Is Our Faith in Vain?

This week FUEL is on the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our main passage is John 19:31-20:18. Around Easter there is always a few people who set out to prove (unsuccessfully I might add) that the resurrection of Jesus did not take place. And there seems to always be someone who says, "Well even if he was not raised from the dead, I will still believe and continue in my faith." How would the apostle Paul respond to this statement? First Corinthians has the answer:

1 Cor. 15:12-20 - Now if Christ is preached 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 Christ has not been raised; 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 of 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, then Christ has not been raised. 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 for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ we have no hope whatsoever. "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins." Our faith would be worthless if Jesus is not raised from the dead. Think hard on these verses in First Corinthians as you study John 19-20.

The resurrection is absolutely necessary. Without it our faith is in vain.

This Sunday I will have postcards that you will be able to write to the students you haven't seen in a while. Pray hard for your students. You guys are great. Have a wonderful week.