There’s a lot in this life that changes, and not always for the better. But in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul shows us a change that’s not just coming — it’s promised, it’s glorious, and it’s eternal.
This part of Paul’s letter is the climax of the longest chapter he ever wrote. And it’s all about the resurrection. He started with Christ’s resurrection, moved on to ours, unpacked the purpose of our resurrected bodies — and now, in verses 50–58, he drives it home: because of the resurrection, everything changes.
And it’s good news: A change is gonna come.
Paul begins with a hard truth in verse 50:
“Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.”
Translation: these bodies of ours — fragile, temporary, mortal — weren’t made for heaven. They were made for Earth. And if we want to live in God’s eternal kingdom, we’ll need an upgrade.
But God already knew that.
So Paul reveals a “mystery” — something hidden for ages that’s now revealed through Christ. He says:
“We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.” (v. 51)
Not all of us will die before Jesus returns, but all of us — dead or alive — will be transformed.
How fast? “In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye.” (v. 52)
When? “At the last trumpet.”
What happens then?
The dead are raised imperishable. The living are instantly changed.
And just like that — immortality.
This body? Perishable. Mortal. Temporary. But the one that’s coming? Imperishable. Immortal. Eternal.
Paul puts it this way:
“The perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable.” (v. 53)
And when that happens, he breaks out into a victory chant:
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (vv. 54–55)
It’s not just poetic — it’s personal.
Because Paul knew something: Jesus already won.
The final defeat of death is still coming, but the decisive blow was struck on Easter morning when Christ rose from the grave. His resurrection is the prototype of what’s coming for us. Because of Jesus, death doesn’t get the last word — life does.
Paul gives a quick theological reminder in verses 56–57:
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus didn’t cheat death by breaking the rules.
He fulfilled the law — perfectly — and then bore the full weight of sin for us.
He lived the sinless life we couldn’t, died the death we deserved, and rose again so we could live forever.
As Paul wrote in Romans 8, “What the law was powerless to do… God did by sending his own Son.”
So when we shout, “Thanks be to God!” We’re not shouting wishful hope — we’re shouting resurrection certainty.
Paul doesn’t leave us floating in the clouds of theology. He brings it right back to Earth in verse 58:
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Here’s what that means for us:
Stand firm on the gospel.
Not just with your head — with your conviction.
When the world pushes back, when your own feelings waver, when culture shifts like sand under your feet — plant yourself on the truth that Jesus rose, and you will too.
Let nothing move you.
Not fear. Not doubt. Not pressure. Not even death.
Not halfway. Not “when I have time.” Not “if I feel like it.”
Fully.
Yes, we work our jobs and care for our families — and that work matters. But Paul is talking specifically about the work of the kingdom:
This is the only work that outlives this life.
Sometimes it feels like what we’re doing doesn’t matter.
We don’t see the results. We get tired. We question the impact.
But Paul says, “Know this.”
What you do for the Lord — every prayer, every act of love, every step of obedience — will never be wasted.
Even if you don’t see the fruit now, it’s coming.
Because a change is gonna come.
And when it does, we’ll see just how worth it it all was.
We don’t know when that trumpet will sound.
But we do know this: Jesus is alive.
Death is defeated.
And eternity is already breaking in.
So stand firm.
Give yourself fully.
And live like you believe it.
Because the change that’s coming?
It’s not just good — it’s glorious.
Let’s live today in light of what matters most.
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