Through the Bible - Isaiah 4-6, Galatians 5
Good morning,
Some of you may remember the old "cop" show Dragnet. One of the characters, Sgt. Joe Friday, with his monotone voice would always say "just the facts mam". The Evil One's ways are to deceive, sidetrack, hi-jack our thoughts with false arguments.
For today's verse we'll go to 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul tells us that if we succumb to these arguments we are to be most pitied. Paul encourages us to hold onto the facts that Christ lived, died, was buried and rose again to give us confidence and hope that He will do the same for us.
1 Corinthians 15:19-20 (Amplified Bible) If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hope only in this life and that is all, then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied.
20But the fact is that Christ (the Messiah) has been raised from the dead, and He became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death].
If we are abiding with Christ, living in communion, in communication with Him in His Word and in prayer, putting our faith and trust in Him we are in union with Him. This union definitely has benefits in the here and now and for eternity.
In "The Throne of Grace" John MacDuff writes, "It is in virtue of your union with Christ, that His grace is yours, to strengthen and sustain you—His Spirit is yours, to guide, enlighten, and comfort you—His intercession is yours, to secure for you all needed blessing—His power is yours, to defend you from injury, to secure you against defeat—His heart is yours, into which you may pour all your sorrows, and receive His sympathy—His home is yours, to be your everlasting abode, that where He is, there you may be also."
We believe that Jesus was raised from the dead and is alive today and that we who belong to Him will be raised when He comes back. Until then, the facts are that His grace. Spirit, intercession, power, heart, sympathy, and His home are ours.
Do not be deceived by false arguments.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12 But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can't be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.
20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. NLT
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