For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures,” vss. 3-4
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Toward the end of his letter to the Corinthians, after having touched on any number of topics that were causing dissension in the congregation, Paul takes time to review his core message. The good news that he had passed on had twin focal points: first of all, Christ had died for our sins and was buried, and secondly, he was raised from the dead. This was the gospel he had been called to proclaim, and it’s still the gospel we hear proclaimed weekly in our congregations. It’s a beautiful and powerful message and it continues to address guilt and anxiety, the two major concerns of humanity. One has to do with the past, and the other the future. We’re plagued by memories of sin and transgression, and we worry about death and dying. The good news both frees us from the burdens of the past, and opens the way to the joy and freedom of eternal life. The key word here is freedom! To put it simply, in Christ we are set free from the past even as we are freed for the future. By grace then, we can live in the present with confidence and joy, and no more guilt or fear!
Thought for the Day: What if people don’t believe in the Gospel?
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