Resurrection: Certain Grace

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

For the next three posts, we are going to take some time, to consider, what the resurrection means for us. At a time, in a world of uncertainty, let us consider the certain thing that God has done in the resurrection.

Paul wants to remind us the of the gospel:

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. (vv. 1-2)

The gospel has led to the Corinthians, taking their stand (v. 1), they have lived on the basis of it, and they ‘are saved’. So Paul’s gospel is central to how they live now as they take a stand, and their hope, as they are saved by it.

Paul then gives a short summary of the gospel:

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. (vv. 3-4)

Christ died for our sins, and through that, we are saved. At the end of the section he reminds us that this gospel is one of grace, he is the supreme example of that:

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (vv. 9-10)

This the message of Easter, that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead. This is the grace that is on offer to us. This is all of grace, not something that we deserve but something that we are given out of the kindness of God. This is the message that Paul has preached and that the Corinthians have believed.

The middle section, vv. 3-8, are all about the certainty of the resurrection, which is the certainty of this glorious message that we are saved by grace. People saw, and touch the risen Lord Jesus, in a sense they saw and touched God’s grace.

In the time of worldwide uncertainty, is this not a wonderful reminder? That the events of that first Easter are certain, and therefore the grace by which we are accepted by God is certain.

Take some time, to consider the certainty of God’s grace to you, which the resurrection shows.

Heavenly Father, in this world where so much is uncertain, thank you that your love for me is certain. Thank you that I can trust that you have died for me and that you have saved me. In Jesus’ name, Amen