Archive for the ‘Reformed Theology’ Category
Christianity Is Not A Religion
Ok, if Christianity is not a religion, then what is it? Simply put, it is a lifestyle, which begins when one enters into a relationship with Jesus.
In the New Testament the word religion means this – “ceremonial observance: religion, worshipping.”While that is part of the Christian religion, it is not what defines Christianity.
This is what Christianity accomplishes in everyone whom God saves:
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
In Romans 12: 2, we are told not to be conformed to the world. The problem is we are already conformed to the world. Since we were born, we have done nothing more than to live in the world and do as everyone else does in thought, word and deed. By being with everyone else, we could not help but be conformed to the world.
As Christians, however, we are told to no longer be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. So, how do we do this? We cannot make this change of our own will; it is to be done by the will of God.
You see, having been saved and called by God we have experienced the new birth. Now, God is going to do a work of renewing of our minds to become more like Jesus and less like the world, and many changes will take place in our life.
There is only one way for anyone to be conformed to the image of Jesus and that is by spending time every day with Him. The best way of making a start is to get into the Word of God, especially by reading the Gospel of John first.
In your reading, take your time, listen to what God is saying to you and the Holy Spirit will reveal to you, not only the humanity of Jesus but His divine nature as well. You will hear Jesus speak to you through His teachings and He will draw you near to Him as you learn more about Him.
When you “hang out”, so to speak, with Jesus you will find feelings, thoughts and desires, which you may never have had before, begin to appear in your daily walk with Him. This is God working in you. Your language may change; your less than pure thoughts will start to be bothersome and maybe even embarrassing.
In short, over a period of time you will begin to enjoy more and more about spending time with Jesus, walking with Him, talking to Him and just listening to what He has to say.
Soon, you will begin to see how your words, your thoughts and your actions will become nothing as people came to see in you and more like what you read and hear from Jesus in His Word.
Friends, family and co-workers may even start to notice and ask you what has happened, what has made you change from the person you used to be. Some will like the change but many will not welcome the new you because you no longer talk and act as they do, and they will start to feel uncomfortable around you.
This is because you are becoming conformed to the image of Jesus and since the world does not like Jesus, they will not like you as well. However, as you begin to become closer to Jesus you will find that you are happier, more restful and more at peace with God than you have ever felt before.
Before you know it, you will notice that Christianity is more than a religion, going to church and taking part in a worship service. It is all about being conformed to a new image and in living a new lifestyle, a lifestyle that reflects Jesus.
This new lifestyle can only come about, not by self-effort or by self-will, but only by the will of God, as you spend time daily, in building a relationship with Jesus.
This is why Christianity is not just a religion about Jesus, but about a relationship with Him, and in living a lifestyle ordained by God and made possible by the works and words of Jesus.
The Unknown Sin Of Most Christians
The sin of most Christians is one that we do not realize we have done. This sin, about which I speak, is the sin where we take credit for being born again of our own will and not by the will of God.
People are always being told to just “accept” Jesus as savior and you will be saved. I thought this as well, even saying it, until I started studying the scriptures for myself.
The following verses made me see that it was by God’s will that we are saved and not by our own will. I could no longer say, “I was saved when I accepted Jesus.” Instead, what I now say is, “When God saved me…”
We all realize that we are a sinful people. Because of this sinfulness, we are spiritually dead to God. As we read in these scripture verses.
In Ephesians 2: 1 we read the following:
1 – “And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins;”
From Colossians 2: 13 we read:
13 – “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”
In being spiritually dead our will is free only to act according to our nature and, since we have a sin nature, it is our nature to commit acts of sin. That is why we take credit for our salvation. It is natural to say “I” and we see no wrong.
The word “quickened” in these verses talks about the act of being “born again”. So when does the act of being quickened or “born again” occur, and when are we saved if we cannot choose to be saved of our own will?
In my studying this question, these verses made me see that it is by God’s will that we are saved and not by our own will.
In Ephesians 2: 4, 5 we read this:
4 – But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 – Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
Now we see that the act of being “born again”, and awakened from being spiritually dead, occurs by God’s grace while we are still dead in our sins.
Further on in Ephesians 2: 8, 9 we read these verses:
8 – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 – Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
We must be given life before we can respond to God calling us. Just like Lazarus had to be given life before he could respond to Jesus calling out to him to “come forth”. If he had not been given life, Lazarus would have stayed in the grave. So we, too, would remain in our dead spiritual grave unless we are first given life to respond.
In Romans 9: 11 – 16 where the Apostle is giving a defense of the doctrine of election, he explains why God chose Jacob over Esau:
11 – “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 – It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 – As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 – What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 – For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 – So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
We see here that it was not by Jacob’s will, or because of any works that he might do, that God choose him over Esau. No, for it was by God’s will, according to election, that Jacob was chosen.
One last verse that sums all this up quite nicely is found in John 1: 12, 13 where we read the following:
12 – “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, to them that believe on his name:
13 – Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Many pastors will quote verse 12 but never follow up with verse 13, which explains verse 12.
You will be told that if you receive Jesus you will be given the right to become children of God. When actually this verse is saying that God first gives man the right to become children of God and, in response, man will receive Jesus.
Verse 13 explains this and tells us how this happens, and when. The first thing we read in verse 13 is “Which were born”. This is talking about being “born again” which has to happen first, and the act of being “born again” is not by one being born into a Christian family, or because of any good works, NOR BECAUSE OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God.
You see, it is by God’s will that anyone is saved, and we are saved by grace which is the act of being “born again”. Because we are spiritually dead, we have to be given life, spiritual life, first before we can believe on Jesus and confess Him to be Lord.
In saying, “When God saved me…” gives God credit for our salvation, and rightly so. For it is by His will, not ours, that we are born again and given the power to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and to be brought into the family of God.
Faith Alone Brings Peace Through Justification
As I sit here writing December’s post I am listening to Christmas music. It is after all the Christmas season and there is holiday music on every radio station to which I listen. Yes, I did say radio. Outside it is snowing, slightly, but it is snowing; makes for a quiet, peaceful moment.
How about you, do you have a peaceful feeling this time of the year? For Christians we can have peace all year round. How? Simply through faith in Jesus for having done for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Just like we read in Galatians 2: 16…
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
You see, it is not by any good works that we do before, during and after having been born again by the Spirit of God do we receive salvation. It is done for us by Jesus, and by having faith that it is by Him, and the works that He did, that we are saved, and are justified by the faith of Jesus.
Not only are we saved by faith alone in Jesus, but as we read in Romans 1: 17…
“The just shall live by faith.”
Faith alone, in Jesus Christ, is all anyone needs to stand righteous before God. Any good works that we think we might have done does not contribute to our salvation and neither does any good work that we might do after we are born again will keep us saved. Only by faith alone in Jesus is our salvation accomplished, completed and secured. Nothing more is needed.
Through faith alone in Jesus can we proclaim what we read in Romans 5:1…
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
This Christmas and every day of the year, year after year, we can declare that we stand before God just as if we had never sinned. We now stand justified because of the faith of Jesus given to us with which to believe in Him, and in the work that He did for us in order that we would receive forgiveness for our sins. With that, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now I do not know about you but this is the kind of peace that I want and already have. You can have this peace as well. If you will just confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead you will be saved.
You will come to understand the truth of why “Faith alone in Jesus is all that is needed to bring us peace through justification” because of the person and work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Jesus, Politics and Peace
Too many people believe that Christianity and politics go together, especially among the evangelical community. However, what does God say in Scripture about Jesus and politics.
The results of the thesis mentioned are in the first verses you are going to see.
From 1 Timothy 2: 1, 2:
1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1Ti 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
How does the recent election year wrangling fit in with these verses? They do not. Everything that happened during that time went against everything that God said for Christians to do.
In addition, in everyday politics, with different parties seeing different views contributing to divisions among so many people, notably among Christians, these commands from God are not being obeyed; anything but being obeyed.
Here are a few other verses to read. See how politics fits into any of them.
2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
Rom 13:1 let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Rom 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
The premise of all of these verses is that Christians are to live in peace with everyone. In politics that cannot be done. It is that simple.
Voting is one thing, as long as we remember that when the counting is over Christians are to accept the results of the election, without reservation, because the results are God’s will. To rebel against the results of an election is to rebel against God.
One cannot be involved with politics and live in peace with “everyone”. You either follow Jesus, and be obedient to Him, or you follow your political party’s leaders and do what they say and be at odds with everyone who does not believe in your politics. Is this how you, a Christian, want to be?
As 1 Timothy 2: 2 says, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life – with everyone – in all godliness and honesty.”
You just cannot serve both Jesus and politics and have peace with everyone. It is one or the other. Choose wisely.
May God open your heart and give you insight and wisdom. Amen.
Divine Grace – God’s Choice
How were you saved?
Most likely the answers you would give would be deceiving, because no matter what you would say, unless you said that by “God’s Grace Alone” you were saved you would be giving a wrong answer.
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now workethin the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Unsaved man in his natural state is spiritually dead. In this condition he can do nothing to be saved. “Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” God must do a work in your heart to save you.
Remember Lazarus? He was in the grave and dead for four days when Jesus came along. Jesus called out for Lazarus to “come forth”. Guess what. Nothing would have happened unless God did a work before Lazarus could respond. What do you think that would have been? Jesus “first” had to give life to Lazarus before he could even hear what He was saying, and then respond to come forth just as Jesus commanded.
With that in mind, you will notice in verse one above that it says, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” God tells us that it is by His will, and not man’s will, that we are saved. We need to be “quickened” or Born Again to be saved. It is by God’s will and God’s “grace” that we are quickened.
The great preacher Charles H. Spurgeon, in speaking on Grace, said the following,
“If any man be saved, he is saved by Divine grace, and by Divine grace alone; and the reason of his salvation is not to be found in him, but in God. We are not saved as the result of anything that we do or that we will; but we will and do as the result of God’s good pleasure,and the work of His grace in our hearts.”
Man being dead in his sinful state can do nothing to be saved. Not even will himself to be saved. He will never hear the call of Jesus to “come forth” unless he is first given life, “born again”, in order to hear Jesus call him and respond as God wills for him to do and that is to come forth and confess that Jesus is Lord.
It is by God’s Grace alone, and not by man’s will, that we are saved. If you do not agree with scripture maybe you have not, as yet, ever experienced the Grace of God in your life, and you are still dead in your trespasses and sins thinking that you are saved.
My prayer is that God will do a work of life in the heart of all who reads this message and truly make you a born-again child of God. All because of the Grace that Jesus works in all whom He saves.
The Faith of Our Salvation Was Written By Jesus
Our salvation is not of our works. We know this by scripture, especially one that is written in Ephesians 2: 8, 9. Here is what it says.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
It is by grace, and not by our works, that we are saved, and we are given this gift of faith with which we believe on the Lord Jesus, and this gift of faith comes from God. The question is this. Whose faith is given to us through which we believe?
The answer is given to us in Hebrews 12:2
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The faith through which we believe was created by Jesus. He wrote our faith by His obedience to the Father while He was here on earth. Only Jesus lived a life in perfect obedience to God and, in doing so, He did for us what we could not do for ourselves.
The faith, through which we believe is given to us, after being saved by grace, and it is through the perfect faith of Jesus by which we are justified. The proof of this is our believing in Jesus as Lord through this faith given to us for one specific purpose – our Salvation.
Jesus created our faith; He authored it and finished it through His perfect obedience. Without His faith given to us we would not, and could not, be saved.
Gal_2:16 (KJV) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Truly, Jesus wrote the faith of our salvation. Praise God that He did.
I cannot imagine my imperfect faith, that I would work up, satisfying God’s justice and being forgiven for my sinful and imperfect life. It just would not be good enough.
A Greater Freedom
On July 4, 1776 the American colonies declared its independence from Great Britain claiming itself to be a free nation comprised of 13 states creating a country called The United States of America. The rest is history.
However, do you know that there is even a greater freedom, one that God offers to man from which they need to be set free or perish?
This is something everyone who has ever lived, is living now and will live in the future already has, and is something with which they are born. There is none better than Jesus to explain what it is from which man must be set free.
Read these verses from John 8 in which Jesus is speaking:
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayestthou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
In verse 34 the word “servant” actually means “Slave”. The problem is that everyone is born with a sin nature, making everyone a servant, or slave, to sin. Everyone who dies without being set free from this slavery will perish. Only in Jesus can this freedom be found. As Jesus said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” Jesus also said, “No one can come to the Father except by me.” No one else can give you this freedom.
Receiving this freedom is easy. In Romans 10: 9, 10 we read this:
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (set free from sin)
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
You can receive your own freedom. Repent of your sins. Believe on the Lord Jesus. Call upon Him as Lord, submit to His will, and receive the freedom, true freedom from being a servant to sin to being a servant to God, which only Jesus can give.
Make this time your time to receive your freedom. Believe on the Lord Jesus now and be saved from suffering eternal punishment because of your enslavement to sin. Jesus will set you free, truly free indeed.
Today you can proclaim this your Independence Day.
The Secret of the Church and Marriage
Do you know that the Scriptures tell us exactly how a marriage and family should be? Do you also know that the Church is the example of a marriage?
Read the verses below, even the ones that may shock you, and you may even hate to see what these verses say. See the role of how husbands and wives, in the family, are to play, and how the role of men and women in the Church give an example of why that should be. Read these verses several times and pray for God to give you understanding of them.
At the bottom, you will find a couple more supporting verses to the ones you will now read…
From Ephesians___
Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself.
Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Eph 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Jesus is the husband and the church is the wife, and for this reason, we have a perfect example of how a marriage is to be according to God. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman, with the husband being the head of the family.
As for the order of Church hierarchy, the Scripturesgives us the example of how that is to be, not just in the Church but in the marriage as well.
Please read these supporting verses :
From 1 Corinthians___
1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
1Co 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1Co 14:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church
From 1 Timothy___
1Ti 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
1Ti 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
1Ti 2:10 But (which becomes women professing godliness) with good works.
1Ti 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
1Ti 2:12 But I do not permit a woman to teach, nor to have authority over the man, but to be in silence.
Many people try to explain these verses away just so they can have their own will accomplished instead of God’s will. Most of these are born again believers who have never read the Scriptures for themselves or havenot been taught the truth that is found in them; as we have just read. There are also quite a few CINO’s – Christian In Name Only members in the Church who have become conformed to the world and not to Christianity and who try to push their worldly views on the true disciples of Jesus.
You have been given the secret of the Church and Marriage. You have seen and read the Scriptures. You now know the truth. May God open your understanding so that you may see the truth in God’s Word, and come to a knowledge of God’s ordained purpose for the Church and Marriage.
May God open the hearts of every one who reads these Scriptures.
Raising Lazarus – A Salvation Example
I have always felt that the raising of Lazarus from the dead by Jesus was more than just a miracle event. I could never get away from the thought that it had something to do with salvation.
Sometimes we read secondary verses were we just gloss right over them and not give them even a passing thought. There was one verse that I read several weeks ago, which I had read many times before, and I just could not get it out of my mind. Then it hit me, the verse explained what happened at the tomb of Lazarus. Before I give you that verse let us revisit the raising of Lazarus.
Here was Jesus standing outside the tomb of Lazarus in the cemetery. Others were standing around watching to see what Jesus would do and Jesus did not disappoint them.
The first thing we notice is that Jesus said loudly, “Lazarus, come forth.”
Now think of this. Lazarus was dead. He had been lying in the tomb for several days and there was no life in him, and when Jesus called out to him to “come forth” what was the first thing that had to be donebefore Lazarus could respond at all. Think about that for a moment while we look at the secondary versementioned above.
The verse is found in 2 Timothy 1: 9 carried over from verse 8. Here it is.
2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
So, what was the first thing that had to be done before Lazarus could respond? He had to be given life – saved. Otherwise, he would not have been able to respond to the call to “come forth”. Just like Lazarus we, too, can do nothing unless we are “first” given life – saved.
In verse nine we see the steps God takes to save anyone. He first saves us, gives us life, and then calls us with an holy calling. We, in our spirit, are like Lazarus in his body. We are dead spiritually in our sins,devoid of spiritual life, and in this state we can do nothing to respond to God. Just like Lazarus was devoid of life he, too, could do nothing to respond to the call of Jesus to “come forth”.
Take another break for a moment, think about what just has been said, and look at these verses that will help to clarify this.
Joh 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Have you seen it? These verses speak of how we, as Lazarus, are dead and before we can respond to the call of Jesus to “come forth” we first must be given the ability to respond, we first must be given life. In other words, we must be “born again”.
This explains what we read in 2 Timothy 1: 9. Salvation is given to us through the new birth – being born again – so that with this new life we can respond to the call of God, as He wills, to “come forth” as Jesus calls.
Now do you see it? 2 Timothy tells us God’s steps to our salvation. Just as Lazarus needed to be given life (saved) before he could respond we, too, are first given life (saved) – being born again by the will of God – and then He calls us and we respond as He wills. If you see it, you will also notice that God had planned this even before the world began.
God saves us and calls us, and we believe on Jesus all because it is done by God. Without first being born again (saved), if Jesus were to call anyone by name to “come forth” no one would respond. We would just stay dead in our spiritual tomb.
Salvation is “all” of God, from beginning to end. There is no way we can save ourselves. It is God who saves us and calls us, individually, to “come forth”, and when He does, we respond with a resounding “YES”!
The importance Of The Resurrection Of Jesus
Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.
For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
1 Corinthians 15: 22 – 19
But now, Christ is risen and has been seen by, not only the Apostles, but by as many as 500 followers as well.
He is risen … Jesus is risen in deed…
Riff's Christian Journal 