#DailyDevotion The Gospel On Which You Stand-Well If You Are A Christian
1Co 15:1-5 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, (2) and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, (5) and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Some of this is actually lost on some Christians and probably most of the world. The Gospelpreached by Paul often gets lost in other societal issues of the day or even worse it is not applied to the issues of the day.
So what is this Gospel that Paul preached to the Corinthians that is so important? He tells them they had received it and stood in it. This Gospelis that by which they are being saved it they hold fast to it. It is the same gospel in you received (if you received it) and stand and are being saved if you hold fast to it. Paul says what is of first importance and that he himself received it also, that Christ dies for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.
Seriously, it your whole life and everything in it isn’t resting upon this foundation then you are not a Christian. I don’t know what you are but Christian isn’t it. The Scriptures proclaim that the Christ would die when the Lord said, “you will strike his heel and he will crush your head.” When the Lord provided a ram in the thickets to stand in the place of Isaac for a sacrifice, Jesus’ death was foretold here. Psalm 22, Isaiah 53 and many others including the words from Jesus’ own mouth tell us the Messiah, the Christ must die for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus’ death fulfilled that. You sins, trespasses, iniquity, guilt and shame have been forgiven, covered, atoned for, and removed from you by Jesus Christ dying for your sins.
Not only that, Jesus was buried and Jesus rose from the dead, bodily, on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. It is not enough that Jesus dies. Who knows if our sins are forgiven if Jesus stays buried in the tomb? Paul says Jesus, Rom 4:25 “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” The resurrection of Jesus is your justification before the Father. In Jesus’ resurrection you are declared not guilty, innocent and righteous. Without the resurrection, Paul would soon tells us we would still be in our sins. But Jesus is raised from the dead and you have been justified. It is written, Psa 16:10 “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” And again, Isa 53:9-10 “And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, … (10) Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” And again, Hos 6:2 “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.”
So we confess these vital truths of the gospel in the Church’s creed, “he was crucified, dead, and buried. On the third day he rose again.” Now this was not without witnesses. This is no myth. We can stand on solid ground based on the witness of two or three people. Here Paul points us to Cephas (Simon Peter) and the twelve. Well that’s even more than three witnesses. Yet they were eyewitnesses to this truth, Christ has died and Christ is risen. He wasn’t just a ghost, spirit or apparition. He told them to touch him and see he is flesh and bone. He ate breakfast with them. He was truly alive and risen from the dead. On these truths you can stand firm in the faith. You can be sure and certain your sins are forgiven. The atonement price for your sins has been paid. The death you deserve for your iniquity Jesus has taken upon himself. Your guilt and shame Jesus bore that on the cross and buried it in the tomb.
Heavenly Father, you sent your son to die for our sins and be raised for our justification. Ever remind us of this gospel that we may stand in it and hold fast until the day you raise us also like out Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.