Articles
If Christ Be Not Raised - 1 Cor. 15
If Christ Be Not Raised - 1 Cor. 15
Paul was very blunt about the consequences of the resurrection being false. Putting
1 Corinthians 15:13-19 into bullet points we see: “13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised,
· then our preaching is vain,
· your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;
· 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
· 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
· 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”
BUT, “now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20).
WITH the truth of the resurrection, a lot of things ‘fall into place’.
· There is a God.
· There is life after death.
· There is judgment.
· There is justice.
· There is life after death.
· Life DOES have a purpose and a goal.
· There is hope.
Also, a myriad of other concepts begin to have reasonableness.
· A Beginning of the whole universe – God created.
· An orderliness to the universe that permits life – God created and made.
· Life! God made living creatures.
· Man – made in the image of God.
· Intelligence – man made in the image of God.
· Responsibility and judgment – for we will ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
With Jesus being raised: He IS and is DECLARED TO BE the Son of God, He is the promised Christ/Messiah, He IS Lord of Lord and King of Kings, He HAS all authority in heaven and earth, He IS living in the presence of the Father, He IS our mediator, He IS our High Priest, He IS the acceptable sacrifice for our sin, He IS the means of our salvation, He IS the judge of all mankind. With faith in the resurrection of Jesus, are you now living in hope and anticipation of the coming resurrection?
Hugh DeLong
