In our initial passages on Thanksgiving, we have seen that though we are called to live thankful lives, it isn't always that easy. Our minds are not naturally geared to being thankful; our enemy is always trying to get us to be ungrateful, complaining and rebellious; bad things happen to us - both because of evil in this world and our own sinful, stupid actions. Today we add another:
53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 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.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our bodies are falling apart. Our awareness of this may not come till much later in life, but some day, you get up in the morning and things don't work right, hurt like crazy, or keep you from doing what you want to do. Our bodies are mortal, perishable, going downhill, dying. That can lead to lots of disappointments and complaints and ingratitude. But it doesn't have to. Paul presents to us here the alternative: looking beyond this life and this dying to Christ's victory over death and our ultimate victory through faith in Him. Christ is a game-changer when it comes to thanksgiving. Thankfulness is a trademark of whether we truly are born again and trusting in Him. Can you join in the rally cry Paul has here: But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ?
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