Death, Law, and Grace

1Corinthians 1:54-57

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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So where to now St. Peter
If it's true I'm in your hands
I may not be a Christian
But I've done all one man can
I understand I'm on the road
Where all that was is gone
So where to now St. Peter
Show me which road I'm on
Which road I'm on

"Where to Now, St. Peter" by Elton John

Elton John's music often flows between beautiful, haunting melodies and lyrics that betray those lilting sounds. Here's an example. The glorious sounds of the piano melody and the story of a soldier dying on a foreign battle field mix like oil and vinegar. Like oil and vinegar, when they mix they make something more than when they stand alone.

The problem with the lyric, from a Christian point of view, is that this soldier has done all one man can. It's a problem because there is nothing we can do to earn a way into heaven. When we try to justify ourselves through the law, we cannot. When we stand before God, or as the popular image, St. Peter, and we seek to justify our lives, according to the law all we would hear is "Really, that's all you got?" The power of sin and death is in the law, so when we try to justify our selves and our lives through the law we lose.

But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. When we lie on our respective battlefields, when our perishable bodies put on imperishability, and our mortal bodies put on immortality, then what is written is fulfilled, death is no longer death. Death has been swallowed up in victory.

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? Death is no longer an issue because it has been beaten. So where to now St. Peter? If we try to justify ourselves by the law we live in death. When we rely on the grace of our Lord, when we accept the gift of new life purchased with his death and redeemed with his resurrection then we live.

That leaves one more question, what road are we on?