Without the Resurrection, We are Still in Our Sins
Is the resurrection all a lie? That is what the Corinthians were asking Paul. They believed that Jesus was resurrected but didn’t believe that they would be resurrected. Paul merely replies with the truth that if we are resurrected then Christ wasn’t and it was all a lie.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19
“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
If we aren’t resurrected, then Jesus wasn’t resurrected!
Is the resurrection all a lie? Why is Paul going into so much detail about the resurrection? Did the Corinthians not believe in Jesus resurrection? They believed in His resurrection. They just didn’t believe in our resurrection. Paul spends some time telling them that if we aren’t resurrected, then Jesus wasn’t resurrected and then everything else is in vain. Essentially if there is no resurrection then all the preaching done by the apostles have been lies, but worse yet, our sins aren’t forgiven, and we are still living in the dark. This removes all of our hope.
Everything hinges on the resurrection
If there is no principle of resurrection, then the whole Christian life is a pitiful joke! (Guzik) Everything hinges on the resurrection. A good man can die for someone else but to be resurrected shows the power of God over death. Jesus’ divinity and sovereignty, our righteousness, regeneration, and future resurrection rest on Christ’s resurrection. Victory in this life was accomplished by Christ’s victory over death. That came through His resurrection.