Resources/Articles
The Point Upon Which Faith Pivots
For if the dead are not raised, neither hath
Christ been raised; and if Christ hath not been raised,
your faith is in vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1 Corinthians 15:16-17
The hope of every Christian lies in the resurrection, not the birth, of Jesus Christ the Son of God. I realize without the birth of Christ there would be no death and no resurrection. Everyone understands that. It is the message of His death and resurrection which far surpassed His birth. It was presented far and wide by the apostles. They declared Christ died for our sin, was buried, and was raised on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It is this message people received, on which they stood, and by which they were saved (vv. 1-2). They did not attempt to emphasize or glorify the day of His birth. The preaching of Jesus’ resurrection brought all men salvation and hope. The pivotal point of human history and Christianity was the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No man has ever discovered how to conquer death. “Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). Christ successfully has “delivered all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:15).
I came across a list of questions which all have the same answer. Can you guess the answer?
What gives a widow courage as she stands beside the grave of her husband who died “in the Lord?”
What is the ultimate hope of the crippled, the amputee, or the abused?
Where do the thoughts of a couple go as they recover from the death of their baby?
Why would anyone who is blind, paralyzed, or deaf be encouraged when they think of life beyond?
What is the final answer to pain, tears, disease, suffering, and calamities?
The answer to each question is the hope God gives us through the bodily resurrection of Christ Jesus. The reality of Christianity pivots on the resurrection. It is why we celebrate His resurrection every Sunday. The hope of being raised is what motivates the Christian to be faithful until death, because after death he can receive a crown of life (2 Timothy 4:6-8; Revelation 2:10).
