Seventh-Day Adventist Devotional For Children: “Our Final Victory”

DAILY BREAD- A DEVOTIONAL FOR CHILDREN

EASTERN NIGERIA UNION CONFERENCE CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

TOPIC:OUR FINAL VICTORY .

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inheritance incorruption.(1 Cor.15:50)

Unless we are alive when Jesus returns we will all experience physical death. Our mortality can feel really heavy at times, especially when we hit our limits. Our world offers us the temptation to look for outside help to try and cheat death. For some we try to delay aging and fight the inevitability of death through health and fitness, medical treatments, security in money, and many a sense of avoiding risk and chasing safety. Yet, the death rate is 100%. Our world gives us an empty promise that certain strategies will help us have victory over death, but only Christ can grant that and even though death is defeated, we still hurt and grieve when death strikes a loved one.

In this last part of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul wants to show us death is a defeated enemy. Even though our mortal bodies will perish, for those in Christ, death is just a gateway to a true and better experience in the presence of the victorious Christ. The best is yet to come.
Those in Christ shall all be changed! Our mortal bodies will not remain this way forever, there is a powerful transformation that awaits them. The reference to “flesh and blood” in verse 50 is short hand for our perishable and mortal lives. To inherit the kingdom of God, we need a new body that is fit for the new creation. Paul calls this transformation a mystery; one day the trumpet will sound and in a moment we will go from perishable to imperishable. This trumpet was an instrument that declared victory at the end of a battle and this passage points forward to a time when Christ will come back. Those who died in Christ are said to be “asleep” but there will also be believers who are still alive when he returns and all of those who are in Christ will experience this promised transformation and receive bodies fit for the kingdom of God. The mystery of it all is that we do not have all the details of how this will take place or what it will be like. Think of it this way, on this side of eternity we are growing in Christ and being shaped more and more into the image of Jesus which can be a slow and difficult process as we put sin to death and try to walk in holiness and yet what our passage teaches us is that in a moment, a twinkling of an eye we will be changed and be like him. What feels difficult for us is not difficult for God.

Thought for reflection
The Resurrection gives followers of Jesus a hope that the world does not have. The victory of Jesus means the death of death, and though we can still grieve, we do not grieve as those without hope. Rather we look forward to the day when in a moment followers of Jesus shall all be changed from perishable to imperishable bodies

SONG .
We have this hope that burns within our hearts,
Hope in the coming of the Lord,
We have this faith that Christ alone imparts,
Faith in the promise of His word.
Refrain
We believe the time is here, when the nations far and near ,
Shall awake and shout and sing,
Hallelujah! Christ is king !
We have this hope that burns within our hearts,
Hope in the coming of the Lord.

PRAYER
Most gracious father, thank you for using ordinary mortal like us to represent you here on earth.We pray that you use us to do exploit for you while we wait for your glorious appearing, in Jesus name, Amen.