March 13
What works!
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 1 Corinthians 15:19 (NKJV)
Christianity doesn’t work without eternity. That’s the point Paul is making in his letter to the Corinthian Church.
In context, this passage appears in what some have called the Resurrection Chapter, because it primarily addresses the reality of the resurrection of Jesus and His followers. Paul makes a compelling case that apart from the resurrection, apart from us having an eternal outlook, our Christianity won’t work.
The Christian life is a life of self-denial and sacrifice. It often involves us denying the things that appeal to the natural and unspiritual part of our being. Praying, fasting, giving…these are just a few components of Christianity that go against the grain of our flesh. And on top of all that, there’s the promise of persecution for those who follow after Christ:
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12 NKJV)
Who wants to sign up for that? If this life is all there is, then nobody would rightly want to. As Paul writes, if Christianity only applies to our earthly existence, then it’s pitiful. And if it’s pitiful, people aren’t going to devote themselves to it, and it won’t work.
Yet as Paul goes on to explain in the rest of the chapter, this life isn’t all there is. Eternity awaits, and that’s where the benefits of being a believer in Christ are limitlessly unparalleled. It’s in light of eternal things like the resurrection that the Christian faith moves from being pitiful to powerful.
Christianity won’t work without eternity. It was never meant to. Jesus never intended us to fulfill the call to follow Him apart from the promises that pertain to the next life. Let’s make sure our faith is founded and focused on the life beyond this one. For then and only then will our Christianity truly work.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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