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Friday, March 14
... but if Christ is proclaimed that he has been raised from the dead, how can some among you say that there is not a resurrection of the dead? (1 Corinthians 15:12)
Nearly nine out of 10 Americans own a Bible, but only 13 percent read from it daily. Nearly half of us believe that the Bible, the Qur'an and the Book of Mormon all teach the same truth. It is conventional wisdom today that "all roads lead up the same mountain," that "it doesn't matter what you believe so long as you're sincere and tolerant." We have no right to judge what other people choose to believe and do, or so we're told.
How's this moral relativism working for us? The U.S. has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world. More than 100,000 websites o er illegal child pornography, which generates $3 billion annually. Pornography revenues worldwide top all combined revenues of all professional football, baseball and basketball franchises. Illegal drugs cost America $215 billion annually; 25 million drug users are under the age of 12.
David asked God, "Who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?" (Psalm 15:1). The Lord answered: "He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart" (v. 2). Scripture is clear: "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). D. L. Moody claimed, "What you are in the dark, that you truly are." What are you today?
What God's word means
With verse 12 we come to the reason for Paul's writing of 1 Corinthians 15—he has learned that some in the Corinthian church deny the resurrection of the dead. As we have seen, their Greek culture viewed the body as the "prison house of the soul" and would have seen such a resurrection as illogical and disastrous. Now they must choose between their pagan culture and established Christian doctrine.
Why Easter matters
Note that the proclamation of Christ is tied immediately to the fact that he has been raised ("he has been made to stand up and is standing now") from the dead. If there were no Easter, it might seem to us that Jesus was just another religious teacher.
Actually, he would have been far worse—he would be either a liar or a lunatic. He consistently predicted his own resurrection (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; Luke 9:22), a statement no other signi cant religious leader ever made. Imagine the disrepute Islam would face if Muhammad claimed that he would be raised from the dead, yet pilgrims can visit his remains in Mecca.
The resurrection proves that Jesus keeps his promises, and that he is Lord of death and life.
How to respond
Easter is central to the gospel. And yet some in Corinth separated the two, choosing their cultural worldview over their faith commitment. Are we tempted to do the same?
In recent years, many churches and denominations have become embroiled in debates over same-sex marriage. The vast majority admit that Scripture forbids homosexual activity and reserves marriage for heterosexuals. But some now claim that the Bible is outdated or simply wrong on this issue. Similarly, some believers agree that Scripture views life as beginning at conception, but have sided with their culture in supporting abortion on demand.
Believers must often choose between what is popular and what is biblical. Are you facing such a decision today? Remember Jesus' promise: "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). Where do you need to align your personal life with God's authoritative word?
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