The Best is Yet to Come

Scripture Reading: 1 Cor 15:35-44, 50-58

The Mystery of the Seed

We often look at our lives and see only the "perishable"—the parts of us that feel frail, tired, or broken. However, the Apostle Paul uses the natural world to show us that what we see now is only the beginning. He writes:

"What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed" (v. 36-37).

Just as an apple seed must be buried in the earth to become a towering tree, our current earthly existence is the "seed" stage. We are currently "sown in weakness" and "sown a natural body," but because of the Resurrection, we are promised to be "raised in power" and "raised a spiritual body" (v. 43-44). If you are in Christ, your life already contains the DNA of His glory. The struggles you face today are not the end of your story; they are simply the decay of the seed coat making way for a magnificent harvest.

The Structural Union

The core of our hope is not our own effort, but our Union with Christ. Paul explains that "the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality" (v. 53). We do not achieve this "clothing" by our own merit; we are "bolted" to Jesus.

Think of a bridge where every steel member is fastened to the next to carry a massive load. Through faith, you are fastened to the Savior. Because He took our guilty verdict into the grave, the legal claim of sin is broken. Because He was raised, you are carried into His victory. We aren't just neighbors to Jesus; we are moving toward a union where the "two become one." As the Church, we are currently "engaged" to the Groom, awaiting the day we are fully joined to Him in sinless, glorious perfection.

The Taunt of Victory

Because of this union, the greatest enemy we face has been disarmed. Paul cries out in a holy taunt:

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (v. 55).

For the believer, death is no longer a dark end to be dreaded. Because "the sting of death is sin" and that debt was fully paid at the Cross, death has lost its teeth. It has become nothing more than a final doorway leading to the full experience of Jesus Himself. Your future is not a mystery to be feared; it is a finished reality to be claimed and enjoyed.

Working From Victory

Paul concludes this teaching with a "therefore" that changes how we live tomorrow morning:

"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" (v. 58).

Reflection Question:

If I truly believed that my future was a "finished reality" secured by Christ, how would that change the way I handle my current "groanings" and struggles?

Closing Prayer:

Lord, thank You that my life is structurally linked to Yours. Help me to remember that I am sown in weakness but will be raised in glory. May I stand firm today, working not for Your favor, but out of the victory You have already won for me. Amen.

This devotional is based on a sermon titled “The Best is Yet to Come” preached by Pastor Paul Becker of the First Presbyterian Church of Bakerstown. Click Here to view the sermon.