The Resurrection Of The Dead...Continued from page 2

Fact #3: Our faith doesn't do what we thought it would do.

Paul writes: ". . . and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:14). On another occasion, he referred to "knowing him and the power of his resurrection." It is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ that we are empowered for change. We turn from darkness to light. If there was no resurrection, there is no change.

Fact #4: We are all liars.

We are in real trouble if Jesus did not rise from the dead. Not only is our faith in vain, but Paul writes, "We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of 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, then Christ has not been raised" (1 Corinthians 15:15-16).

Fact #5: We are still in our sins.

"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17). Jesus is the one who has pardoned all of our iniquities. This is based on His resurrection power. We are kidding ourselves to think that we are forgiven persons. The reality is that somewhere in the Middle East there is a grave with the body of that first-century martyr named Jesus of Nazareth.

Fact #6: Dead believers have perished.

Not only does this have implications for us, it has horrendous significance for all those who have believed in Jesus Christ during the last two thousand years. Paul writes, "Then those also who have died in Christ have perished" (1 Corinthians 15:18). The dead believers are gone. They are finished as we will be someday.

Fact #7: We Christians are pathetic persons.

Paul concludes this part of his argument stating, "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied" (1 Corinthians 15:19). Our faith is worth nothing if Christ did not rise from the dead.

These implications are severe. Refute the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the logical conclusion is the Christian faith has lost its foundation. You might be able to extract some ethical principles. But, as we mentioned last week, there are other sources of higher ethics. Jesus himself was either a charlatan, a lunatic or what He claimed to be, the crucified and risen God.

The biblical affirmation is that not only was Jesus raised from the dead, but He is the first fruits for us who also will be raised.

In verses 20-28, Paul makes two fascinating allusions. First, he refers to the resurrected Christ as being the "first fruits" of those who have died. There are many biblical applications of this suggestive phrase.