“Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?”“Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?”O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?
6 sermons cite this verse
… The Apostle Paul helps answer this question in today's reading from 1 Corinthians. I'd like to read to you from 1 Corinthians 15, verses 50-58. Paul writes, I tell you this, brothers. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 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. …
… One. abound what does abound mean means do lots of it abound in the work of the Lord that's your studies right now it's what he's given you to do so because you're going to be raised from the dead don't be a slacker The language of verse 58 of 1 Corinthians 15 is paradoxical. I love it. Be steadfast and movable, do lots of work. Like an oak tree, not moving one inch, no matter what winds blow, and doing lots of work. That's a remarkable paradox. And our job, our goal here at this school is to try to make oaks of righteousness out of you that don't budge from anything in the truth of God's word. You don't budge. You're a tree, immovable. And you go all over the world doing work filling up your one life with work that he's given you to do. That's an amazing picture, isn't it? There's a correlation between life now and working and the resurrection life coming. If there's no correlation, the verse makes no sense at all. Since you're raised, your work is not in vain. …
With this consideration well imprinted in our minds, it is far better, as Solomon observes, to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting The one embraces the soul, disarms our resolution, and lays us open to an attack: The other cautions us to recollect our reason, and stand upon our guard and infuses that noble steadiness, and seriousness of temper, which it is not in the power of an ordinary stroke to discompose. Such objects naturally induce us to lay it to heart, that the next summons may be our own; and that since death is the end of all men without exception, it is high time for the living to lay it to heart. If we are, at any time, in danger of being overcome by dwelling too long on the gloomy side of this prospect, to the giving us pain, the making us unfit for the duties and offices of life, impairing our faculties of body or mind, — which proceedings, as has been already shown, are both absurd, unprofitable, and sinful; let us immediately recur to the bright side, and reflect, with gratitude as well as humility, that our time passeth away like a shadow; and that, when we awake from this momentary dream, we shall then have a clearer view of that latter day in which our Redeemer shall stand upon the earth; when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall be clothed with immortality; and when we shall sing, with the united choirs of men and angels, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
In this Christ appears gloriously above the corruption and wickedness of the heart; above its natural darkness in dispelling it, and letting in light; and above its enmity and opposition, by prevailing over it, drawing it powerfully; and irresistibly to himself, and turning a heart of stone into a heart of flesh: above the obstinacy and perverseness of the will, by making them willing in the day of his power. In this he appears above all their lusts. For all sin is mortified in this work, and the soul is delivered from the power and dominion of it.?In this work the grace of Christ gloriously triumphs over men’s guilt. He comes over the mountains of their sins, and visits them with his salvation. And God is wont often in this work, either in the beginning or progress of it, to give his people those spiritual comforts, in which he gloriously appears to be above all affliction and sorrow: and often gives them to triumph over the devil, and his powerful and cruel instruments. Many saints, by the influences of Christ’s Spirit on their hearts, have rejoiced and triumphed, when suffering the greatest torments and cruelties of their persecutors. And in this work Christ sometimes gloriously appears above death, in carrying his people far above the fears of it, and making them to say, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ” 4. Christ gloriously appears above all these forementioned evils, in his glorifying the souls of departed saints in heaven. In this he gives a glorious victory over death. Death by it is turned from an enemy into a servant; and their death, by the glorious change that passes in the state of their souls, is become a resurrection, rather than a death. Now Christ exalts the soul to a state of glory, wherein it is perfectly delivered from Satan and all his temptations, and all his instruments; and from all remains of sin and corruption, and from all affliction: “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat?and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” …
Surely then, to trust in riches for happiness is the greatest folly of all that are under the sun! Are you not convinced of this? Is it possible you should still expect to find happiness in money or all it can procure? What! Can silver and gold, and eating and drinking, and horses and servants, and glittering apparel, and diversions and pleasures (as they are called) make thee happy? They can as soon make thee immortal! 21. These are all dead show. Regard them not. Trust thou in the living God; so shalt thou be safe under the shadow of the Almighty; his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler. He is a very present help in time of trouble such an help as can never fail. Then shalt thou say, if all thy other friends die, “The Lord liveth, and blessed be my strong helper!” He shall remember thee when thou liest sick upon thy bed; when vain is the help of man. When all the things of earth can give no support, he will “make all thy bed in thy sickness.” He will sweeten thy pain; the consolations of God shall cause thee to clap thy hands in the flames. And even when this house of earth” is well nigh shaken down, when it is just ready to drop into the dust, he will teach thee to say, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be unto God, who giveth” me “the victory, through” my “Lord Jesus Christ.” …
5. There then “the weary be at rest.” The blood of the Lamb hath healed all their sickness, hath washed them throughly from their wickedness, and cleansed them from their sin. The disease of their nature is cured; they are at length made whole; they are restored to perfect soundness. They no longer mourn the “flesh lusting against the Spirit;” the “law in their members” is now at an end, and no longer “wars against the law of their mind, and brings them into captivity to the law of sin.” There is no root of bitterness left; no remains even of that sin which did “so easily beset them;” no forgetfulness of “Him in whom they live, move, and have their being;” no ingratitude to their gracious Redeemer, who poured out his soul unto the death for them; no unfaithfulness to that blessed Spirit who so long bore with their infirmities. In a word, no pride, no self-will is there; so that they who are thus “delivered from the bondage of corruption” may indeed say one to another, and that in an emphatical sense, “Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 6. Let us view a little more nearly the state of a Christian at his entrance into the other world. Suppose “the silver cord” of life just “loosed,” and “the wheel broken at the cistern;” the heart can now beat no more; the blood ceases to move; the last breath flies off from the quivering lips, and the soul springs forth into eternity. What are the thoughts of such a soul, that has just subdued her last enemy, death? That sees the body of sin lying beneath her, and is new born into the world of spirits? How does she sing, “‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be unto God,’ who hath given me ‘the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ!’ O happy day, wherein I shall begin to live! wherein I shall taste my native freedom! When I was ‘born of a woman’ I had ‘but a short time to live,’ and that time was ‘full of misery;’ that corruptible body pressed me down, and enslaved me to sin and pain. But the snare is broken, and I am delivered. Henceforth I know them no more. That head is no more an aching head: Those eyes shall no more run down with tears: That heart shall no more pant with anguish or fear; be weighed down with sorrow or care: Those limbs shall no more be racked with pain: Yea, ‘sin hath no more dominion over’ me. At length, I have parted from thee, O my enemy; and I shall see thy face no more! I shall never more be unfaithful to my Lord, or offend the eyes of his glory: I am no longer that wavering, fickle, self-inconsistent creature, sinning and repenting, and sinning again. No. I shall never cease, day or night, to love and praise the Lord my God, with all my heart, and with all my strength. But what are ye? Are ‘all these ministering spirits sent forth to minister to’ one ‘heir of salvation?’ Then, dust and ashes, farewell! I hear a voice from heaven saying, ‘Come away, and rest from thy labours. Thy warfare is accomplished, thy sin is pardoned; and the days of thy mourning are ended.’” …