What Faith Looks Like: A Brief Glimpse

"But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep." - 1 Corinthians 15:13-20

So, here's a little something that is extremely pertinent to the faith I've been touching in on the past few blogs... the resurrection of Christ, from the dead, is the only thing that makes our faith worth anything. Without the resurrection of Christ, our faith does nothing and we are to be pitied above all others. What would a live of sacrifice and devotion to a cause be, if the cause was not legitimate? The same is true of our relationship with Christ and the faith that we put in Him.

If Christ has not been raised from the dead, then our faith is useless!

If Christ has not been raised from the dead, then those who have historically placed their lives on the line and sacrificed comfort and pleasure for His sake, have done such commendable acts in vain!

HOWEVER... since Christ HAS BEEN RAISED... we have a faith that saves and Savior who is interceding, on our behalf, before the throne of God!

So, who or what then is the object of our faith? Is it not Christ? The only One who can save! Yes! Indeed Christ is the the ONLY way, as is seen in John 14 where Christ says, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (Jn. 14:6) Faith in Christ, faith in His atoning work on our behalf is our only hope for redemption from our sins. Now, this requires that you actually see and recognize your sin for what it is... that it is the separating factor between you and God. If you do not see your sin and understand it's effect on your relationship with God, then you will not understand or appreciate the altering affect of Christ's death on your behalf.

However, assuming that you do in fact recognize the fact that YOU are a SINNER in need of saving grace and that Christ has paid the penalty for your sins... and not only did He pay them, but He paid them in FULL... then there is nothing left for you to pay! God no longer has a bill with your name on it, if in fact you have put your life in the hands of Christ, and have put your faith in Him. That's why the Scriptures say, "...if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Rom. 10:9)

It's the faith in Christ and His resurrection that makes all the difference!

I know this is short, but that's all I've got for right now!

Grace and Peace!

Questions or Comments? E-mail me at afflquestions@yahoo.com.