The Full Gospel

This Sunday, we moved into 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 as we continue our sermon series, “All in the Family.” Paul has contended with the abuses and spiritual immaturity which is rampant within the Corinthian church. He has challenged them and effectively demonstrated the proper response and/or correction to these crucial issues. Paul now points to the resurrection of Christ as the impetus and reason for never being the same, still caught in childish and foolish sin. He poses a thought by implying that to remain unchanged, without transformation of one’s mind and heart, is to have “believed in vain.” Paul presents the whole of the Gospel in a succinct manner by stating, “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Cor. 15:3-4) How do we have our sins paid for in Christ and not be transformed? How do we experience the power of the resurrection in the act of salvation and remain the same? How do we ingest the Word of God and these truths without an evident life changing event? No change, no belief. No belief, all is vanity.