And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. I Corinthians 15:14, 17, 19
Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, and Mohammed are considered four of the most influential men that ever lived. Their philosophies have impacted the world in very significant ways. Though there are some valuable lessons that can be learned from each one, only one has ever claimed to be the Son of God and that believing this claim is something that means one must believe that He was resurrected from the dead.
Many people believe that Jesus was a great teacher, hailing Him as one of the most prominent men that ever lived. Unfortunately, they don’t see Him as any different than other historically, highly influential men such as Buddha, Confucius, or Mohammed. But for those of us who diligently follow the words of Jesus, we know that it’s not enough just to hail him as a great, influential teacher.
Unlike any man that has ever lived, Jesus has been shown by His resurrection to be the Son of God, a claim that is made very clear by His teaching. This is not a fact you can deny if you want to be a true follower of Jesus because to deny it would mean you don’t sincerely believe His teaching and that your faith is empty with no hope in death.
There’s no middle ground in believing in Jesus resurrection. Either you do, or you don’t. Either He is the son of God, or He’s not. If Christ is not risen, then we saints are living our lives in vanity. But if He is risen, then those who only admire Him as a good teacher, and deny His resurrection, will die with no hope and face eternal doom.
With many witnesses and many proofs of Jesus’ resurrection, which road do you choose? The road paved with hope of eternal life with the Son of God, or the road that is empty and leaves you in your sins for eternal destruction away from His glory?
I choose a faith that is not empty, futile, or pitiable. My faith is full, profitable, and admirable because Jesus is risen from the dead and as a result of my faith in His resurrection, I have the hope of my resurrection from the dead.
Do you have this faith? Do you have this hope or is Jesus just another philosopher who can teach you some things about how to live a good life? If you’re not sure, then I encourage you to reason through the evidence. If you don’t know how, please feel free to contact me. Lastly, consider these words stated by Paul about Jesus:
and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Romans 1:4
Prayer:
What an amazing feat! Jesus risen from the dead! No other man has been evidenced and confirmed in this capacity to be Your Son, my God. Though men honor the teachings of lesser wisdom, none surpass the glory found in Your Son’s heavenly instruction directly from You. I revere Christ above all, understanding that to be His true follower I must hail His resurrection. Otherwise, my faith is in vain and I am still in my sins. Thanks be to You, God, in the truth of Christ’s resurrection where I am forgiven and live a life fruitful for the assurance of my own immortality! Amen!
Truth in love,
Heather
Truth in Love 