I Corinthians 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

The book of I Corinthians addressed many false doctrines that were prevalent in the church at Corinth. It exposed them for what they were. However, the book also gives the answer to every false doctrine. It is not enough to just expose wrong. There must also be the correct solution to the need. The church in Corinth was steeped in false doctrine. God would not let that continue. It is obvious that the church in Corinth was a true church. It was in trouble, but it was still a true church. Thus God would rebuke them and show them what needed to change.
Today there are many false churches that continue on in their false doctrines. They grow progressively worse because they are false churches. They are not chastened of the Lord. Their doctrines are definitely not of God yet people will support them. True churches need to hold to the truth or the Lord will remove His candlestick from them. The Word of God is the truth. Paul was directed by God to rebuke them and to show them the way to serve God. II Timothy 3:16-17 comes to mind here:

II Timothy 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Paul was speaking true doctrine. He was reproving the church, and correcting them and giving them instruction in righteousness.
In verse 50 we are reminded that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Self effort will never get anyone into the kingdom of God. A person must be changed from the heart outward in order to enter the kingdom of God. What would be the purpose of the kingdom of God if sin can enter into it? It is important to note that God does not force anyone to enter His kingdom. His kingdom is not of this earth. It is not the local church. His kingdom in this context, is in heaven. Those who are born again need to live in the light of that kingdom. As we see in this letter, sin cannot run rampant in a true church. It must be exposed and stopped.
Today there are thousands of people who assume they are saved because they have decided to listen to false teachers, rather than to the Word of God. They will be shocked one day, unless they listen to sound doctrine and repent toward God now and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. If a person does this, they will be changed.
At the resurrection of the saints, every saint will be fully changed. Our bodies will be changed and all remaining sin will be purged as well.
In verse 51 Paul was directed to pull the curtain back on another previously unknown fact. Not all New Testament saints will die in the sense of normal death, which includes burial. However, all believers will be changed. At salvation we are changed from the heart outward. We think differently and we act differently. After a person is saved he or she is being changed to be more Christlike. At the resurrection the saints shall be changed physically. The body will no longer be that corruptible body that decays. It is changed into an indestructible body and the soul is also fully changed. The saint cannot sin when he enters heaven. Again, we do not become little gods. We are changed to the core and every aspect of the saint is changed into that incorruptible person that God designs.
Verse 52 tells us this change will take place in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. This will be at the last trump. This is not the last of the seven trumpets of the Tribulation time. Those who hold this erroneous view believe in the “mid Trib rapture”. That is heresy. The trumpet referred to here is that trump of God that shall sound at the “rapture” when the New Testament saints are removed from this earth. At that moment all New Testament saints will be immediately changed.
In verse 53 we see that this corruptible, this earthly body, must put on incorruption. We do not do this ourselves. We do this because we are saved and thus we receive this change that the Lord brings about. In fact we welcome this change. No true saint will be like Lot’s wife. No true saint is going to look back at what is staying behind.
In verse 54 we see that this change to immortality is a sure thing. When that happens then that saying: “death is swallowed up in victory” shall be fulfilled. Death will be no more for those who are resurrected. For the lost, there is still the Tribulation during which many will be killed. In the Millennium there will still be death. At the end of the Millennium, there will be a massive slaughter as the majority of those alive then will join with the devil to try to kill Jesus Christ. They will lose. At the great white throne judgment death and hell will be cast into the lake of fire. The Bible calls that the “second death.”
In verse 55-56 the further question will be answered. The sting of death is gone for the saints. There will be no more digging of graves of saints. There will be no more receiving of saints’ bodies into the graves. There will be no more sorrow as we watch a loved one being lowered into that hole in the ground. Again, saved people should not be cremated. That gives the wrong picture of where the saved person is.
In verse 57 we are reminded that the victory is found through our Lord Jesus Christ. The victory is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a glorious victory. The result of this victory is that those who are saved are required to be stedfast, unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord. We are reminded again here that if we are saved we are changed. God changes us. The true saint cannot live in sin. The true saint has been given a new nature and cannot help but live differently. God changes the true saint and continues to change the true saint after salvation.
Those who are saved have important work to do. Our labour is not in vain if it is done in the Lord. God enables us to do the work and the work that God gives His children to do is worth doing. It is worth it to live for God’s glory.
The Christian life is the only life worth living. Lost people do not know what they are missing. Saved people need to be reminded to lived the life they have been given through God’s mercy and grace. As we see in this letter, God will continue to work on His children to see them glorifiy Him. The souls of the lost are far too precious to the Lord to allow His true children to make a mockery of His salvation. Saved people have the love of God in them. They want to glorify God with their spirit, and they need to be reminded that their body, soul and spirit belong to the Lord. They need to glorify Him with whole being. The way of blessing is when we do glorify Him as He desires. At the resurrection of the saints, there will be no further conflict. All will be completely changed to be as God designed us to be. It is worth it to serve God faithfully now.
Pastor Bartel