Unless it Dies

I Corinthians 15 cont’d:

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.  When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.

When we try to analyze with our minds the resurrection of the dead, we fall short because we can’t comprehend it.

However, look at a tiny seed that we plant in the ground.  That seed dies and then what comes up out of the ground doesn’t look like that seed at all.  The plant that emerges was already given its DNA in the tiny seed before the seed sprouts and appears to all in the glory of its beautiful bloom.

To me, the fact that something so large and beautiful can emerge from something so tiny and brown is amazing.  It’s beyond my comprehension and doesn’t even make sense at all.

God made us in his image to be a beautiful reflection of his love, but we have to die first – to ourselves and to sin.  Just like a seed that is buried in the dirt.  We also will die physically, our bodies buried beneath the ground.

Why then, if we see with our eyes how a seed that is so small it gets lost in the dirt grows into breathtaking tulips, roses, and redwood trees – is it so hard for us to believe that if we too die and allow God to water us and shine his light into our hearts – that we will emerge into something even more beautiful and of much more value than any flower on the earth?

I believe.  Do you?

Don't Be Misled

I Corinthians 15 cont’d:

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."

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

The followers of Christ in the New Testament suffered for the things they preached.  They were beaten and mistreated.  How absurd it would be to endure such hardships for nothing. 

Those who do not follow Christ live as written above – to eat and drink – because they have no assurance of tomorrow.  So why not satisfy every lust of their flesh and every desire of their heart? 

But we see a warning here to not be misled.  We are told to come to our senses.  We are instructed to stop sinning.

It’s sad to me that some Christians portray the life of following Christ as a list of don’ts, they wear a frown because they’re “suffering” for Christ, and they are not attractive at all – so why should anyone want to be like them?

A life lived for Christ is exciting, full of hope and joy, and even in suffering there is life because we have hope.  Sin doesn’t rule our minds and bodies and wreak havoc in our relationships.  We don’t feel shame because we are set free to live apart from a selfish, pitiful life.

Jesus is raised from the dead!  Do you realize what that means for you?

If...

I Corinthians 15

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? And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Think about it.

If the basic truth of Christianity, that Jesus was raised from the dead, is not true, then why lay down our lives for a cause that is futile?  Why would Christians give their lives as martyrs, abandon all they have to stand up for righteousness?  How would they find the strength to endure hardships in life that are unspeakable and unthinkable?

Believing that Jesus was raised from the dead is one of those truths on which we cannot waiver.  The reason Jesus died and rose again was to conquer the evil plans that were sentenced to take place in our lives.   

Jeremiah 29:11 says the Lord has plans for us, plans full of hope and prosperity.  But did you know there’s another plan that Satan has for us?  It’s really no plan at all, it’s death and despair.

The only way out of that plan is to believe.  And how simple is that to do, in order to receive the gift of eternal life?

What an awesome God we serve!

The End

I Corinthians 15 cont’d:

Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.  For he “has put everything under his feet."

It doesn’t take much to realize that this world is destroying itself.  There are natural disasters, earthly kingdoms that fall due to errors of men, and power of darkness that cause men to perform evil acts on innocent people.  This world is even governed by people in authority who lack wisdom to lead.

There is an end coming.  No one knows when, but the powers that be will be no more, because Jesus died and was raised again.  We’ve been reaffirming this truth over and over again in these past few days of devos.

Right now, one of those powers that rules the earth and all living creatures in it is death.  Jesus destroyed death and its power on the cross when he died and rose again. 

In fact, Jesus’ resurrection destroyed all powers of the earth, and when the end comes, all that has governed this earth will be replaced with all that governs heaven – our God and Savior.

The cool thing is that we can hand over our hearts to him to govern now, while we still live and breathe on this earth.  And then when the end comes, for those who believe, we will just be escorted into this kingdom to receive our new bodies that will never die.

Pretty cool, don’t you think?

Firstfruit

I Corinthians 15:20-23

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

Back in the Old Testament a sheaf of grain before the harvest was “set apart” for the Lord.  Here in the New Testament we are told that Christ is a kind of a firstfruit for those who have died.  He is set apart, exalted, and presented to God as the final word on death. 

Death entered the world because of the sin of man.  Life was reinstated, in fact, the victory over death, because of the life and death of Christ.

This really is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions.  We serve a living God.  We serve a powerful God who conquered death, who was set apart, and now sets us apart to himself if we believe.

These bodies in which we live are going to die.  That’s a given.  But the Spirit that lives in those who believe will live forever.

I have a mother-in-law who has severe dementia and cannot converse except for a few words.  However, when we sing hymns with her that touch her spirit, she sings every word, on pitch, clearly and distinctly.

That tells me something.  Her Spirit is alive and well because of Christ. And though her body and mind is failing, she will live forever in praise to the One – the firstfruit – who was raised from the dead.

From the Dead

I Corinthians 12:5-19

 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? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 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.  For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Oh, my goodness!  11 times there is emphasis in this small passage of scripture about Christ being raised from the dead.  It’s quite monotonous to read!  Surely, the writer of this passage is trying to get a point across to his readers.

Believing that Christ has been raised from the dead is of super importance to our faith.  From that fact stems all hope that we have in the power of God to take that which is dead and bring life into it.  Knowing that Christ has conquered death means we no longer are slaves to sin and the power it had over our lives.  And being sure that He is alive and no longer dead means we too have hope that we will live eternally with him.

This is no small thing!  Do you believe?  

When we choose to put our faith in Christ and the work of the cross – his death and resurrection – we are choosing life.  And this is our hope.  This is our foundation. This is the truth on which we stand.

He Appeared

I Corinthians 15 cont’d:

… and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.  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.  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,  and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 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.

Yesterday’s devo reminded us of the premier importance of believing that Christ died, our sins were buried with him, and that he rose again.

It’s interesting to note that in the very next verses, we are told to believe that he appeared to certain people after his resurrection:

To Cephas (Peter – the one who denied him)

To the Twelve

To more than 500 brothers and sisters

To James

To all the apostles

To the writer of this chapter, the one who persecuted the church of God

Why is it important for us to believe that he appeared to all of these people, and why did the writer feel a need to spell out who these people were, instead of just saying Jesus appeared to all?

I’m not sure, but when I read this, it makes me realize he appeared to those who rejected him, to those who followed him, to those afar off, to his closest friends, and to the one who was perhaps his greatest enemy on earth, to assure them that what he promised (that he would rise again) indeed happened.

Jesus is a personal savior and appears to us personally, to assure us of his presence and reality and power in our lives.  And the only way we will recognize and see him is if we believe that He died, was buried, and rose again.  That faith opens our eyes to see our savior at work in our lives.