Today, we celebrate. We remember. We sing. We rejoice!
But take a moment to consider “what if.” What if Christ had not risen again?
Paul follows this trail of logic in I Corinthians 15:14.
And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
So, what if Christ had not risen from the dead? Or, in other words, does the resurrection make a difference?
If Christ did not rise again, then…
- Preaching is pointless – “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” I Corinthians 15:14
- Your faith is pointless – vs. 14
- Preachers are liars – “Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.” vs. 15
- You remain unforgiven – “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” vs. 17
- Dead Christians would be in Hell – “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” vs. 18
- You would have no hope of the life to come – “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” vs. 19
- You would be miserable – vs. 19
- You would be able live any way you wanted to live – “Let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.” vs. 32
Which begs this question: “Does this describe your view of life?” Does your life reflect a gap between how you live and the truth and power of the resurrection?
So, what would happen if we reverse Paul’s logic?
Christ arose, and because He did…
- Preaching is powerful – “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” I Corinthians 1:18
- Your faith is vital – “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2
- Preachers equip you to serve Christ – “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” Ephesians 4:11-12
- You are forgiven – “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” Romans 4:25
- Dead Christians are in Heaven – “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” II Corinthians 5:8
- We have hope (assurance) of the life to come – “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:3,4
- We have great reason for joy – “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” I Peter 1:8
- You can live for Christ – “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11
If Christ had not risen from the dead, you would have no reason to be a Christian.
But because Christ arose, you can have a radically different life.