“if in fact the dead are not raised”
“Do not let your heart be troubled;
(The Gospel According to John 14: 1-4 NASB)
believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house are many dwelling places;
if it were not so, I would have told you;
for I go to prepare a place for you.
If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself,
that where I am, there you may be also.
And you know the way where I am going.”
JESUS SPOKE THESE WORDS!
JESUS GAVE US THESE WORDS DIRECTLY TO ALL PEOPLE!
- To help us not be discouraged when life gets hard.
- To encourage us in our faith.
- To remind us how He resurrected from the dead.
- To give us hopefulness as we walk in a hopeless world called earth.
- To emphatically ensure us that HE NEVER LIES!
- To reveal to us that HE IS GOING TO COME AGAIN FOR EACH PERSON WHO HAS ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS HIS SAVIOR & LORD!
- To speak the TRUTH—ONLY THOSE WHO KNOW JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOR WILL, IN FACT, GO TO HEAVEN!
- To assure us—WE WILL RESIDE WITH GOD FOREVERMORE!
- To command us—WE HAVE A JOB TO DO WHILE WE REMAIN HERE ON EARTH!
- We (WHO ARE CALLED CHRISTIANS) “know the way where I am going” so we must share the Gospel with the LOST & DYING WORLD SURROUNDING US!
IF—Jesus still remains in the tomb, DEAD, then Christians are fools and liars!
- Every song we sing in praise—would be truly not worth singing—IF JESUS REMAINED DEAD!
- Each church service we attended—would be for naught, for nothing—IF JESUS NEVER AROSE!
- Every pastor’s sermon—would be worthless words spoken—IF JESUS WAS NOT RESURRECTED!
- Every prayer we pray for another or for ourselves—would be useless—IF JESUS CHRIST HAS NOT RISEN FROM THE GRAVE—TO NEW LIFE!
IF—Jesus still remains in the tomb &
IF—Jesus has not been resurrected from the dead to new life—then Christians are above all mankind the most foolish individuals!
EVERYTHING WE BELIEVE HINGES ON THIS SOLITARY FACT—Jesus has been resurrected from the dead to new life!
The apostle Paul was led by God’s Holy Spirit to record this factual TRUTH—CHRIST’S RESURRECTION!
“Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead,
(The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 15: 12-19 NASB)
how do some among you say that there is no resurrections of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;
and if Christ has not been raised,
then our preaching is vain,
your faith also is vain.
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.
For if the dead are not raised,
not even Christ has been raised;
and if Christ has not been raised,
your faith is worthless;
you are still in your sins.
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If we have hoped in Christ in this life only,
we are of all me most to be pitied.”
IF statements are normally followed by disclaimers such as if you do this, then I will do that.
However, this IF statement is followed by what ONLY GOD COULD DO & HAS, IN FACT, ALREADY DONE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST!
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead,
(The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 15: 20-26 NASB)
the first fruits of those who are asleep.
For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
But each in his own order:
Christ the first fruits,
after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,
then comes the end,
when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father,
when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
The last enemy that will be abolished is death.”
Are we, who believe, to be pitied by those who do not believe in Jesus?
Are we, who call ourselves Christians, walking around in worthless faith?
Are we, who have been redeemed by Jesus, still lost in our sins?
Is our faith in God’s Amazing Grace in vain?
- WITHOUT JESUS’ DEATH UPON THE CROSS—
- WITHOUT JESUS’ RESURRECTION FROM THE GRAVE—
- WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST—WE WOULD BE MOST HOPELESS!
BUT GOD MADE THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW HIM—THROUGH JESUS, HIS ONLY SON!
Thank You, Gracious God.
Thank You, Heavenly Father.
Thank You, Jesus.
- Thank You seems so small for all that You did on Calvary’s cross.
- Thank You can never express the jubilation and worship we know within us.
- Thank You, Jesus, is what we have to offer.
- Our Obedience.
- Our Witness.
- Our Servanthood.
- Our Testimony.
Thank You—JESUS—for the cross!
“AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR;
(The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 2: 17-22 NASB)
for through Him
we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,
but you are fellow citizens with the saints,
and are of God’s household,
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.
in whom the whole building,
being fitted together,
is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,
in whom you also are being built together
into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”
JESUS DID NOT COME TO MAKE BAD PEOPLE—GOOD!
JESUS CAME—TO MAKE DEAD PEOPLE—ALIVE THROUGH HIM!