort, indicating that while physical death exists as a result of sin, it does not hold dominion over those who are in Christ, as He has conquered it completely.

Once again with the help of the Lord I would like you to turn with me to the chapter that we read together first Corinthians chapter 15 and we will look from verse 54 down to verse 56 or 57. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Some of us today have been round the grave of dear Ted and come face to face again with the reality that everything that lives must die. Second time this year that I've been at a funeral And no doubt some of you have been also to funerals already this year and no doubt will be at more throughout this year. And the thought always crosses my mind and I'm sure it does yours when you look at the grave unless we're totally hardened or inept to what we are seeing before us. How long will it be? until I'm laid in the grave. How many days do I have? How many years do I have?

The grave open always seems such a cold and a horrible place. And yet we have to lay our loved ones into that cold, horrible place. And you have to leave them there and walk away. And as the curse fell upon the human race, dust you are, and to dust you shall return. We all know that there's no coming back. Once we have died, there's no return. We come into this world in one way, we are born, and we go out another, we die. there is no return.

As Paul writes to the Corinthians, there seems to have been a debate or a heresy that had crept into the church He says to them, that we preached to you the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, I delivered unto you first of all that which I received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. And so he argues the point, according to the scriptures, this is what we preached to you, that Christ died upon the cross that he was buried in the grave and that he rose again on the third day. But then he goes on to the witnesses that saw the Lord Jesus Christ, that Jesus Christ did not lay in the grave and his body did not succumb to dust, it did not decompose. It was there for three days and then he rose again on the third day and he was, according to prophecy, That's what was written about the Lord Jesus Christ and that's what was testified by those that saw the writers of the Gospels as they wrote about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is referred to as the Scriptures. Then he was seen not just by one or two people in secret meetings, but he was seen of over 500 people. Some of those people, they had died already, but some of those people at the times of the writing of the Corinthians, they were still alive and they were still able to testify that they had seen and communicated with the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so this heresy had crept into the Corinthian church that there was no resurrection of the dead. And so Paul argues his point and said, if there's no resurrection of the dead, then that means Jesus Christ never rose from the dead. And the consequences of Jesus Christ not rising from the dead are vast. colossal consequences of Jesus Christ not rising from the dead.

First of all it would mean that if Jesus Christ didn't rise from the dead then we are liars. He said we are liars. We've lied because we've preached that God rose up Jesus Christ from the dead and if he didn't raise him up then we are preaching a lie. And if Jesus Christ didn't rise again from the dead, that means our faith is vain because we have our faith in Christ Jesus, that he lived, that he died, and that he rose again. Essential doctrine in the Christian teaching, even in salvation, that our faith is fixed on a living saviour seated at the right hand of the father. He says our faith is in vain. And if our faith is in vain, if our faith is in Christ Jesus, we believe that he lived, that he died and that he rose again.

Why did he do that? He came to this world not to live for his own accord, but to live and to die for his people, so that he could give himself as a ransom, a payment for sinners, that by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, we could be cleansed from our sin. And so if Christ is not raised from the dead, he says, then your faith is in vain and you are yet in your sin. so he tries to stamp out this heresy that had crept into the church as that Christ rose again from the dead and that those that are dead in Christ Jesus as Christ rose again as the firstfruits of the resurrection, they also will rise again at his coming. But every man, he says, every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming, then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all the world and all authority and all power.

And that last enemy that is going to be destroyed it is death itself. In the book of Revelation it tells us that death and hell are cast into the lake of fire as Christ triumphs over all his enemies and in heaven the scripture tells us there is no more death, there is no more tears, no more sorrow and no more suffering. And so the Corinthians said that the dead don't rise, And we would say that there were some at that funeral today who would declare that the dead don't rise. And there would be those people outside of this chapel this evening who declare that the dead don't rise.

When we die, that is it. Our life is finished. We just cease to exist. That is not what the Bible teaches us. The Bible gives us a glimpse beyond the grave as to what takes place the moment somebody dies. Death is the separation of the body and the soul. The body ceases to be, it dies. And the soul, it goes back to God who is the giver of life, who is the giver of souls.

The soul will even spend its eternity under the wrath of God, or it will go to paradise to be with Christ forever and ever, waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But the scripture tells us what takes place We know that the scripture is true because the Lord Jesus Christ told us before he even died that this is what is going to happen to him. He is going to demonstrate what is going to happen to those who believe and trust in him, that the grave will not hold them. He said to his apostles that after three days I will rise again. What happened after three days? After three days the Lord Jesus Christ rose again from the grave, written in scripture, seen above 500 people. Why?

For the comfort of his loved ones. so that they don't go to that open grave without hope, that we don't stand around that open grave without hope. We have a hope, not a wishy-washy worldly hope, but a certainty that the scripture is true, that when we die, we will rise again, and that those we lay in the grave, they will also rise again.

And so the scripture tells us that death is that last enemy. I think I spoke to recently of people who mock death. They come up with all manner of jokes regarding death, and they seem to seek to suppress that fear that is naturally within a person. But death came as a curse from God because of the sin of Adam and Eve. We read as, in Adam all die.

Our physical body has been cursed, which is why it has a limited lifespan. Only the Lord knows how long we are able to be upon the face of this earth, but this body is limited. It cannot go for, it cannot endure for eternity. It is mortal. This body also cannot enter into the presence of a holy God. This body cannot go into heaven.

It must die or it must be changed. And so as the apostle tells us, we will not, I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep or we shall not all die, but we shall be changed. as we wait for that second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, there will be those believers who fall asleep, they will die. when the time comes for the Lord Jesus Christ to come again there will be those believers who are alive, they're still in their sinful corrupted bodies and so as Jesus Christ comes they won't die but the Bible says they will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, their corruptible body shall be shall put on incorruption. It shall be made as a sinless body that can stand in the presence of a holy God. This corruptible body must put on incorruption.

This mortal body must put on immortality. And so death is the curse that has been placed upon the human race because of the sin of Adam. In Adam all die. And not only was that a physical death, but it was a spiritual death as well. We were separated from God. But death is also described in the scriptures as a wages, the wages of sin is death. As we continue to live, We continue to reap wages, earn wages. We continue to sin and to sin and to sin against God. And death is the inevitable end, the wages that we will reap. It is an irreversible event. would take place, an unstoppable event in each of our lives that is going to take place.

I think I've told you before of those billionaires who are trying all they can to live for eternity on this earth. They eat special diets, they do special training programs, they alter parts of their bodies with plastic and parts that don't wear out and they want to prove that it's possible for a human being to live on this world for eternity. But even this very world that we are on is limited. Even if somebody was to be able to prolong their life This world will one day die, will cease to be, be rolled up as a scroll.

It groans, itself groans under the weight of sin. And one mark of a Christian, one mark of how to know whether you are born again will be this, that I don't want to continue too long in this body. I wouldn't want to spend eternity in this body that is corrupted by sin.

I have a desire to be changed in the twinkling of an eye that I may see my Jesus face to face. Because we know that when we're alive and in this body, there's a barrier that separates us from viewing Jesus as he is. And that barrier is this corruptible body. that this mortal must put on immortality to be able to view Christ without a veil between. And so one of those marks that you're a believer is that very fact. that you war against the flesh every single day. And you know that in heaven, when you will be changed, that war will be over and there will be that eternal rest.

There was only two people in the Bible that have not experienced a physical death. One of those was Enoch. And the Bible tells us that he walked with God and he was not for God took him. He didn't die, but his body must have been changed. As he was taken up to be with God, he must have been changed as he entered up into glory. And the same as Elijah, as the chariot of fire passes through Elijah and Elisha, and he is taken up into heaven in a whirlwind. He must have been changed, either that fire cleansing him from his sin or changing in the twinkling of an eye for him to enter into the presence of a holy, holy, holy God.

There's only two in 6,000 or so years of Earth's history, two men have not experienced death. And so what is it like beyond the veil? we know that it's a real place. Heaven is a real place. It's not just a figure of someone's imagination. It's a real place. A real place with real people. Physical people.

When the Lord Jesus was transfigured in Matthew 17, He revealed his glory. The Bible tells us that he shone, that his raiment was as the light. And there appeared unto them, as Peter, James and John, Moses and Elias, or Elijah, talking with them. Moses representing the law, Elijah representing the prophets, but two men that had died a couple of thousands of years before. These were not spirits. These were real men. And they talked with the Lord Jesus Christ as Jesus is being transfigured. His glory is being seen. And it's like, as I meditated upon that, you know, it's like a glimpse of heaven, a foretaste of heaven.

To see Jesus Christ without the veil between, to see Jesus Christ as he is, in his fullness, in his glory, Just as Peter, James and John, they viewed the Lord Jesus Christ in his glory and with the resurrected saints, communing, talking one with another, a glimpse of heaven. It's hard to fully grasp that the only reason we can't see heaven now is because the law doesn't want us to see it. It's hidden. there are times in the scriptures when the heavens had been opened, especially in Revelation where there is that vision of heaven, the apostle Paul as he sees up into heaven and he sees things were not lawful for a man to utter.

And so those when they die, They go, Jesus says, they go to a prepared place, a physical place where the Lord Jesus Christ is, a place, as we saw the other day, as Abraham's bosom, in his presence, with him, but separated from those who are the unbelievers, separated from those who are outside of Christ. They also go to a prepared place, but it's a place of the wrath of God, a place of death, the place of the second death. As we see Jesus Christ being transfigured, his glory being revealed, Moses and Elijah talking with the Lord Jesus Christ about his death, about the work that he was going to accomplish, it's like a glimpse of glory. The glorified saints. viewing the glorious Jesus Christ.

So that's the hope that the Christian has, that's the message of the gospel that Christ died and rose again the third day and because Christ rose again the third day that the believers who die in Christ Jesus will also rise with him and they will go with him to a prepared place. This world is not their home, they seek a kingdom to come. But death then is the subject which hangs over all of our heads. It's like the elephant in the room, we say. We all know about it, but we don't want to talk about it.

Yet the Christian has this great hope that the strength of death and the sting of death has been removed. You think of those funeral directors. Every single day, maybe twice or three times a day, I'm not sure, they have to take people's bodies either bury them or cremate them.

They come face to face with the reality of the limited time that we have upon this world and they must become hardened to it just like you and me. We become hardened, we push it to the back of our minds. When we were in Kenya, it's very surprising how hardened you come to death. When people are dying around you all the time, you know, oh they've died, yeah they've died, they've died.

And you just like water off a duck's back, it has no effect. The solemn reality of it, that it is an enemy coming down on each one of us, is pushed to the side and made light of. But death has a sting. And death will claim the victory. You see those undertakers every single day. It's the reality of this world.

It's like death is personified here and it's like this monster that continually consumes the human race. But more than the human race, everything, everything is dying. We plant flowers and we know they're just going to come up and then they're going to die. trees, animals, fish, insects, everything. This monster death is just constantly, as it were, circling the globe, taking one and taking another and taking another.

And it seems to have an unstoppable strength. curse, a plague as we had Covid, you know people were so afraid of Covid. I said it's a pandemic that's going around the world but there's already one because of the curse that God placed, the soul that sins it would die. If you disobey me you will die, the wages of sin is death. And so sin is the cause And so God justly, he's just in taking life because of our sin.

We cannot complain. He gives us life. He provides for us every single day. The breath that we have is given to us from on high. He enables us to live every single day. And when he takes us, he is just in his taking. Because we have sinned. We're under the curse. We've rebelled against him.

Death is the wages we deserve, the penalty of the consequences of our sins. that the physical death that we see is just a part. Though that's painful for us to view, yet the true sting of death lies beyond the grave. The true sting of death lies beyond the grave.

That is where the law is able to inflict the full punishment for sin. You know the law, the law of England, if someone steals there's a penalty. maybe five years, depending on what you've done. But every law has a penalty. God's law has a penalty. Yes, as Adam sinned, the whole of the human race was cursed and physical death reigns.

But the true sting of death lies beyond the grave where the law has the full ability to inflict the justice that is due. the penalty that is due, which is the full wrath of God in hell for all eternity. That is the sting. That's where the law gets its strength from.

We have sinned against God. And because we have sinned against God, the sting that is inflicted by the law is the full wrath of God for all eternity. In Hebrews 9, it says, and it is appointed unto men once to die. But after this, the judgment, that's where you land up. in the courtroom of a holy God, having broken his holy law, where he will inflict just justice upon us because of our sin against him.

There lies the sting. Amazing. Death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? Think of the grave. It's like it swallows up our loved ones. It will one day swallow us up. But here he says death is now swallowed up in victory. There's something, this great monster that is going around consuming the whole world is now being swallowed up itself. A great victory that has taken place. This great monster that goes around swallowing everybody up was unable to swallow one person. One person, death couldn't hold him. One person was stronger than death itself.

That one person who likened himself to Jonah, being three days and three nights in the belly of the fish. That one person was the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember Jonah, as he disobeyed God, thrown into the sea, and that great fish, that great monster, came and swallowed him up. And those men thought he was dead, that he was taken down into the depths of the sea. And in the depths of the sea he was there for three days and three nights. Jonah chapter 1 verse 17.

And the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. And Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the belly of the fish and said, I cry by reason of my affliction unto the Lord. And he heard me out of the belly of hell, cried I, and now hearest me. comes to the realisation that salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spoke unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Jesus said, I'll show you a sign, that as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the The fish couldn't hold Jonah. The Lord commanded the fish and it spewed him out upon the sea and the grave could not hold the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why? Because he had no sin. I find no fault in him. Jesus, upon the cross, paid for the sins of his people. Upon the cross, the father, as we saw recently, poured out the cup of wrath upon his son. That spiritual death that you and I will face outside of Christ was placed upon his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The second death, Then Jesus says, I gave up the ghost. And he dies. He gave up. He said, nobody takes my life. I lay it down of myself. He gave up the ghost. He was without sin.

His origin was not traced back to the first Adam. but he was of a heavenly lineage. In verse 47 of our reading, it says, the first man is of the earth, earthly, Adam. The second man is the Lord from heaven. His origin, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, conceived of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary. His lineage is a heavenly lineage. He didn't die in Adam, but he is this perfect, spotless Lamb of God.

Verse 20 it says, But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive, by every man in his own order. Christ the firstfruits, and afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming. And so, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? In Christ, death was swallowed up. Christ gained a victory over the grave as he rose again. The grave could not hold him, had no authority over him because he was without sin. was without sin therefore also, because he was the righteous spotless Lamb of God, had not broken one single law.

You can never be pulled over by a policeman for sticking to the speed limit. You can come up with some other excuses to something that you've done, but he cannot accuse you of breaking the speed limit if he's been following you and you've been sticking to 30 the whole time. You're clean before the law. And so Jesus Christ was clean before the law. The law had no strength or authority over him because he was sinless.

And therefore, as he's laid in the grave, it had no claim over him. And so just as Jonah is spat out onto the shore at the command of the father, so Jesus Christ is raised again on the third day by his own spirit, the first fruit of the resurrection. And is all of those in him as Christ is the first fruit. So all those in him will rise again in like manner. The law can't hold them. Why? Because they're justified. Christ Jesus has paid the penalty of their sin. They stand as just without sin before the law of God.

As we lay our brother Ted into the grave today, the grave can't hold him. has no authority over him because he's in Christ Jesus. His soul has soared into the bosom of Abraham. His soul has soared to be with the Lord Jesus Christ and his body now waits for the return of his master, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so we can say, we can come with assurance to our death. Death is swallowed up in victory. And we can say, oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, but thanks be to God that gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation 20, verse 14, it says, Verse 11 we go from there.

And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and heaven fled away and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which was the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which was in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. And they were judged every man according to his works. and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death and whosoever was not found in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

And so there is this first death of the physical body, the separation of body and soul, the unregenerate, the unconverted go to be abandoned by God in hell. then after the judgment when body and soul have been reunited there is then that second death that eternal death where there is no return But for the believer, those who are found in the book of life, they go to the new heaven and the new earth. body and soul to be with Christ forever and ever. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And then as we looked at this morning, as Keith spoke to us of Ted's favourite verses, because of this, because of this assurance that we have of the resurrection.

Paul says, I can fight with the monsters at Eversus. I'm in jeopardy of my life every single day. Why? Because the sting of death has been removed. I don't have to fear anymore because there's a life beyond the grave. Therefore, because there's life beyond the grave, because Christ has risen again from the grave as the first fruit of the resurrection, therefore, my beloved brethren, Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord, death is swallowed up in victory in Christ Jesus. Therefore, live your life with that zeal for the work of the Lord, knowing that this life is just temporary. and there is a world to come beyond the grave and Christ is there already waiting for his people for he has gone to prepare a place for you.

Amen. Well, let us sing the hymn number 477 to the Tune University 253. Give me the wings of faith to rise within the veil and see the saints above, how great their joys, how bright their glories be. Number 477. ♪ With the wings of faith to fly ♪ ♪ Within the heaven and sea ♪ ♪ The saints above how great their joys ♪ ♪ How bright their glories be ♪ low, and wet the gout with tears.

Thy grace, O God, as we know now, with sins and doubts and fears. O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? the first steps that he trod, his heel is upon their breast, and knowing their O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?

Almighty God, we do give thee thanks that Christ became victorious over the grave and we do give thee thanks that he was the first fruits of the resurrection and every man in his own order and we thank thee Lord that by faith in Christ Jesus we have that prospect of not being laid in the grave and then laid aside from thee for all eternity in that second death. Lord we thank thee in Christ Jesus that we shall rise like him and be with him forever and ever. We pray then Lord that thou bless us with that true living faith to lay hold of thy beloved son Jesus Christ and have that true hope in him. We ask that we may be dismissed with thy blessing and now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father with the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit to be with us each now and for evermore. Amen.

Death is not the end

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about resurrection after death?

How do we know the resurrection of Jesus is true?

Why is the resurrection of Christ important for Christians?

What happens to believers when they die?

What is the significance of the phrase 'death is swallowed up in victory'?

Sermon Transcript

About James Gudgeon

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Death is not the end

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about resurrection after death?

How do we know the resurrection of Jesus is true?

Why is the resurrection of Christ important for Christians?

What happens to believers when they die?

What is the significance of the phrase 'death is swallowed up in victory'?

Sermon Transcript

About James Gudgeon

Comments

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