Is the Resurrection Necessary?

Posted on April 25, 2019 by America's Keswick in Freedom Fighters

Romans 10:9,10: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

I Cor. 15:17: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”

There are 106 quotes from the Bible concerning the resurrection and issues relating according to

https://www.openbible.info/topics/resurrection.

Thus, I must conclude that the resurrection is vital to God’s heart. To deny it is to deny what the Bible teaches so clearly that it leaves no room for question or interpretation.

I have two friends who travel to the Holy Land. One claims to have the best tour guide and has used him for 36 trips and the other claims that his tour guide is rated as the number two guide (who is female) though his trips are less frequent. Both friends say that if either of the guides stood up to give an evangelistic message they can quote scripture with the best preachers and they can present a great case for Jesus as Messiah. But neither believes in the resurrection. Therefore, I must conclude that they are not born again. My friends agree.

Further, if we are to spend eternity in heaven, we must be raised from the grave, resurrected. And that is precisely what the Bible promises.

Eph. 4:7-10: But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.  Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, ‘He ascended’—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)”

I Cor. 15:20-23 we read, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.”

Let’s unwrap that. In Luke 16 we read the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The beggar died and was carried off to Abraham’s bosom.  The rich man also died and went to Hades and was in torment. There was “a great gulf fixed” between hades and Abraham’s bosom. This teaches us that heaven was not yet available to man. Jesus died, was resurrected and ascended into heaven, the first one to enter (the firstfruits) and carried all who had previously been in Abraham’s bosom with Him. It also indicates that those who are yet awaiting their final destination in Hades will be cast into the lake of fire, hell. In Revelation 20:13 we read, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Concerning man’s resurrection, other texts say:

I Cor. 6:14 “Now God has not only raised the Lord but will also raise us up through His power.”

II Cor 6:14: “…knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.”

I Cor. 15:51-53 “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

The theme of resurrection is the core of Christianity. It is vital. Anything less is eternally fatal.

Written by Rev. Neil Fichthorn Rev. Neil Fichthorn is a seasoned conference and camping servant having served at Gull Lake Bible Conference, Sandy Cove Ministries as President, and an interim Executive Director at Pinebrook Bible Conference. He also served in church music for decades as a choir director and arranger. He has been Bill Welte’s mentor and friend for over 45 years.

The Daily Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 7-9, Revelation 12| You can download our 2018 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This:“Christian theology has never suggested that the ‘fact’ of Christ’s resurrection could be known apart from faith.” -Alan Richardson, History Sacred and Profane

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. – 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

 

 

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