If Christ Be Not Risen

Our Preaching Is Vain: “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain” (v 14). God’s Truth confirms, “For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion” (Eccl 9:4). A lion is so strong and fierce that it really scares many other animals and even human beings, but if it is dead, it cannot scare any. A famous and good doctor cannot help any if he is dead. You can be much encouraged when you hear about many good things a good person had done before his death, but he can never help you nor save you! It is just vain if I preach and introduce a dead man to you while you do need help, deliverance, and salvation! We must thank God and praise the Lord because Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead, so He is “able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb 7:25).

We Are False Witnesses of God: “Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not” (v 15). It is serious to tell a lie and bear false witness to others because God hates lies, falsehood. False witnesses and the liars cannot escape God’s righteous judgment. God’s ninth commandment is “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exod 20:16), and all the liars will be judged and condemned to Hell of fire, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev 21:8).Thank God and praise the Lord that Jesus Christ is truly risen, so we are telling the truth and bearing true witness to Him, and those who deny His resurrection are liars and bearing false witness.

Your Faith Is Vain: “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain” (v 17). It is vain to trust in a dead person who cannot see, hear, move, help or save you and me. It is vain and a waste of time to pray or cry to a dead person for help or salvation in our need, sins, troubles, difficulties, afflictions or hopelessness. It is vain and a waste of time to gather to worship a dead person who cannot save or bring us to Heaven. It is vain and a waste of life to sacrifice our life and live for a dead person. It is sad that many are deceiving themselves or deceived by others to have such a vain faith in dead religious leaders or ancestors and worship them! Thank God and praise the Lord that Jesus Christ is truly risen and living, so our faith in Him will never be vain, and trusting in Him, we shall never be disappointed.

You Are Yet in Your Sins: “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (v 17). Sin is real, and human sinful nature is real. Even when Jesus came to die for our sins and to take away our sins, if He were not risen, we would continue living in sins as we have no life nor power to overcome our sinful nature. If Christ were not risen, we would be hypocrites because we can say, preach and teach good things while we are still living in sins and enslaved to sins. Paul shared his experience, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Rom 7:18-19). Then, he cried, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (v 24). Who can deliver Paul, you and me from our sinful nature? “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (v 25). Praise the Lord that Jesus Christ is risen indeed, so He is able to give you and me new life and strength to do good things and to overcome evil things. All glory and thanks must be unto Him alone.

Those Who Died in Christ Are Perished: “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished” (v 18). It would be vain for you and me to believe in Christ if He were not risen because He could not raise us up or bring us up to Heaven when we pass away. We shall be perished or destroyed forever. Thank God that Jesus Christ is truly risen, so the dead in Christ will be raised to live with Him for ever when He comes.

We Are the Most Miserable: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (v 19). If Christ were not risen, you and I would be still living in sins. We could not be helped, comforted, or saved in our troubles, and we would have no hope after death. As death would end everything, there would be no difference or justice for the wicked and the righteous. While you and I are willing to sacrifice ourselves, to forsake the world and worldly pleasures, and willing to be disadvantaged to keep ourselves from sins, lies, or dishonesty, and willing to suffer even the contempt, opposition, hatred, and persecutions from the world because of our faith in Jesus Christ, and so forth, we would be the most miserable if we would not receive any reward after death. No resurrection, no hope for life after death! Thank God and praise the Lord that Jesus Christ is risen indeed, so we are the most blessed through His life, presence, comfort, peace, joy, help, strength, and salvation!