Three Main Points

Good Morning!

Well, it’s the day after Easter. Now we can move on to summer. Or can we?

Paul, in his letter to the church at Corinth, has three great passages that we must look at … note I don’t mention “chapters” but rather passages. The first is the love passage. The plain fact of the matter is that if we love as God loves, all else will fall into place. Sounds easy … but it is a sacrificial love that few of us can muster. Such love comes from complete trust in God.

The second and third passages are found in the following:

1 Corinthians 15:1-32 (New International Version, ©2011)
The Resurrection of Christ
1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 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. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 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. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.”[c] Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
29 Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31 I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,
“Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.”[d]
Footnotes:
a. 1 Corinthians 15:3 Or you at the first
b. 1 Corinthians 15:5 That is, Peter
c. 1 Corinthians 15:27 Psalm 8:6
d. 1 Corinthians 15:32 Isaiah 22:13

The second passage refers to the sacrifice of Christ. Paul, being a Jew, would be thinking “Messiah” when writing “Christ” because they have the same meaning. Jesus was anointed by God to be the sacrifice for the sin of mankind. It is through His sacrificial death that you and I have the joy of a relationship with God. Without His willingness to offer Himself, we would all be on a deadly treadmill of trying to be “good enough” to garner God’s grace. And we could never achieve the grace we need.

The third passage is about the resurrection. The resurrection is God’s promise to you and me that everlasting life is truly that … everlasting. As Paul states, if Christ isn’t raised, then we are a bunch of fools running around trying to convince people that God loves them enough to die for them. But Paul gives credible evidence that Jesus is risen from the dead. So your faith is not in vain … it is real and true.

Each of these are important points for the Christian. Love, sacrifice, life. God’s great plan for us all.


Agape’


Mr. Jim