The Antidote

03.30.13

1 Corinthians 15.54-55 54 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.”

55 “O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?” (ESV)

I imagine, way back in the ancient eternities, there was a cabinet under a sink somewhere, and in that cabinet was a canister upon which the word Unbelief was written. Inside the canister was a substance called Separation.  Separation comes only as a result of Unbelief. The canister had a skull and crossbones on it, and the word, Poison. Unlike our present day substances, this substance had never been used for anything, but it existed because one day unbelief would be.

And like poisonous or controlled substances there was an antidote for Unbelief. Because unbelief would one day be; what had been separated needed to be reunited or reconnected. And up until a certain day, everyone believed. But one day unbelief was found to have been removed from the canister and those who took unbelief were separated. Upon them came the death of separation.

Since that day many have partaken of Unbelief and many have become separated by its poison; what holds them back from life is the death of separation caused by unbelief. Adam struggled with it, the Corinthians struggled with it, and today, you and I and people all around us struggle with unbelief. It is a deadly poison that has befallen mankind.

But one day soon unbelief will be no more. One day soon unbelief will be a thing of a forgetting past. And those who believe will then sing a song: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Death has ruled but God has dispensed an antidote and death will be no more. Belief will have its day and will be the song of eternity.

Yesterday, I went to a funeral – yep, someone died. We buried him. But one day soon death will be no more. Because, though the canister was opened and the contents taken, the Antidote has been dispensed and unbelief has been rendered powerless.

I’ve probably made a poor offering today but the truth is: death, where is your victory; where is your sting? Unbelief loses its power when belief comes to life; and belief is alive and well. The end has dawned on belief and tomorrow, Easter Sunday, we’ll celebrate an empty tomb. The guy we buried yesterday is still there today, but the tomb of the Eternal One is empty – the Antidote has been dispensed and death has lost its power…