Pivot Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15
1 Corinthians 15 has blessed my life for some time now and I draw much inspiration from this in an attempt to speak about matters of Faith. Paul talks about the fact that his Faith in Christ and conviction to preach stems from the Truth about the occurrence of Christ's resurrection and went to the extent of giving evidence which was verifiable by his audience. (v5-8)
Apostle Peter also said in 2 Peter 1: 16, "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables; when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were EYEWITNESSES of His Majesty."
For Paul, the Resurrection was very pivotal and provided confidence for him to Preach. We find ourselves in an era where people think Christianity is just a means of dominating others and a social class built on cunningly devised fables(lies). The critics are very right IF ONLY our Faith was based on lies. If Christians continue to proclaim Christ's resurrection and it is not true, Paul says that our faith is vain and we are spreading lies about God. He even goes further to say that if the Resurrection is False and our hope is limited to only this life, we are of all men the most miserable,(v19) having given up all the things the world offers to pursue Christ only to find out that the material/physical world is all that there is.
We also observe from this Chapter that, It was the truth about Jesus Christ, the Life He gives to those who believe in Him and the promise of Eternal life with Him, that forms a basis for meaningful living. In essence, we set our minds, not on material things but because we know life doesn't end on Earth we live with Eternity in view.
Life on earth may be seen as a daily process of Earning and Spending after which we exit into nothingness(whatever that means) if there is no life beyond the grave. To this view, Paul concludes in v30-33 that, indeed there will be nothing worth living for if indeed there is no resurrection and therefore no life after death. We might as well "Eat and Drink for tomorrow we die"(v32).
Purposeful living can be derived from accepting that we have a creator who has confirmed by theResurrection that life doesn't end here. There is more to life than meets the eye which only He can show us.
We fight for Social Justice and Human Rights, Engage in all kinds of Activism and live our lives in such a way that we can make a mark on this Earth. I just wonder if anything is worth doing if all of life ends here and there is no meaning to life.
Some well-read and intelligent people often think about life and conclude that life is meaningless. You just live your life and exit into nothingness which simply implies that there is no overarching view that directs life; ALL IS JUST VANITY, they say. King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes made the same observation as well.
Jesus Christ who resurrected will be the Judge of the World (Acts 17:31). Life doesn't end here and we are going to be held accountable. He is the giver of life and the truth of an Eternity with Him and the life received from Him makes any commitment to Him worth it. We have a Blessed Hope and this will keep us through all the Changing Scenes of Life. Everyone can have a relationship with Him. Come to Christ just as you are, with all your doubts, anxiety and fears. He will never cast you away.
Shalom!!!!!!!
PS
This piece stems from my observation of what normally goes on in the media space and the things which come up in daily conversations and how some of these can be observed in the Word of God. I try to share some insights I believe will be able to help us navigate through the various issues that confront us. I'm always open to sound critique and would love to hear your perspective as well.