In Christ all will be made alive
1Corinthians 15:12-34
Key Verse: 15:22
“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”
In the previous passage, we learned the gospel of Christ which Paul preached as of first importance. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, he was buried and he was raised on the third day according to the scripture. Then, how does our faith in the gospel of Christ relate to our lives? Paul said, “By this gospel you are saved if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.” Our faith in this gospel isn’t only about knowing his cross, death, and resurrection, but also about the power of the gospel entering into our lives. Our faith in the gospel changes the way we deal with others or problems. It changes our attitude toward our jobs, even our enemies. We are no longer slaves to our anger or hatred, but we are children of God with full of love. So, by the faith in the gospel of Christ, we are saved from the power of sin and death. In this way, the gospel of Christ deeply impacts our lives.
In today’s passage, Paul teaches the power of the resurrection of Christ which assures us the forgiveness of sins and salvation, which gives us the living hope to be raised to the eternal life in the Kingdom of God, and which empowers us to live for the glory of God and for God’s mission. Through this bible Study, we may believe that Christ has been raised from the dead, so we may also be raised from the dead to eternal life with Christ. May the power of the living Jesus come into our lives, so that we may live our daily lives by the power of the resurrection just as Paul did.
- Christ has indeed been raised from the dead (12-20)
Look at verse 12. “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” Since the City of Corinth was a city of great diversity, people were under the influence of many different cultures, philosophies and religions. Some of the believers who were influenced by Greek philosophical ideas or other religions denied the resurrection of dead. They might say that “The dead really don’t physically come back from the grave; it may be possible that their spirits are raised instead.” However, denying the resurrection of the dead is really serious matter. It is bad enough to ruin the gospel of Christ and also our faith. Let’s see how Paul helped them.
In verses 13-19, Paul is pointing out the logical inconsistency of denying the resurrection of the dead while also believing in the resurrection of Christ. Also, he argues the serious consequences of denying the resurrection of the dead. In this way, Paul demonstrates and declares that Christ has been raised from the dead, and so there is the resurrection of the dead. It means that since Christ has been raised from the dead, we will also be raised from the dead. What are deadly the consequences of the denial of the resurrection of the dead?
Look at verse 13&16. Firstly, it is actually denial of the resurrection of Christ. Though Jesus is the Son of God, he became the son of Man by taking the very nature of man. He was born, he was fed and nurtured, and he grew just like any human being. He ate, slept, and went restroom. As a man, Jesus bored the unbearable pain on a cross, died, and buried in a tomb. If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ has not been raise because he was one of the dead as a man.
Secondly, the denial of resurrection of the dead makes our preaching useless and so our faith. Look at verses 14 and 17. “If Christ has not been raise, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” “your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” As believers, we believe and preach that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, suffered and died for our sins and that he rose from the dead on the third day according to scriptures. We preach and believe that by his suffering and death, all our sins are forgiven; by his resurrection, we come to have a new birth into the living hope in the Kingdom of God.
However, if the dead are not raise, then Christ has not been raise. Then, the gospel would be like this: “Christ died for our sins, and he was buried in the tomb.”As a result, the gospel without Christ’s resurrection is not good news anymore because such gospel cannot save us from our sins. If Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead, he did not conquer the power of sin and death. As a result, all human beings are still under the power of sin and death. It means that there is no forgiveness of sins, no justification, no reconciliation, and no eternal life. When we die, we too will remain in dead condemned.
There is no reason to come to church, or do IBS or GLEF, or teach the bible. If there is no resurrection of Christ, everything-everyone would end in death. Then, we are just a bunch of hypocrites pretending to do something meaningful. In fact, all what we are doing become meaningless. Would you believe a “gospel” that ends in death? It was a great mistake to deny the resurrection of the dead. For, it is actually denial of the resurrection of Christ and denial of our faith.
However, thank God that Jesus was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures. Because Jesus lives, we will also live.(Jn14:19) Romans 4:25 says “He was delivered over to death for our sins, and was raised to life for our justification.” Through his death and resurrection, God forgives all our sins, justifies us freely and by faith, we receive the gift of God, the eternal life. Because we believe in the resurrection of Christ, we can live victorious lives over the power of evil and death. Because we believe in the resurrection, we offer our lives in the work of God, make daily sacrifices, and take up the cross of mission. Since God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, our faith is not useless or futile. It is powerful enough to save us from our sins. There is no such power to set anyone from sin, only faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thirdly, if there is no resurrection, we are found to be false witness about God and we will be the most pitiful people. Look at verse 15&19. We testify that God raised him from the dead. We testify that God is the Almighty Creator God who created the heavens and the earth by the word of his mouth. Our God is the Almighty God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. If Jesus Christ had not been raised from the dead, God did not raise him from the then. Then, we are found to be false witnesses. Sh. David would be really faithful liar who faithfully delivers the gospel of Jesus. Not only us, but also all the apostles would be the world’s greatest liars. All those who died in Christ are lost, for they would become victims of International scammers.
More worse than that, we will be most miserable people. Look at verse 19. “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” Because we believe that there is the resurrection of the dead, we live the life of giving and the life of serving by following Jesus’ teachings. Because we hope the great reward of the kingdom of God, we carry the cross of mission by giving up better job or better carrier in the world.
We live together here in Hamilton instead of New York City or Luxurious house in Suburb. Regardless hot or cold whether, we go out campus to preach the gospel. Though we have rejected numerous times, still we reach out campus students. In doing so, we are rejected and even despised by worldly people. If there is no resurrection, all our sacrifices, all our sufferings, and hard works were nothing. What a pitiful men and women who have sacrificed for nothing and work hard for nothing and suffer for nothing! For the last 5 years, our dream team members have faithfully studied the Bible through GLEF every summer. They have done factual studies OT and NT. Every Saturday morning, they gathered together to study the Bible. If there is no resurrection of the dead, they would be the most pitiful people.
However, look at verse 20. Here Paul declares the resurrection of Christ and then the resurrection of the dead. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep.” “Christ has indeed been raise from the dead.” This fact overturns all these argument. For Christ has been raised from the dead, we are most blessed people in the world. For Christ has been raise from the dead, we have the living hope in the kingdom of God, no in this world. For Christ has been raise from the dead, we will be raised from the dead; all our sins have been forgiven. We have been justified; We are not false witnesses, but witness of the truth that Christ died and raise from the dead. Our faith in the gospel of Christ is not useless. Rather, by faith in this gospel, we are saved from our sins. We are not in our sins anymore, but we fight good fights of faith against the power of sin. For Christ has been raised, we will be raised. We will share the glory of the one and only son Jesus in the kingdom of God for we have shared the sufferings of Christ through our life of mission. Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!
- In Christ all will be made alive (21-28)
Why is the resurrection of Jesus so important? It is because the resurrection of Christ guarantee the resurrection of the dead. This is the power of Jesus’ resurrection. Look verses 21-22. “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” God blessed Adam, by putting him in the Garden of Eden to be a steward of God. Giving him the word of life to obey, God wanted him to be happy. However, Adam disobeyed God. Then, sin came into the world, and death through sin. In this way death came to all men. The consequence of sin was death for everyone (Ro 5:12). Since all men have been born in flesh and blood, they are united with Adam. So, As Adam died, all die. That was the reality of mankind, which no one can avoid or deny.
However, Jesus’ resurrection has changed everything! How? Jesus had obeyed God absolutely even to death on a cross; he died for the sin of the world. Then, God raised him from the dead and made him the first fruits of resurrection. Just as all men are subject to death because of Adam’s sin, all believers who are born in Jesus by faith will be made alive through Jesus’ resurrection. By faith, we are united with Christ in his death, and also in his resurrection. Therefore, just as certain as all die in Adam, in Christ all will be made alive. That is the power of the resurrection of Christ.
There are numerous testimonies how a sinner has been crossed over from death to life by the power of the resurrection. Mary Magdalene who was possessed by 7 demons. She was a woman of sorrow; The two disciples on the way to Emmaus. They were man of despair; The disciples who hid in the attic after Jesus’ crucifixion; they were men of fear. The Risen Christ literally moved them from death to life; from sorrow to eternal joy; from despair to victory; from fear to living faith. The resurrection of Jesus gives them new life; In Christ, they were made alive. All became the witnesses of Jesus’ death and resurrection to all nations. Through them, the courses of the History had been changed.
They became the history makers by faith!
Look at verses 24-28. Here, Paul testifies that the Risen Christ is going to restore the kingdom of God. When he comes again, the Risen Christ will defeat the power of evil in the world, and then he will restore the kingdom of God. (24,25,27,28) Look at verse 24. “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” After that, he will destroy the last enemy – death. Then, Jesus will restore God’s righteous reign over all. Read verse 28. “When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” Jesus will put everything under God. Sin will no longer reign in the world, but God will rule supremely. Jesus’ resurrection promises the ultimate victory for all who are in Christ. There is nothing to be afraid when we live by resurrection faith. In Adam, we lost paradise, but In Christ we will regain the kingdom of God.
III. I face death every day (29-34)
Here Paul testified how the resurrection faith changes our lives. Look at verses 30-31. “And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I face death every day – yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In reality, Paul’s life was full of suffering and danger while he lived as a missionary. Before he met Jesus, he had been full of selfish ambition for power and recognition. He had spent all his time, and strength just to build up his carrier. However, the Risen Christ changed his life; the hope of the resurrection changed him. With the resurrection faith he literally faced death every day to preach the gospel to all nations.
What we believe changes how we live our life – how we spend our money and our time, and how we invest ourselves. Abraham believed that God had power to raise the dead, so he offered Isaac. All the ancestors of faith in Hebrews 11 choose to be mocked, scourged, imprisoned, stoned, afflicted, and even put to death for all they have faith in God. When Paul had resurrection faith, he had lived for God’s mission, not for his dream.
Then, how might he has lived his life if the dead are not raised; if there is no resurrect, how might he has lived his life? Look at verse 32b. “Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.” If there was no resurrection, we should party every day. Since you live once in the world, you should enjoy your lives to the maximum degree. That is the life-style which the world adversities to all people.
But look verses 33 and 34. “Do not be misled: Bad Company corrupts good character.’ Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God – I say this to your shame.” We are surrounded by bad companies which encourage and tempt us to live pleasure seeking and glory- seeking lives. However, let us listen to Paul’ warning message and follow his examples.
He testified that he “Faced death everyday.” What about you? Us? In fact I do not feel the need of the resurrection faith in my daily life. It seems like I can live without the gospel of Jesus even. Definitely it is not because I am too good. But it is because I have ignored the word of truth; I have been losing the absolute attitude toward the word God. Rather, we habitually break the command of God, bring hundreds of excuses not to obey the word of truth. But, Paul, obeying the word of truth as the matter of life and death, faced death every day.
Likewise, we may face death everyday by obeying the command of God absolutely. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all our soul, and with all your strength.” “Go, make disciples of all nations! Peach the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sin!” We definitely need the resurrection faith to die in our sins, but to live in Christ. When we do so, we will grow as the man of God and experience the power of the resurrection faith. If not, we might live peaceful life but never experience the power of the resurrection. May God help us to repent of our compromising spirit, but obey one word of God with the power of the resurrection.
“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” Thank God for the living hope we have in Christ, the hope of the resurrection in Christ Jesus. Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, so we will be raised to eternal life. May the Risen Christ empower us with the resurrection faith, we may live the life of mission and experience the power of the resurrection in our disciple making ministry.