⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; ⁵⁷but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

What actually is the sting of death? Physically, death for many—even genuine believers in Christ—is extremely painful. Few have the fortune of quietly slipping away in their sleep, and even then the separation felt by loved ones is emotionally painful. Calling death a mere “sting” seems to mock the real anguish, minimizing the experience of pain as somehow being sub-Christian or the Christian who is overcome by it as lacking faith.

When Paul uses the phrase “sting of death” he is not thinking of physical pain or even the actual experience of death itself, but rather the reality behind why death exists in the first place. The sting is sin, not the physical discomfort of the death experience. And the power of sin is the law. In the Lord Jesus, we have been removed from the power of the law. Elsewhere Paul puts it this way:

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! … Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 7:25a, 8:1)

This recurring theme of praising God through Jesus Christ saturates Paul’s life and ministry. The ultimate fear of death is judgment before the Creator God of the universe for breaking His law. From Adam’s first disobedience in taking the forbidden fruit to our disobedience (“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Rom. 3:23), we have all been under the curse and condemnation of God. What we could not do, that is, to overcome on our own the consequences of our sin, God has done in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are no longer under the curse or condemnation of God—not because we were able to command the victory, but because God has done it for us. And He gives that victory to us! How can we not join with Paul in giving thanks to Him?!

The greatest thanksgiving now that we can give God is to heed Paul’s admonishment to be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” We have a task to do. It would be enough for our own enjoyment to simply rest in the victory we have, with no fear of judgment. But God has saved us to be His workmanship (Eph. 4:8–10). And since death is not the final word, our work for God has eternal value.

Lord, I am motivated to totally serve You wholeheartedly with all my strength because You have removed the fear of death.