"Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame."
Without the resurrection, what is the point? If the dead will not live again, then why bother giving attention to what comes after death. Without the resurrection, Christian sacrifice is ridiculous. If this life is all there is then, unmediated hedonism is the best there is to live for.
Although fulfilling selfish pleasures is the best that many people have, the passionate pursuit of satisfaction in earthly pleasures always leaves the pursuer empty. What's more it has a degenerative effect. Seeking joy and not finding it, the hedonist goes ever further away from God, thinking that there will be true pleasure in his next gratification, but all the time he is going ever further from the only source of true satisfaction.
How then should I live? I should provide avoid sin, providing an example of a joy-filled life without sinful self-gratification. I should live in the knowledge that Christ has been raised from the dead and the knowledge that I will follow Him in this. Knowing my end, I should display it for others to see.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
1 Corinthians 15:27-28
"For 'God has put all things in subjection under his feet.' But when it says, 'all things are put in subjection,' it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all."
Christ is always victorious. He is the supreme ruler of all that has been created. If something is, it is subject to Him. And yet, even He is in subjection to the Father. Our world is in rebellion. Christians are often in rebellion. I have a deeply rooted rebellious strain in my heart. But we are all all under Christ.
The Father put the Son over us all. We may buck against this. We may deny it, but it is reality. The stars, the moon, and all heavenly bodies; the trees, the wind, and the clouds; the whales, the bears, and the insects—they all praise God. They are in subjection. One day all people shall recognize God’s absolute authority. And finally, death itself will be in subjection.
If this is Jesus’ position, who am I? What right do I have to do as I please? How can I call His actions into question? I am small; I have no right to act independently; I can ask questions, but I must not question.
Christ is always victorious. He is the supreme ruler of all that has been created. If something is, it is subject to Him. And yet, even He is in subjection to the Father. Our world is in rebellion. Christians are often in rebellion. I have a deeply rooted rebellious strain in my heart. But we are all all under Christ.
The Father put the Son over us all. We may buck against this. We may deny it, but it is reality. The stars, the moon, and all heavenly bodies; the trees, the wind, and the clouds; the whales, the bears, and the insects—they all praise God. They are in subjection. One day all people shall recognize God’s absolute authority. And finally, death itself will be in subjection.
If this is Jesus’ position, who am I? What right do I have to do as I please? How can I call His actions into question? I am small; I have no right to act independently; I can ask questions, but I must not question.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
1 Corinthians 15:24-26
"Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."
Death has been called many things: a predator, a friend, a relief, a mercy, a fearful unknown, the great equalizer. Here, the Bible calls death an enemy. Death was not part of God’s original design for humanity. It was the consequence that God warned would come if Adam disobeyed. Sin put man at odds with God, and death is part of the terrible baggage that comes with enmity with God.
Thankfully, the one man, Jesus has already broken the power of death, bringing spiritual life to those who trust in Him. But people still die, and many do so without even knowing the spiritual life that they could have had in Christ. There will, however, be a time when death is destroyed. After Jesus crushes all other rebellion, He will permanently the last remnant of disobedience—death.
I would get what I deserved if I got death. But Christ died so that I would not have to die, and now I will never know spiritual death. If it was my sin an disobedience that took Jesus to the cross and if sin and the accompanying death puts me in opposition to God, how can I continue to sin.
Death has been called many things: a predator, a friend, a relief, a mercy, a fearful unknown, the great equalizer. Here, the Bible calls death an enemy. Death was not part of God’s original design for humanity. It was the consequence that God warned would come if Adam disobeyed. Sin put man at odds with God, and death is part of the terrible baggage that comes with enmity with God.
Thankfully, the one man, Jesus has already broken the power of death, bringing spiritual life to those who trust in Him. But people still die, and many do so without even knowing the spiritual life that they could have had in Christ. There will, however, be a time when death is destroyed. After Jesus crushes all other rebellion, He will permanently the last remnant of disobedience—death.
I would get what I deserved if I got death. But Christ died so that I would not have to die, and now I will never know spiritual death. If it was my sin an disobedience that took Jesus to the cross and if sin and the accompanying death puts me in opposition to God, how can I continue to sin.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
1 Corinthians 15:20-23
"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ."
One man made one choice, to disobey God. Pridefully, Adam chose to elevate Himself to the position of judge of good and evil even though the consequences for doing so had already been explained to him, Adam decided that it was alright for him to do what God told him never to do. Because of Adam’s sinful choice, all men are spiritually dead, and we will all die physically. Why should we suffer for Adam’s decision? Adam was our federal head. We were in Adam, and when he sinned, we sinned.
But there is another man—Jesus Christ. And through him came not death but resurrection from the dead. Adam’s choice to disobey God is daily killing us all. Jesus’ choice to be obedient unto death is daily giving life. He gives us spiritual life, and will upon His return grant an unending, non-decaying, incorruptible physical life.
This new life is previewed by the One who is already living it. Jesus is the first to be raised unto this kind of life. And at His second coming, all those who are His will be physically raised unto this new life that He lives already.
How then shall I live? I should recognize the devastating and far reaching consequences of my sins. Sin is a merciless killer! My sin effects more people than I can imagine and for a longer time than I can imagine. Knowing this, I must flee from sin. Instead, I must choose life. I choose to come to Him who is life, who will ever-live, and who will grant that His own live with Him.
One man made one choice, to disobey God. Pridefully, Adam chose to elevate Himself to the position of judge of good and evil even though the consequences for doing so had already been explained to him, Adam decided that it was alright for him to do what God told him never to do. Because of Adam’s sinful choice, all men are spiritually dead, and we will all die physically. Why should we suffer for Adam’s decision? Adam was our federal head. We were in Adam, and when he sinned, we sinned.
But there is another man—Jesus Christ. And through him came not death but resurrection from the dead. Adam’s choice to disobey God is daily killing us all. Jesus’ choice to be obedient unto death is daily giving life. He gives us spiritual life, and will upon His return grant an unending, non-decaying, incorruptible physical life.
This new life is previewed by the One who is already living it. Jesus is the first to be raised unto this kind of life. And at His second coming, all those who are His will be physically raised unto this new life that He lives already.
How then shall I live? I should recognize the devastating and far reaching consequences of my sins. Sin is a merciless killer! My sin effects more people than I can imagine and for a longer time than I can imagine. Knowing this, I must flee from sin. Instead, I must choose life. I choose to come to Him who is life, who will ever-live, and who will grant that His own live with Him.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
1 Corinthians 15:16-19
"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."
Christianity is nothing if Christ did not raise from the dead.
Pascal’s Wager asserts that it’s reasonable to believe in the gospel because if it’s true and you don’t accept it, you will spend eternity in Hell. But if it’s false and you have accepted it, then you have lost nothing. Those who make that assertion are generally well meaning, but the Bible never presents the decision to follow Christ as a well thought out insurance policy.
Pascal's assertion is that "if Christ has not been raised" then a person will be fine be fine either way, whether he is believing or not believing. Paul's assertion is that if we have hope only in this life and that if our trust is in a dead Christ then "we are of all people most to be pitied."
If our hope in Christ is only good during this life, then it is no good. What a waste our life would be if we spent it looking forward to something that was never to come.
How then shall I live? I shall live with a confident hope, knowing that my hope is well founded. Even those who now deny it will eventually give glory to the risen Christ. Jesus triumphantly conquered death, and those who follow Him shall not be pitied. It is for me to doubtlessly follow the one who truly rose from the dead.
Christianity is nothing if Christ did not raise from the dead.
Pascal’s Wager asserts that it’s reasonable to believe in the gospel because if it’s true and you don’t accept it, you will spend eternity in Hell. But if it’s false and you have accepted it, then you have lost nothing. Those who make that assertion are generally well meaning, but the Bible never presents the decision to follow Christ as a well thought out insurance policy.
Pascal's assertion is that "if Christ has not been raised" then a person will be fine be fine either way, whether he is believing or not believing. Paul's assertion is that if we have hope only in this life and that if our trust is in a dead Christ then "we are of all people most to be pitied."
If our hope in Christ is only good during this life, then it is no good. What a waste our life would be if we spent it looking forward to something that was never to come.
How then shall I live? I shall live with a confident hope, knowing that my hope is well founded. Even those who now deny it will eventually give glory to the risen Christ. Jesus triumphantly conquered death, and those who follow Him shall not be pitied. It is for me to doubtlessly follow the one who truly rose from the dead.
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