My God Has Conquered The Grave

'Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting' 1 Cor 15: 54b-55 

Most human beings are gripped by the fear of death. Yet it is life's only certainty. The glib and witty American author, Mark Twain said, "This life is a losing proposition; nobody gets out of it alive." Death is the hallmark, the sure proof of  our mortality. So why fear?

• We fear the Pain of Death. We have watched some friends dying in pain, experiencing them suffer severe symptoms. Instinctively, we wish it not on ourselves. 

• We fear the Loss of Death. Some of us are so attached to the riches and wealth of materialism, that we cannot bear to lose them. We have become so acquainted to this world, our style of living, the worldly pleasures and comforts; we cannot part from them.

• We fear the Separation of Death. Oftentimes we are not ready to leave family and friends. Husbands and wives fear being separated from one another. Children are not ready to leave parents and parents are not ready to let go, hoping to see their children and grandchildren grow.

• We fear the Penalty of Death. Perhaps our greatest fear is of the divine judgement that many believe will follow. We are not ready, we are guilty of our sins. We may not have been reconciled with God our maker and so we hesitate, even resist, to be plunged into the unknown and face God.

Timothy Keller died on the 19 May 2023 after several years of fighting cancers, first the thyroid and later the pancreas. He has had much thought about the death and dying as a Pastor who sat at the bedside counselling many who faced imminent death. He has to live with his own personal experiences and fears facing death. 

Keller wrote, "While people have many reactions to being in the presence of death, there two opposite mistakes we can make: One is to despair too much; the other is to shrug it off and not learn what we should from it. Neither will be of much benefit to you, so we must do what the Bible tells us to do in the face of death: We should grieve, yet we should have hope; we should wake up from our denial and discover a source of peace that will never leave us; and finally we should laugh and sing."

Keller preached a sermon on boldness in the face of death and recounted what (Ref 1) he learned after opening up his fears as he was rolled into the operating theatre. In that moment he realised the sheer magnitude of God's glory beyond the world of pain and suffering and cancer and death.

"One of the few times I needed courage, God was very happy to give it to me, and it was very nice. When I was going under, being wheeled in for my only cancer surgery — I had thyroid cancer years ago — I do remember (it was so nice) I suddenly had this sense that the world is wonderful and the universe is this big ball of the glory of God, and we’re just trapped in this little tiny speck of darkness. And even that’s going to be taken away eventually. Therefore, no matter what happens now, whatever happens with the surgery, I’m going to be all right. My family is going to be all right. The world is going to be all right. Everything is going to be all right. It was very nice to have a moment of courage."  

 

As the Lord had comforted Timothy Keller, He will guide all who are suffering cancers and severe diseases; He holds us in the palm of His Hand.

'He has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.' 2 Tim 2:9-10

There are three promises in the verse above. Death has lost its sting. Why?

• Salvation. Sin has no power over us. Christians have been reconciled with God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

'We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for sin' Romans 3:22-25 (NLT)

• Grace. Grace is a gift from God which we do not merit nor deserve. 

'But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when he raised Christ. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved.)' Ephesians 2:4-5

'God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast.' Ephesians 2:8-9 

• Immortality. The assurance and evidence for the immortality of our bodies and souls is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Like him, after dying we will be resurrected. Despite our frail frames and broken bodies, death is just but a transition to immortality.

'For our dying bodies will be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death where is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:53-55

 'For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Romans 6:23

 Tim Keller wrote, 

'When I got my cancer diagnosis, I had to look not only at my professed beliefs, which align with historical Protestant orthodoxy, but also at my actual understanding of God. Had it been shaped by my culture? Had I been slipping unconsciously into the supposition that God lived for me rather than I for him, that life should go well for me, that I knew better than God does how things should go? The answer was yes—to some degree. I found that to embrace God’s greatness, to say “Thy will be done,” was painful at first and then, perhaps counterintuitively, profoundly liberating.' 

Realising these three promises will give us courage to face death. It will be liberating. Our Lord is 'Mighty to Save'

Everyone needs compassion

A love that's never failing

Let mercy fall on me

Everyone needs forgiveness

The kindness of a Savior

The hope of nations

Savior, He can move the mountains

My God is mighty to save

He is mighty to save

Forever author of salvation

He rose and conquered the grave

Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me

With all my fears and failures

Fill my life again

I give my life to follow

Everything I believe in

And now I surrender

Savior, He can move the mountains

My God (my God) is mighty to save

He is mighty to save

Forever author of salvation

He rose and conquered the grave

Jesus conquered the grave

Shine Your light and let the whole world see

We're singing for the glory of the risen King, Jesus

Shine Your light and let the whole world see

We're singing for the glory of the risen King

Savior, He can move the mountains

My God is mighty to save

He is mighty to save

Forever author of salvation

He rose and conquered the grave

Jesus conquered the grave

In facing death, Timothy Keller wrote, “Real courage is not the absence of fear; it’s the presence of joy.”

Lionel

Ref 1: Growing My Faith in the Face of Death Timothy Keller 7 Mar 2021