Now
if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among
you say that there is no resurrection 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 men most
to be pitied.
(1 Corinthians 15:12-19, NASB)
The gospel—the good news of salvation—hinges on
the resurrection. If Christ had merely died and buried, then there would be no
good news. We would still be lost.
One of my favorite commentaries investigates these verses:
Having shown that
Christ was risen, the apostle answers those who said there would be no
resurrection. There had been no justification, or salvation, if Christ had not
risen. And must not faith in Christ be vain, and of no use, if he is still
among the dead? The proof of the resurrection of the body is the resurrection
of our Lord. Even those who died in the faith, had perished in their sins, if
Christ had not risen. All who believe in Christ, have hope in him, as a
Redeemer; hope for redemption and salvation by him; but if there is no
resurrection, or future recompence, their hope in him can only be as to this
life. And they must be in a worse condition than the rest of mankind,
especially at the time, and under the circumstances, in which the apostles
wrote; for then Christians were hated and persecuted by all men. But it is not
so; they, of all men, enjoy solid comforts amidst all their difficulties and
trials, even in the times of the sharpest persecution. (Matthew Henry Concise
Commentary on the Whole Bible)
We would have no real hope if Jesus had remained
in the grave.
But He didn’t. Eyewitness report proves that He rose from the grave. He lives.
And so shall we who follow Him.
For
I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I
persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His
grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them,
yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they,
so we preach and so you believed.
(1 Corinthians 15:9-11, NASB)
We are all the “least of the apostles.” None of us deserves God’s grace. None
of us.
Yet that’s exactly what God offers to us. Grace. Unmerited favor. Getting what
we don’t deserve.
Most of us didn’t persecute the church of God, but we sinned. Each and every
one of us. Some of us “worse” than others, certainly. But each of us has
sinned. Each of has broken the heart of our Lord and Savior. Each of us
deserves eternal separation from Him.
Yet, if we receive the gift of salvation by receiving Christ as our Savior, we
are covered by God’s grace. We receive eternity with our Lord and Savior.
We receive so much of what we don’t deserve. Even those of us who have been the
worst of sinners.
Grace is ours … We just have to ask.
For
I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that
He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He
appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than
five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have
fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of
all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
(1 Corinthians 15:3-8, NASB)
Yesterday, Paul wrote of how the gospel needs to be received and then stood by
and held fast. Today’s verses are the gospel in a “nutshell.”
You may have heard of the “elevator speech”? It’s when you’re able to describe
or illustrate something in the time it takes to ride an elevator up a high-rise
building. In just 99 words, Paul defines “gospel,” which could definitely be
said in less than a minute. We Christians should memorize these verses so that
we’re prepared to quickly and succinctly share the truth.
So many of us are intimated when we think of sharing the gospel. We’re content
to let preachers and teacher do the work for us. Yet we’re all called to share
God’s truth. In fact, we’re commanded to do so. Jesus’ final words to His
disciples apply to us as well: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark
16:15).
Yet it’s not easy. We’re not quite sure what to say, and we’re afraid we might
be asked something we can’t answer. Perhaps having just 99 words that
completely encapsulate the truth would help: Jesus died for our sins and was buried and
was resurrected according to the
scripture. And we know this to be true because He appeared to many—many—before
He ascended to heaven.
Share the truth. Share the gospel. Share the 99 words.
Now
I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also
you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold
fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-2, NASB)
As most of us know, “gospel” means good news. Specifically, it means the good
news of salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself said that He—and only He—is the “way and the truth and the life.”
He also said that “no one comes to the Father but through [Him]” (John 14:6).
This is the gospel Paul preached with passion and diligence … and for which he
was willing to give his own life. And he definitely practiced what he preached.
He received the gospel when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Yes, he had a
supernatural encounter that few of us have, but when he was faced with the truth
of the risen Savior, He accepted that truth.
And he stood by and held fast the gospel, devoting his life to sharing the
truth throughout his known world. And He suffered for that gospel: In addition
to being imprisoned countless times, he wrote, “Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three
times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked,
a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers,
dangers from robbers, dangers from my
countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the
wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren …” (2 Corinthians
11:24-25).
When we look at “receiving,” most Christians would say that, of course, they
received the gospel. That’s why they’re Christians.
But what about standing by and holding fast? Have I devoted my life to sharing
the gospel with my known world? Am I willing to suffer for it? Is God—Father,
Son, and Spirit—the number-one priority in my life? Do I live to glorify Him by
my speech, thoughts, and actions?
What about you?
Love
never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away;
if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it
will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect
comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like
a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did
away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to
face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been
fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of
these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:8-13, NASB)
Love is the only thing that will endure. Love for God. Love for others. Anything
else we do on earth will “be done away” and “cease.” All spiritual gifts that
God has given us to build His kingdom will also cease. Because when we stand
face-to-face with our Father, we will have fulfilled His purpose on earth, and
prayerfully, we’ll hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
And while we may understand some of God’s purpose and will while we’re here,
one day, we will “know fully just as [we] have been fully known.” The mirror
into which we now see dimly will be clear.
So while we’re on earth, we need to love as Jesus loves. With patience,
kindness, mercy, and grace. We need to love our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We need to love unbelievers and show them the love of Christ. And we need to
love our God—Father, Son, and Spirit—heart, soul, mind, and strength.
For, indeed, the greatest of all things is love.
Love
is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not
arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in
unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all
things.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NASB)
Love endures all things.
For the last 14 days, we’ve looked at different attributes of love as described
by the apostle Paul. This last attribute reminds me that true loving
relationships are marathons, not sprints. They’re enduring, long-lasting,
strong. This is especially true—or should be—in marriage.
Our world would tell us that love is all passion, and when the passion dies, so
does love. Passion is a sprint. And it does ebb and flow. So if your focus is
on passion, you’ll hit the finish line and then think it’s all over. Thus the
tragic divorce statistics we see.
Love is so much more than passion. Love is intimacy—emotional, spiritual, and
physical. It's being there for your mate. It's loving him or her with patience, kindness, without arrogance ... All those things we've been talking about.
Yes, Russ and I have been married 24
years, and believe me, there have been times when passion has stagnated. There
have even been times when I really didn’t like what Russ did—and wondered “Who
are you and what are you doing in my house?” It was during those times when I
chose to love him.
Russ is my best friend. He’s the one who knows me inside and out—and loves me
anyway. He’s the one who puts up with my bad moods (yes, I do have them
occasionally!), who supports my passion for ministry, who cooks yummy meals,
and who I know will be there for me no matter what.
Our love has endured.
If you’re married, please don’t listen to the world’s
lies. The grass really isn’t greener on the other side. It’s probably just AstroTurf—a facsimile of the real thing. And if you aren't married yet, but hope to be some day, remember these words. Remember to focus on the marathon, not the sprint.
Choose to love your mate. Love, honor, and cherish, even through the difficult
times, even through those times when your mate just isn’t lovable.
Run the race. Finish the marathon.
Endure.
Love
is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not
arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in
unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures
all things.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NASB)
Love hopes all things.
Hope is one of my favorite words. Hope. Anticipation.
I especially like Webster’s definition: to “cherish a desire with anticipation”
or to “expect with confidence.”
When we love with hope, we anticipate good things from and with the ones we
love. We have confidence in their love for us. We hope for a bright future.
As I mentioned a couple of days ago, Russ and I have been together for over 27
years, and we just celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary last month.
I still anticipate what’s ahead. I still “expect with confidence” that we have
amazing times in store for us. And my hope is that we’ll love each other even
more through the coming years!
We Christians live with an even greater hope: eternity in heaven with our Lord
God. Talk about “cherish[ing] a desire with anticipation”! I desire nothing
more than shedding this earthly skin and being in the very presence of my Lord
and Savior. I live in hope for that day.
Where is your hope? Can you really “expect with confidence” the things of this
world? Certainly, you can place your hope in trusted people on earth, but your
hope—your only real hope—should be in the One who will never leave you or
forsake you (Heb. 13:5). The One who loves you with an everlasting love (Jer.
31:3).
Place your hope in Him.
Love
is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not
arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in
unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NASB)
Love believes all things.
I spoke at an event a year or so ago with the theme of "Loving Others, Valuing Everyone," and I said that the one attribute of love
that was missing from Paul’s list was, “Love is trustworthy.” After meditating
on the words we’re focusing on today, I think I may be wrong. Today’s attribute
is close.
If I love someone—truly love him—I’ll believe the best of him. I’ll believe
he’ll do his best. He’ll be loyal and kind. He’ll be faithful to me. In fact,
I’ll believe he’s worthy of my trust.
In return, I need to be the same for him. This is the relationship I’m blessed
to have with my husband. I know he’ll be faithful to me. I know he’ll love me
through sickness and health, good times and bad, riches and poverty … because
he has.
So I can believe he’ll be the same in the next year or five or ten.
Love isn’t blind. That’s certain. If someone has clear issues—anger, a tendency
to belittle, a history of infidelity—you should avoid an intimate
relationship. However, if he has proven
himself to be faithful, then you can trust him.
You can believe in him.
Love
is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not
arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in
unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures
all things.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NASB)
Love bears all things.
Love—true love—puts up with "all things." Now I’m not saying we’re to be doormats
or allow abuse, but we should be willing to bear our spouses bad mood or our
kids’ testiness. We shouldn’t get angry when our friend forgets a coffee date.
We should instead love them.
Love is a noun and a verb, you know. We have a feeling of love (noun), but we
choose to actively love (verb). I can’t remember where I read it, but the
author wrote how a man came to him and said he didn’t love his wife any more.
“What should I do?” he asked. “Just love her.” Confused, the man said again,
“But I don’t love her.” And again, the reply was, “Just love her.” This went on a couple of more times, and the
man was told to just go and love his wife. And a marriage was restored.
We choose to love—the verb—even when those around us aren’t being very
loveable. That’s why parents can say, “I don’t like what you’ve done, but I
still love you.”
My mom is a prime example of that kind of love. For a very long time, I did so many things that my mom did not like or approve of. But she never stopped loving me. And
today, there may be things my husband does that I don’t like, but I love him. I
choose to love him every day.
Think of how Jesus loves us. I imagine He doesn’t like a lot of what we do, but
He loves us. He loved us enough that “while [we] were still sinners, [He] died
for us” (Rom. 5:8).
That’s what it means to bear all things. All things.
Love
is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not
arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NASB)
Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.
Of all the attributes Paul describes, this one should be the easiest for those
of us who follow Christ. We should never rejoice in unrighteousness. Sin should
never be celebrated. As I write these words, I’m convicted—yet again. How often
do I watch a television show or movie that revels in sin? More often than I
care to admit.
Sin breaks the heart of my heavenly Father. It should do the same to mine. And
yet, I laugh it off as though it doesn’t matter. I, dare I say, rejoice in unrighteousness.
Oh, as Paul would say, may that never be!
My rejoicing should come only when I see God work in lives. When I see people
make a stand for faith. When someone begins a relationship with Jesus.
When truth wins out.
Only then I should plan a party and celebrate.
