Death is Swallowed up in LIFE

There is something that has been in my head this few weeks, and it is that Jesus is LIFE.  There is so much in our natural world related to death that surrounds us every day that we can easily lose sight of the fact that Jesus Himself is LIFE, not just what we do for Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:4 (YLT)

⁴ for we also who are in the tabernacle do groan, being burdened, seeing we wish not to unclothe ourselves, but to clothe ourselves, that the mortal may be swallowed up of the life.

This isn’t some hope that is just for us when we die, it is position or standing that has been given to us by the death of Jesus on the cross, to proclaim in the here and now that this present death IS swallowed up in victory.

1 Corinthians 15:54-55 (YLT)

⁵⁴ and when this corruptible may have put on incorruption, and this mortal may have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the word that hath been written, `The Death was swallowed up -- to victory;

⁵⁵ where, O Death, thy sting? where, O Hades, thy victory?'

Jesus was the first to taste of that victory over death, He triumphed over death in total―leaving nothing undone.  It is from that position in His victory that we stand, everything pertaining to death in this world is not only defeated, but now has a higher order―that victory will prevail. 

We do still physically live among the lower order where sin and death hold sway in our natural world, but that is where the calling of the Christian comes into play, we are to be naturally supernatural!  Like luminaries in a dark world, shining forth the radiance of the LIFE of Christ!

Philippians 2:15 (YLT)

¹⁵ that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God, unblemished in the midst of a generation crooked and perverse, among whom ye do appear as luminaries in the world

As Christians our illumination is that of Christ Jesus living through us.  As we respond to Him He reshapes and reforms our physical bodies to reflect His very nature in our minds, and our character.   He also reshapes and reforms our physical world into ways which please Him and bring Him glory when we extend that illumination into our daily interaction with the physical world.

It is as if we are again in the garden of the Lord, and this time He is NOT telling us to leave the garden because of our sin, the Lord has made provision for our sin in the person of His Son Christ Jesus.  And we are NOT just wanderers in God's Garden without purpose, we DO have a purpose which is to extend the boundaries of God's Garden and to extend the LIFE of Christ and it's fullness not only in our lives, but to the entire earth.

Habakkuk 2:14 (AMP)

¹⁴ But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Yes, we can call upon Christ Jesus and He will shine through us like a beacon which broadcasts His Love to us and to everyone around us.  
     How will people recognize this illumination?  
     Jesus compared us to trees!

Matthew 7:16-20 (YLT)

¹⁶ From their fruits ye shall know them; do [men] gather from thorns grapes? or from thistles figs?

¹⁷ so every good tree doth yield good fruits, but the bad tree doth yield evil fruits.

¹⁸ A good tree is not able to yield evil fruits, nor a bad tree to yield good fruits.

¹⁹ Every tree not yielding good fruit is cut down and is cast to fire:

²⁰ therefore from their fruits ye shall know them.

But just because we are compared to a tree, it is still not enough.  We need to produce fruit!  
     What does our fruit look like?

Galatians 5:22-23 (YLT)

²² And the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,

²³ meekness, temperance: against such there is no law

There is a comparison to the natural man and the spiritual man, everything associated with the natural man and his practices are considered death by Paul.  Everything that is touched by the LIFE of Christ Jesus that flows out from us consumes or swallows up death and makes everything new, new LIFE is bestowed!

1 Corinthians 15:44-46 (YLT)

⁴⁴ it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body;

⁴⁵ so also it hath been written, `The first man Adam became a living creature,' the last Adam [is] for a life-giving spirit,

⁴⁶ but that which is spiritual [is] not first, but that which [was] natural, afterwards that which [is] spiritual.

This is a newness of LIFE which comes when we extend the LIFE of Christ Jesus into our natural world, we can begin to speak LIFE to (or over) people or circumstances we encounter.

1 Corinthians 15:22 (YLT)

²² for even as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive

Like I previously mentioned, God did have a plan back in the Garden of Eden that mankind would be the carriers of LIFE unto the entire earth, but man chose another path.  But now that we have the benefit of God’s redemption in Christ Jesus, we have once again figuratively returned to God’s Garden, and we have again been put back on God's path expanding the Garden into all of the natural world with the LIFE of Christ Jesus. 

Psalm 72:19 (NKJV)

¹⁹ And blessed be His glorious name forever!

And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.

Amen and Amen.

We even have the prophetic proclamation given by the Seraphim at the commissioning of Isaiah

Isaiah 6:3 (NKJV)

³ And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

The whole earth is full of His glory!”

We like Isaiah, have also been given the commission to speak LIFE into our natural world, so that “...The whole earth will be filled with His glory!”  Not that we should seek a position or platform, but that the LIFE of Christ Jesus would be preeminent and illuminated through our lives and through our testimony, and He receives all the glory. 


May you know all that Christ Jesus has for you, and may you grow in earnest expectation of the opportunities to impart the LIFE of Christ Jesus anywhere you go, and with everyone you meet.

God is good all the time―all the time God is good!

Stephen Barnett

Be Exalted

(Terry Butler, Randy Butler, Andy Park)

Be exalted Lord

High above the heavens

Let Your glory come, and

Cover all the earth

Be exalted Lord

High above the heavens

Let Your glory come, and

Cover all the earth

Great is Your love

Greater than the heavens

Your faithfulness

It reaches the sky

Great is Your love

Greater than the heavens

Your faithfulness

It reaches the sky

Copyright © 1996 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.

     Additional spontaneous lyrics:

Oh, Oh Oh

Oh, Oh Oh (Be exalted Lord)

Oh, Oh Oh (High above the earth)

Oh, Oh Oh (Be exalted Lord)

Oh, Oh Oh

Be exalted Lord

High above the heavens

The Music/Lyrics presented above are copyrighted by the respective artists and are presented here for educational purposes only and not for profit.