THE RISEN LORD

“ … if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.  And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.”  1 Corinthians 15:13-14

         The historical foundation of Christianity is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  If there is no resurrection then our faith is in vain and we are still living with past sins being held against us.  Now if there is no God then that would not be such a problem.  It would be live and let live and then you die. 

         French philosopher and former Nobel prizewinner Albert Camus¹ once made a very profound statement.  He said: “I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than live as if there isn't and to die to find out that there is.” I was asked one day, what if you lived your life for God only to find out in the end that He didn’t exist?  My response was this: “Then I would have lived my life following a set of standards that I believed in and that I thought was right, fair and just.  And I’m okay with that.” You see I honestly believe that this world has nothing to offer that is so appealing that I would turn from an unseen God and embrace.  Nothing I have seen in this life thrills me more than knowing I am forgiven and loved unconditionally by the One Whom I believe created me in my mother’s womb. 

         People throughout the ages refuse to recant and as a result have died for their faith in God. Dying for Christ is far better than living for yourself.  Paul, former persecutor of the church, says in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”        

         Without Christ rising from the dead we have no belief system.  Our churches are irrelevant and our faith is ill founded.  But the very nature of faith is to believe wholeheartedly in something you cannot see as if you can see it.  I see God all around me each day.  I refuse to believe all the beauty around me just happened. That is our God given right as Christians.  Our free will to believe as we so choose.  Therefore I stand with Joshua of the Old Testament when I say, “… if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, … . But as for me and my household, we will serve the (RISEN) Lord." Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

¹ Albert Camus (1913-1960)