to be loyal to the Lord Jesus when others forsake Him as well as when others are praising His name. April 10, 1955 Our Assurance of Eternal Life 1 Cor. 15:3-10; 53-58 The answer to the theme of today’s lesson is the resurrection of Christ. Be cause He lives we shall live also. As Paul shows in different ways, in the chapter before u s,.without the resurrec tion there is no use hoping for anything worth-while in the future. But by many infallible proofs it has been demonstrated that Christ did rise from the dead and this fact is the answer to all doubt. Christ's Resurrection Basic to Eternal Life 1 Cor. 15:3, 4 These two verses give the content of the gospel. A more concise answer to the question, “What is the gospel?” is not to be found in the Bible. It is to be noted that the content of the gospel was some thing which had been received by Paul from God Himself. It was no human in vention. (See Gal. 1:11,12.) The first factor in the gospel is the death of Christ “for our sins.” The second factor was His burial suggesting the reality of His death. And the third and climactic factor was His resurrection. Without this factor the others would have amounted to nothing. Christ's Resurrection Certified 1 Cor. 15:5-10 The resurrection of Christ was a fact open to multiplied observation. It was not hidden in a corner. Peter saw Him. Does not the grace of God show itself in that Peter is mentioned first in this connec tion? Remember how miserably Peter had failed during those last hours? All of the apostles saw Him. Five hundred brethren saw Him. James, the Lord’s brother, and, last but not least, Paul saw Him. Note the comment of the great Apostle in verses 10 and 11 in which he attributes his calling as an apostle to the grace of God. What was true in Paul’s case is true in the case of every believer. Salvation and the privilege of service are due to God’s infinite grace through the person and work of our risen Saviour. Christ's Resurrection in Its Result 1 Cor. 15:53-58 Through the resurrection of Christ the believer will experience incorruption and immortality. Death will be swallowed up in victory and sin will lose its power. Moreover because of Christ’s triumph over death the Christian now has an impelling motive to be stedfast and immovable in the work of the Lord. He has also the assurance of the truth that they who labor for the Lord do not labor in vain. Glorious rewards have been promised to those who give so much as a cup of cold water in His name and the risen Christ will be able to keep every promise. Helps For the Children "He Has Risen" Mark 16:1-7; John 14:1, 2 MEMORY VERSE: "The Lord is risen in deed" Luke 24:34. Most of the great religions of the world worship a dead prophet or leader. CONTINUED ►
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