The Sting of the Reaper

1Corinthians 15:54-57

When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, 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.

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Come on baby (Don't fear the reaper)
Baby take my hand (Don't fear the reaper)
We'll be able to fly (Don't fear the reaper)
Baby, I'm your man

"Don't Fear the Reaper" from Blue Öyster Cult's "Agents of Fortune" (1976)

Who is the one who calls us to come with Him? When it is our Lord Jesus Christ we enter into new life, eternal life.

Often when we think of eternal life, we think of length. To live eternal life is to live forever, often this life is spoken of as what comes after death, but eternal life is more than life after death. Better than life after death, it is real, true life that is had while living. Yes, eternal life is not just what comes later. The Lord intends us to live eternal life now.

As BÖC encourages us, we don't have to fear death with the One who gives us eternal life, but that is because we don't have to fear life anymore, not death. When we live our lives in the fullness of the Lord, what we experience is so much better than what came before it is difficult to compare one to the other.

When we live life in Christ, we live as a community. We live as God's people. We no longer seek power from one another, all we need we have. We no longer have to fear it all coming to an end because we live every day in the fullness of the one who created the day. Death loses its sting because we have no regrets for today when we live the eternal live on earth.

Yes, the eternal life of heaven will be wonderful. There will be peace and glory and worship beyond imagine. But we are not to live this life as if it is a weigh station to eternity. We are to live this life as a practice for eternity.

And while we will never reach that perfection, practice makes more perfect than living the life God does not intend for us.