1 Corinthians 15:50-58 At the Last Trumpet
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 7, 2020 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 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.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where 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. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
(Understanding the Text) Some of the Corinthians had been saying that there was no resurrection of the physical body. Paul has refuted that and now he goes one step farther. He tells them that even people whose bodies have not died will not retain the same form in heaven. He tells them that to be in heaven would be impossible with our present bodies that are full of death. Instead, we will be transformed so that we have bodies with no death in them.
Paul gives us a progression of events. There will be the sound of a trumpet and the righteous dead will be reconstituted into new bodies. At the same time, the living humans who love Jesus will have a massive transformation that results in a new body also.
(Application) Paul promises that these new bodies will never die. He also promises that sin will be gone, and we will no longer break the law. He says that because we know that this is our future, we should stop doubting and be strong in our faith, doing the work that Jesus gave us to do. We know that we will have a reward. My application for myself is that Jesus’ word is true and He will put an end to this misery we call life and create a new life for us without the broken bodies and broken minds and damaged living that we are subject to now. He will make us new after His own image in both character and in physical structure. Since that physical structure is higher than our own present one, we will have physical traits superior in every way to now.
(Application / Revelation of God)Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. Another application for myself is that even though I sometimes feel that what I am doing in God’s service is useless and not productive and not helping anyone and silly details that anyone could do, Paul promises that God will ensure that what I do is not empty, useless, silly, and unproductive. God knows what I do because He is prompting me to work in love. Whether or not a human responds or is made better, God knows and He approves and He does not reject what I have done, so it is not in vain. There is always something important in even the smallest act of service and love for God
(Prayer) Help me to always remember that You are the one prompting me to serve others and that You approve of me and do not reject me. I know that everything I do is tainted with selfishness, but You do not condemn me for that. Instead, You are happy with my feeble attempts at serving You and serving others. Help me to remember that.