Not Only For This Life1 Corinthians 15:19
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Thoughts for Today:Several years ago, Time Magazine ran a cover story with the title, "Is Heaven Real?" The article described a general decline in concern about what happens after this life. Even theologians (including some pastors and ministers), expressed a lack of interest in heaven. Why? Because they have a hard time relating the doctrine of heaven to everyday living and the practical problems that we face in the modern world. It seems many people only want to hear sermons related to the challenges they currently face (marriage, family, child rearing, health problems, time management, etc). However, the reason for our faith is much more than just getting us through this life -- it is also to have hope for the next.

In this life, it is such a blessing to know we can count on God in times of turmoil. It's comforting to know that if we become sick, lose our job, or have a difficult family problem -- our God will never leave us. He is our refuge and strength. But if that's all the farther our faith takes us, Paul tells us we are to be pitied more than anyone else. So what is the hope we have in Christ that Paul mentions in our passage today?

Romans 4:25: "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."

John 6:40: "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."

John 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die."

1 Thessalonians 4:14: "For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."

Forgiveness, resurrection, eternal life, reunion in heaven -- that is our hope in Christ -- and it's not only for this life!

Questions to Ponder:The hope that is ours in Christ is not lost when this life is over. It is a hope that extends beyond this life, beyond the grave, a hope that is fulfilled in glory and victory as we leave earthly life and enter eternity. Is your faith, your hope, only for this life? Do you look to Jesus Christ only for help on this side of the grave?

​

Without It Nothing Else Matters1 Corinthians 15:16-18
For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.

Thoughts for Today:In our passage today, Paul uses a series of untrue statements to demonstrate the consequence of not believing in the resurrection. However, because Jesus rose from the dead, the opposite of these things are true. Our faith is not pointless. We won't be bound by sin any longer. And our friends and loved ones who have passed before us will be waiting in heaven. Why? Because of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.

So whenever we are speaking with the skeptic next to us -- on a long flight, at work, on campus, or anywhere else -- there is only one issue: Did Jesus rise from the dead? If so, He is unique in all of history. It validates His claim of divinity. It confirms His purpose. And it means our sins are forgiven. Every part of our faith hinges on the single issue of the Resurrection. Without it nothing else matters.

Questions to Ponder:What do you really believe in? Is it a resurrected Savior and King? Many people like the teachings of Jesus, yet struggle with His claims. He is all or nothing. Either He was just a man (like the rest of us), or He is the risen Lord. Have you adjusted your life to this truth?

​

​Inadequate Descriptions1 Corinthians 15:15
More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.

Thoughts for Today:When Christ returns, the dead will rise -- they will be resurrected. Jesus said, in John 5:28-29: "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned." But have you ever wondered: With what body will we be resurrected? Will there be male and female? Will we recognize one another? Will some be old and others young?

Scripture does not answer all of our questions about the afterlife, however, it does tell us: 1) we will be with God forever; 2) those of us who trust Christ will find it very enjoyable; and 3) when Christ returns, we will be like Him. (1 John 3:2: "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.")

I don't think we can truly understand what immortality will be like because our words are based on our experiences in a mortal world. Being glorified will be like entering a new dimension that we have never known. Perhaps in the same way a blind person has difficulty recognizing the beauty of a sunset, or an infant is incapable of understanding adulthood. However, our inability to describe or completely understand the afterlife -- does not mean it doesn't exist.

Questions to Ponder:Some people reject Scriptural precepts simply because they can't understand, relate or conceptualize how it applies based upon their own limited experience. We know words cannot describe the aroma of a fresh cut grass, so why would we expect a description of how the dead are resurrected to be different? Do you believe Scripture even if you cannot describe every detail of eternal life?

Another Dead Religion?1 Corinthians 15:14
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

Thoughts for Today:Of the thirteen sermons preached in the Book of Acts, eleven of them specifically mention the resurrection. In the other two, it might not have been mentioned, but it is clearly implied. So why is the resurrection so important to our faith? Following are five reasons:

1. The resurrection of Jesus makes Christianity different from all other religions because He is a real, flesh and blood person - not just a set of principles. (1 John 1:1-3: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched -- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.")

2. Forgiveness of sin is not obtained through following guidelines, but by Jesus Christ Himself. If Jesus wasn't raised from the dead, then He wouldn't have the power to save or make intercessions for us. (Hebrews 7:25: "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.")

3. The power to live a victorious life comes from Christ living in us. Without the resurrection of Christ there would be no power. (Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.")

4. If Jesus was not raised from the dead, then we could not be saved. (Ephesians 2:4-6: "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.")

5. When Jesus conquered death, it removed the fear and sting for all of us. (Hebrews 2:14-15: "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil -- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.")

Faith in the current nature of Jesus' ministry is a crucial component to true Christianity -- which would be an impossibility if He were dead. Without the resurrected Jesus, our faith would be another dead religion.

Questions to Ponder:Have you become lost in the principles of Christian living? What does a resurrected Jesus, alive and living, mean to you? Are you a beneficiary of His power?

​
​

​Intelligent Faith: Knowing What We Believe1 Corinthians 15:11
Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Thoughts for Today:As believers, how do we know Christ rose? First, we have Christ in us, the "hope of glory" (1 Colossians 1:27), which would be beyond the capacity of anyone who was simply dead. Second, we have the Old Testament anticipation of the event (Psalms 2:7, Psalms 16:9-11, Isaiah 53:10-11). Third, we have the empty tomb. And fourth, the witness of the disciples and all the others who saw the risen Lord. Yet, there is something more. Think about the millions upon millions of people whose lives have been changed over the last two thousand years as a result in their belief in a resurrected Savior. Can their testimonies be ignored? I don't think so. It's just one more bit of "proof". Knowing what we believe and why we believe it is what I call "Intelligent Faith".

So how should we go about telling an unbelieving world about our faith in the truth of Jesus? The Bible teaches the resurrection of the Lord is to be stated as fact, promise, and ultimatum. (Acts 10:42: "He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.") Yet, many still refuse to believe. Why? I think much of resistance comes down to independence. If Jesus conquered death, then He is Himself unconquerable, and therefore must be obeyed. His resurrection "proves" His authority. It is for this reason that many refuse to accept "proof" -- even if they see it with their own eyes. (Luke 16:31: "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'")

Questions to Ponder:Do you know what you believe? A changed life is the best evidence of a risen Lord. Has your life been visibly changed? How so?

                                   Works: A Response to Grace1 Corinthians 15:10b
No, I worked harder than all of them --yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Thoughts for Today:When I was new in my faith, I looked at works as a way to get God to respond to me. I went to church and Bible studies; and I prayed, tithed, and worked in service projects. However, as my faith matured, I came to realize that works are the inevitable response to the goodness and grace God had already given me. When I considered -- I'm going to heaven, my sin has been forgiven, His Holy Spirit lives within me, and He has given His Word to live by -- then what other response could I have? When I think about, and accept all that God has done for me, I can't keep myself from wanting to wholeheartedly serve Him.

A true understanding of the grace of God results in works. However, works are a response to what God has already done, rather than a way to get God to respond to us. The problem with some of today's more popular Christian theology is that people are told to give money, pray, and serve in order to get something back from God. Unfortunately, all those activities should be our response to what God has already done in our lives.

Here are two examples of how it works: We don't need to study the Bible to get God to love us; He already loves us by grace. However, we do have to study the Bible to renew and remind ourselves of how deeply God loves us. And we don't have to go to church to obtain God's grace, because we already have it. We participate in fellowship to encourage one another, keep our hearts from becoming hardened, etc. (Hebrews 3:13: "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 10:25: "Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.)

Questions to Ponder:Are you more engaged in service than you were a year ago? Are you embracing and enjoying the grace of God? What is the source of your motivation to serve? Are you responding to God's grace or something else? We have to resist the influence of our human nature in order to rest in God's grace. Hebrews 4:11: "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience." Is there an influence you need to resist?

​

​Order Gospels | Give
  

True Humility1 Corinthians 15:10a
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.

Thoughts for Today:We know Paul was humble as we have seen in the previous verses (1 Corinthians 15:8-9). However, there is a big difference between Paul's type of humility and the false humility we see so prevalently displayed today. Humility is not our refusal to see or say anything good about ourselves. Paul knew who he was and accepted all the authority that came with his position and accomplishment. He just didn't feel like he deserved it -- which he didn't. Why? Because it was a gift.

I was working the other day with a man on a service project. He was a little difficult to work with because he had such a negative outlook on just about everything. He even kept his face screwed up into a tight pinch, as if he had just taken a bite of something really bitter. I tried joking around a little, trying to get him to squeeze out a smile, but nothing worked. Finally, I took a direct approach. I said, "Hey, what's the problem? Where's the joy? We're out here working for the Lord, it's a great day, and we have the opportunity to be a blessing to someone who needs our help. Shouldn't we be celebrating?" The man looked at me as if I were from a different planet. He said, "You don't know what I've done, where I've been, or what I've been through, so don't expect me to be happy. I've done some horrible things in my life." I said, "But are you saved? Have you asked Jesus to be your personal Lord and Savior?" His eyes welled with tears as he nodded. I said, "Then it's okay to be joyful. We shouldn't forget about our past and the pain we've caused, but it doesn't mean we need to beat ourselves up for the rest of our lives. If we do, we'll never know the peace God promises."

I won't say the man changed miraculously into a joy-filled person, but there was a slight difference in his demeanor. He no longer looked as if he was preparing for a beating at any moment. True humility is not self-debasing, self-hatred, nor denial of accomplishment and joy. It is simply an awareness that what we have and what we have been given is a gift of God. Therefore, only those who acknowledge the mercy, grace and love of God can operate in true humility.

Questions to Ponder:What is the source of your humility? Is it an attitude you put on around your Christian friends, or is it the deep felt knowledge that everything you have and are is a gift from God?

                                   A Doctorate in the Desert1 Corinthians 15:8
... and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Thoughts for Today:The Greek word translated "abnormally born" is EKTROMA; and this is the only time it is used in Scripture. According to Strong's Concordance it means "a miscarriage or untimely birth". Paul was basically saying that in the same way it would be unusual for a miscarried child to live, it was abnormal for him to be an apostle. In our passage today, Paul says, "I might have become a believer later in life, but that doesn't mean I haven't also seen Jesus" (see Acts 9:3-6).

It was during the time Paul spent in the Arabian desert the Lord taught him how Old Testament pictures were to be translated into New Testament principles. And it was also there he learned every Word of Scripture was about Jesus. As a result, generations of believers have been blessed. So how long did it take for Paul to be readied by the Lord for his ministry? It took three years. (Galatians 1:13-18: "For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. Then after three years...")

Questions to Ponder:Today, in religious circles it is impressive to have a Doctorate of Divinity. After three years in the desert, Paul had a D.D. as well -- in his case, a Doctorate of the Desert. He was in good company: Moses, John the Baptist, and Jesus all spent time in the desert. Are you also experiencing a difficult time in your life? Does refreshment, nourishment or relief seem all too scarce? Don't complain or whine; worship the Lord and draw close to Him. Be still and you will see Him in ways you never would -- if you had been anywhere else. Get your own Doctorate in the Desert!

​

                                        Because it Truly Happened!1 Corinthians 15:5-7
...and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles...

Thoughts for Today:Witnesses are a great source of "proof", so let's take a closer look at each of those Paul mentions:

The first of the disciples to see Jesus was Cephas or Peter. It might be interesting to know what was discussed (after all, Peter had denied Jesus three times), but it was a private conversation. Clearly, Jesus had some things he needed to discuss with Peter all by himself.

Next, the risen Lord appeared to the twelve disciples. They were eleven at the time because Judas had died and Mathias had not yet been chosen as his successor. Paul probably used the term "Twelve" to represent the Disciples as a group as opposed to their actual number.

After that, Jesus was seen by five hundred people at the same time. Where was the physical location? Most Biblical scholars believe it was in the area of the Sea of Galilee.

He was then seen by James (which also appears to have been a private meeting). Remember, James was the half brother of Jesus, who at first didn't believe that Jesus was who He claimed to be. However, James changed his mind so completely that he became a leader of the early church (perhaps it was due in large part to this event).

Any lawyer would love to have as many witnesses as Paul lists in our passage today. Especially considering the consistency of their testimony. Despite the fact it had been over twenty years between the resurrection and when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, none of these people had recanted or changed their view of the event they experienced. We know as time passes, memories fade, and most people would begin to contradict themselves. But this wasn't the case. Every one of these people held on to their belief and individual account of the Resurrection. Why? Because it truly happened.

Questions to Ponder:How many people's witness would it take for you to believe in the resurrected Christ? One, one thousand, or one million? Unfortunately, some people will not believe no matter how much "proof" is present. Do you truly believe in the resurrected Lord? Is your life representative of that fact? What needs to change?
Day 1305 "A Doctorate in the Desert"

​

                                 The FULL Gospel Message1 Corinthians 15:4
...that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...

Thoughts for Today:Paul tells us every presentation of the Gospel message must contain two key components: First, Jesus died for our sins; and second, He was raised from the dead. We Christians who name Jesus as our Lord and Savior believe this Gospel message -- especially the first part. But, do we really believe the second aspect? Do we really believe that Jesus is alive, right now by His Spirit living in us? If we do, then today and every day will be like Easter Sunday.

John 20:11-16: "Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, 'Woman, why are you crying?' 'They have taken my Lord away,' she said, 'and I don't know where they have put him.' At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, 'Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?' Thinking he was the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, 'Rabboni!' (which means Teacher). Jesus said, 'Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."'"

Let me ask some questions: Do you think Mary was excited about the atoning work of Christ on the Cross? Was she thrilled with the millennial reign of Jesus to come? Of course not. No one, on that first Easter Sunday, was concerned with any of the theological nor eschatological implications of a risen Lord. Mary hugged Jesus and held onto Him because He was her Friend who was alive and with her again. It was the only thing that mattered.

What if we believed the same thing? Not some abstract teaching or principle, but in a risen Friend? Believing not only in His death, but that He is risen again and with us today -- right now? I can tell you something for certain, if we do, we won't be going around any longer saying, "Poor me. What am I going to do about my job, how am I going to pay my bills, or why don't I get the respect I deserve?" No, instead we'll be running around joyously telling everyone who will listen, "Jesus is alive, and He's here today!" Do you truly believe in both parts of the Gospel message?

Questions to Ponder:Isaiah 30:15: "This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.'" It's the same thing the Lord says to us each and every day: Our quietness (lack of anxiety) and confidence (resting in the promise and presence of the Lord), will be our strength. Or will we have none of it? Which do you choose? Do you believe the Gospel? Do you believe the FULL Gospel message? To the extent we do, it will determine how happy we are. Just ask Mary.

​