“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” 1 Thessalonians 4:14 The doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ was questioned by some in the church at Corinth, Greece. “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?” 1 Corinthians 15:12 There were skeptics then and there skeptics today, that do not believe Jesus rose from the dead. Think about it for a moment, if people today, really believed that Jesus rose from the dead and knew that Jesus was coming today to take His faithful home to heaven, there would be a mass coming to Jesus Christ for salvation. The truth is, while many believe in Jesus Christ, they don’t live for Him, as though He could come back today. If we knew that Jesus was coming today, our living would be according to the commandments of Jesus Christ. We would make every preparation to make sure that Jesus would be pleased with us as we await His coming. But the sad truth is this, there is time, no need to hurry to make a decision to become a Christian. Living apart from God, i.e., no thought of Him and no time for Him, because their hearts desire was only on evil continually, Genesis 6:5-7, got a lot of people in trouble in the time of Noah., for the LORD destroyed them by a worldwide flood. Jesus gave the same assessment of how unprepared people will be when He comes. Jesus said, : ”Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:35-39 As the days of Noah were, is how Jesus described what the days will be like before His coming. Think about it, people today in America are eating, “drinking, marrying and giving in marriage”. It was just another day on the calendar, for them in the days of Noah, there was nothing to be concerned about. Business as usual with no thought of God. Oh they had things that they were about doing, but nothing about God. As in the days of Noah, I am afraid too many are like those before the flood, no thought or time for God. Just another day on the calendar, except when Jesus comes, business will not be as usual and it will not be just another day on the calendar. We need to wake up, look up to heaven, from where are help comes from, because one of these days, even today, Jesus will come. But when He comes, He will only be taking those who have time for Him and His Son Jesus Christ, who are diligently sowing the seed of the “Gospel of Jesus Christ”, because it is not just another day on the calendar, this day will be the end of the calendar as we know it. This is the message that Paul, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, preached to the Christians at Corinth, Greece. Paul’s message is for us today as well. Paul presented the argument of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:13-22. The argument is, “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?” 1 Corinthians 15:12 In 1 Corinthians 15:13-22, Paul gave his reasoning, concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ, from the dead . “13 “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Paul’s reasoning is very sound as he presents both the negative side, if Christ “be not risen” and the positive side, “But now is Christ risen from the dead.” “19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” It is like he told them, think about what you are saying about there being no resurrection. If the dead rise not, why go to church? It is futile with no nothing to look forward to. But Christ arose from the dead, overcoming death, so that all who faithfully follow Him will be rise again. It is this simple, Because Jesus lives, we shall “co-live together with Him”. “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him”. 2 Timothy 2:11 “In Christ shall all be made alive”, is the cornerstone of His ministry. The twelve apostles were eye witnesses to Jesus Christ’s resurrection and Paul also saw Jesus, after His resurrection, in a vision, in Acts 9. And their were many more who witnessed the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Listen to what Paul said, in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, which precedes our text, concerning those who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 “1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.” The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact that cannot be denied. Therefore, we are waiting for the return of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and when He comes, “the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Let us Praise God for the resurrection of Jesus Christ and know that “our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.” In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul gave the particulars of our Lord Jesus Christ‘s coming. “13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesusministrys Danieljayaraj will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” In conclusion, since we are still awaiting the coming of Jesus Christ, let us “comfort one another with these words”, He is coming, He is coming, He is coming, His return is just a matter of when the Father sends Him. The words of Paul, who witnessed the resurrected Jesus Christ, on the road to Damascus, and was filled with the Holy Spirit, as recorded in Acts 9: 1-18, preached what he knew to be true, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is much comfort knowing, that at any time Jesus could come back for us and when He does, if we are alive, we shall meet Him in the air, or be raised from the dead, and forever be with Him. We need to live as though Jesus Christ is coming today. Let us pay heed to Jesus warning in Matthew 24:35-39, and treat each day, not as just another day on the calendar, but rather a looking for His coming. Being forewarned by Jesus, is so that we will not be like those in the days of Noah just before the flood came. “Therefore let us study God’s Word, to prepare ourselves fro His coming as Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:15,, “ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” References: King James Version Bible Gateway - Thank you for public access to Bible verses. By Public Domain bible. cc Online - Thank you for helping me find the subject matter in 1 Corinthians 15:13-22. The phrase “my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness,” is from the old Gospel hymn, written by Edward Mote, published in 1837. - Source - Wikipedia Online
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 00:21:05 +0000
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