1 Corinthians 15:16-20 (New Living Translation) “And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.”
The Sadducees’ were a religious sect active in Jesus time. They were in opposition to the Pharisees on many political, religious and social issues. While they did NOT believe that there was such a thing as ‘fate’, they DID believe that God does not commit evil and that man has a free will. Where they part company with most other sects was with their firm belief that the soul was NOT immortal, meaning that there was no afterlife and thus, no rewards or penalties after death. They also rejected the belief of bodily resurrection, which was the central tenet of the growing Jesus movement.
An essential part of Christianity is believing that Christ died for the sins of all men (which is meant to be inclusive: as in, men, women and children). Another key ingredient in that belief system is that Christ died on a cross and was raised to new life 3 days later (as it was prophesied in the OT).
Can you imagine what a let down it would be if it was proven that, as the Sadducees’ believed, there was NO resurrection? That you lived, you died and that was it. You ceased consciousness and no longer existed. That would make the Bible as we believe it a lie. If you can’t believe any one thing in scripture, then it calls into question the remainder of the writings. But, as part of our belief system, based on faith and trust, we DO happen to believe that the Bible is God’s completely true, totally God inspired Word given to man. We DO happen to believe that Christ is His only Son and that He DID die on a cross for the remission of all sin. Finally, we DO believe that He rose from the dead by the power of God’s Holy Spirit that raised Him.
Think back on when you first gave your life to Christ. Why did you believe in Him? What has happened in your life since that time? Have you matured spiritually? Have you turned away? Are you living for God? Are you a stagnant pool? One of the blessings and true privileges of being a believer in Christ is that we get to go through our lives with Him. He never leaves us. He indwells us in the person of the Holy Spirit. We are never alone … ever. Even when there is no one visible around, you are not alone. Living for God is a unique journey that rarely gets boring. The key is placing your constant focus on Him rather than that which surrounds you. Like Peter, if you focus on the winds and waves of circumstances you find yourself in, the results can be less than desirable.
Rejoice today that Christ DID die, for without death there can be no resurrection and without resurrection, there can be no 2nd birth. For Christ’s resurrection is symbolic of our resurrection from our old life away from God to our new life in Him. Cultivate your faith and live more wholly for Him who gave Himself for you that you may truly live.
WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!
REMISSION defined: a. Release, as from a debt, penalty, or obligation. b. Forgiveness; pardon. (www.thefreedictionary.com)
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