1 Corinthians 15:12-19

                                                             1 Corinthians 15:12-19

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.  We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.  For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

 

One of the best ways to combat heresy is to demonstrate its consequences.  This is what Paul is doing in this passage.  He is demonstrating the disastrous consequences of believing that there is no resurrection.  Paul is playing the “what if” game.  This is always an important thing to consider: what if I am wrong?  If the message of eternal salvation in Christ is simply a fairy tale like so many believe today; what are the consequences?  We are fools who have lived a relatively short life of loving a “god”, who does not exist, and loving others. However, if they are wrong and we are right; the consequences are far more severe because they spend an eternity in torment.  I don’t like focusing on the negative, so I am going to turn this passage upside down and focus on what is true because of the resurrection of Christ.

 

WE HAVE A MESSAGE: Paul had been traveling around the globe proclaiming that the Messiah had come and died to pay for sin and that God had raised Him from the dead.  If there is no resurrection, then Paul was simply a liar.  However, since there is a resurrection from the dead and Jesus is risen, we have the most glorious message in all of history to proclaim to the ends of the earth.  This is the mission we have been given and we must proclaim this glorious message with boldness and confidence.

 

WE HAVE SALVATION: When God the Father raised God the Son from the dead, He was proclaiming that the penalty for sin had been paid in full.  Since the wages of sin is death, as long as Jesus remained dead, the price for sin was still being paid.  However, once Jesus, who took the sins of the world upon Himself, was raised from the dead and restored to a perfect relationship with the Father, the door for salvation swung open for all who believe.  Without resurrection all that is left is condemnation.  Because of the resurrection we have glorious salvation.

 

WE HAVE HOPE: If there is no resurrection, there is no hope for those who have died and no hope that we will ever be reunited with our loved ones who have passed on.  There would be no reason to live for anything beyond this life.  Ministers of the Gospel like Paul and many other faithful saints throughout history who have made great sacrifices to proclaim the Gospel have sacrificed for nothing.  However, since Christ is risen, we have a blessed and eternal hope.  All who have died in Christ are waiting to be reunited with those of us who also believe, and we can anticipate an eternity together enjoying the presence of God in perfect holiness, health, and rewards to enjoy and grow in abilities for an infinite amount of time.  When our lives on earth are marked by suffering, sickness, poverty and hardship, we can live with the blessed hope that because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, we too will rise from the dead to an eternal life with Christ.

 

APPLICATION: Proclaim the message of Christ risen to all people everywhere and live so that this message can continue to go forth to the nations.  Trust in Christ alone as the only means of salvation.  Have great hope no matter how difficult our lives on earth may be or become.