Our Hope - the Resurrection

Romans 1:1–3 (NKJV)

¹Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God  ²which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, ³concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

We recently learned of the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah, the Christ-child; but many have never considered that the proclaiming of these prophecies was preaching the gospel.  Yet that is exactly what Paul tells us in Galatians 3:7–9 (NKJV), “⁷Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ ⁹So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” 

The faith in this blessing which would come through the promised messiah was the hope of Abraham and those who believed with him.  Likewise, those who put faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and trust in Him for atonement, the cleansing of their sin, will be justified.  To be justified is to be declared righteous before a Holy and Righteous God.  It is faith that brings this blessing and hope in eternal life.

It is Christ’s resurrection that gives these justified individuals the hope of their own resurrection.  1 Corinthians 15:12–23 (NKJV) says, “¹²Now 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? ¹³But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁴And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. ¹⁵Yes, 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. ¹⁶For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁷And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! ¹⁸Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. ²⁰But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. ²³But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.”

Jesus Christ demonstrated his power over death by rising again.  In this resurrection all those who were the “blessed” that were promised to Abraham have the promise of a future resurrection as well.

The video version of this is available at www.youtube.com/churchoflittleton   FW # 53