The significance of resurrection faith

온 땅이여 여호와께 즐거이 부를지어다 ² 기쁨으로 여호와를 섬기며 노래하면서 그 앞에 나아갈지어다 ³ 여호와가 우리 하나님이신 줄 너희는 알지어다 그는 우리를 지으신 자시요 우리는 그의 것이니 그의 백성이요 그의 기르시는 양이로다. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! ² Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

 ³ Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (Ps. 100:1-3)

¹² 그리스도께서 죽은 자 가운데서 다시 살아나셨다 전파되었거늘 너희 중에서 어떤 이들은 어찌하여 죽은 자 가운데서 부활이 없다 하느냐 ¹³ 만일 죽은 자의 부활이 없으면 그리스도도 다시 살지 못하셨으리라 ¹⁴ 그리스도께서 만일 다시 살지 못하셨으면 우리의 전파하는 것도 헛것이요 또 너희 믿음도 헛것이며 ¹⁵ 또 우리가 하나님의 거짓 증인으로 발견되리니 우리가 하나님이 그리스도를 다시 살리셨다고 증거하였음이라 만일 죽은 자가 다시 사는 것이 없으면 하나님이 그리스도를 다시 살리시지 아니하셨으리라 ¹⁶ 만일 죽은 자가 다시 사는 것이 없으면 그리스도도 다시 사신 것이 없었을 터이요 ¹⁷ 그리스도께서 다시 사신 것이 없으면 너희의 믿음도 헛되고 너희가 여전히 죄 가운데 있을 것이요 ¹⁸ 또한 그리스도 안에서 잠자는 자도 망하였으리니 ¹⁹ 만일 그리스도 안에서 우리의 바라는 것이 다만 이생 뿐이면 모든 사람 가운데 우리가 더욱 불쌍한 자리라. ¹² Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. ¹⁵ We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Cor. 15:12-19)

FCF: We may tend to feel doubtful of the bodily resurrection of the dead.

주제: 그리스도의 부활과 우리의 부활은 뗄 수 없이 연결되어 있기에 그의 부활과 우리의 부활을 믿음으로 굳게 서야 합니다.

Theme: Because Christ’s resurrection is inseparably connected from our resurrection, we must stand firm by trusting both His resurrection and our resurrection.

Introduction: Truth transforms life. If we do not believe Christian truths, we may fall under grave danger. Years ago, I was introduced a book written by a liberal man. He called himself as a Christian scholar. He traveled all over the world to offer his liberal view on the person and work of Jesus Christ. He reinterpreted the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. According to his radical view, Christ’s death was not vicarious, substitutionary atonement, but a good example of sacrificial love. Also, Christ’s resurrection was spiritual, not literal. He argued that what matters is not whether Christ rose again from the dead or not, but the spiritual message of hope for those in despair. He said his mission was to enlighten Christians out of superstitious myths. The bodily resurrection of Christ can’t win the hearts of modern people steeped in rational, scientific education. So, we should reinterpret the biblical records of Christ’s death and resurrection and modify them to suit the scientific minds of moderners. He contended that we should tailor traditional doctrines of Christ’s death and resurrection to suit moderners so that our Christianity would survive even in this postmodern age. When I read his book through, of course, I didn’t buy into his heretical arguments. The gospel writers didn’t invent the stories of Christ’s miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension to create a religion for their gains. They truthfully recorded them on the basis of eyewitnesses’ accounts under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they are the truthful word of God. We shouldn’t reinterpret them to win the hearts of modern people. The apostles preached them as the eyewitnesses of these historical and theological events. A lot of people responded to their preaching by faith and found eternal life in Christ.

However, there were some who cast doubt on the resurrection of the dead in the Corinthian church. They didn’t believe the decomposed bodies would rise again from their graves and get united with their souls at the end of the age. They denied the bodily resurrection of the dead. Their denial of the bodily resurrection may have brought about factions, immoralities, church infightings, or spiritual elitism. Having been told about these serious issues jeopardizing the foundation of the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul with all seriousness took a pen to defend the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. He wrote the longest chapter of his epistle to clarify some confusions about the resurrection. He explained the absurdities of denying the bodily resurrection of the dead and established the connection between the bodily resurrection of saints and the resurrection of Christ. Denying the bodily resurrection of God’s people is equal to denying Christ’s bodily resurrection, on which the whole edifice of Christianity stands or falls. Therefore, Paul logically demonstrates in vv. 12-19 that believing the bodily resurrection of saints is essential. Because Christ’s resurrection is inseparably connected from our resurrection, we must stand firm by trusting both His resurrection and our resurrection. We may be under stress due to the coronavirus pandemic, a high inflation, or the war between Ukraine and Russia. We may be plagued by uncertainties about our future. In a time like this, people in general are looking for something secure and certain. Surely, we can find an unfading hope in Christ, in particular, Christ’s resurrection. As we go through an uncertain and tough time, we must stand firm by holding to the resurrection of Christ. I have the three points to share with you. First,

I.               그리스도의 부활과 여러분의 부활을 확신하라.

Be certain of Christ’s resurrection and your resurrection.

Before he shows the negative consequences of denying the bodily resurrection of the dead, Paul deals with the evidences of the resurrection of Christ in vv. 1-11. According to Paul, Christ’s resurrection is both biblical and historical. It is not an accident, but the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Since God’s Scripture can’t fail, Christ’s resurrection is certain. Paul presents multiple eyewitnesses as the evidence of Christ’s resurrection. He mentions of Peter, the Twelve, more than five hundred brothers, James the Lord’s brother, all the apostles, and Paul himself, who saw the risen Christ. Critics contend their accounts should be verified first to establish the validity of their accounts. They allege these witnesses were hallucinated because they desperately desired to see their Lord. However, they neither desired to see the Lord nor anticipated to see Him alive because they knew He was killed and buried in a tomb. They didn’t believe the news of those who had seen the risen Christ. There was no credible reason that they were hallucinated out of their desire for the risen Lord. In fact, they fled away and hid themselves out of fear of the authorities. Hallucination may take place to a certain individual who is emotionally troubled. But it is inconceivable that the five hundred men fell into mental delusion all together at the same time. Maybe, a few of them might fall into ecstasy and see some kind of vision in which they might say, “We have seen the risen Lord!” But even such a case is highly unlikely because none of them expected Jesus to come alive again. They neither expected the Lord’s resurrection nor believed it despite the reports of some eyewitnesses.

Paul’s testimony of the risen Christ is a credible piece of evidence of Christ’s resurrection. He was formerly persecuting the church of Christ. Now he is being persecuted for preaching the gospel of Christ, that is, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Such a radical transformation can’t be explained without him literally seeing the risen Christ. Indeed, the transformation of the apostles, who had fled for life, can’t be explained unless they saw the risen Christ. And the birth, growth, and expansion of the church can’t be explained without the resurrection of Christ. No one would be willing to die for falsehood. Paul, having met with the risen Christ on the way to Damascus, was certain of the resurrection of Christ, ready to live and die for Christ and His gospel. He was certain of His calling, ready to do all things and endure all things for the glory of the risen Christ. So, when the Corinthian church was in serious danger due to its moral, spiritual, and theological problems, Paul was willing to do anything to correct those problems and make them stand firm again in Christ. In 1 Cor. 15, Paul scripturally summarizes the gospel of salvation of Christ, established the historical reliability of Christ’s resurrection, and refutes the doubters of the resurrection of the dead.

We  have the convincing evidences of Christ’s resurrection: the empty tomb, the birth of the church, the transformation of the apostles, Paul’s conversion, use of female eyewitness accounts, multiple post-resurrection appearances, and the expansion of Christianity. Christ’s resurrection offers the best explanation for all of them. It is much easier to approve the historicity of Christ’s resurrection than to refute it. Despite all these convincing evidences, people in general, ancient and modern, choose to disbelieve the resurrection of Christ. Modern people assume that the ancient people were so superstitious that they naively believed the resurrection of Christ and the dead. But this assumption is wrong because even Christ’s disciples didn’t believe the news of Christ’s resurrection at first, the Greeks and Romans didn’t believe that the corpses would rise from the grave and be united with their souls. They believed the soul would be emancipated from the prison of the body at death. So, the bodily resurrection was foreign and unthinkable to them. The Corinthians followed the Hellenistic notion of body and soul. For them, it was utterly preposterous for the decomposed body to rise again and get reunited with the soul. It would be like a return to the reimprisonment of the soul.

Most likely, some of the Corinthian believers still followed the Greek thoughts on the body and the soul. They believed salvation was an emancipation of the soul from the bondage and taints of the body. Paul refuted their misbelief by logically showing the absurd consequences of denial of the bodily resurrection of the dead. The negative consequences of its denial are so tremendous that they would destroy the foundation of Christianity. Paul emphatically states that the denial of the bodily resurrection is equal to the denial of Christ’s resurrection. He states the inseparable connection between Christ’s bodily resurrection and the bodily resurrection of the dead. Christ vicariously died on the cross. No one in the Corinthian church denied this historical fact. It seems that they affirmed Christ rose again from the dead. But some of them denied the bodily resurrection of the dead. We are not sure whether they truly believed Christ’s bodily resurrection or not. But if they denied the bodily resurrection of the dead, according to Paul, they couldn’t but to deny Christ’s bodily resurrection because Christ was dead and buried. According to their belief, Christ’s body couldn’t come alive from death. Death was a separation of the soul from the body. Christ’s soul came alive spiritually, but His body was still in the tomb, according to their belief system. However, His tomb was empty. No one could show His corpse to refute the news of the apostles about the risen Christ. Christ literally rose again from the dead. He was able to eat food with some of His disciples. He showed them His nail prints in His side and hands. They were able to recognize those prints even in the resurrected body of the Lord.

So, Christ’s bodily resurrection disproves the falsehood of the denial of the resurrection of the dead. Christ’s resurrection from death guarantees our bodily resurrection from death. It is illogical to affirm the resurrection of Christ and deny the resurrection of the dead because Christ rose from the dead so that He would raise His people from the dead. His resurrection guarantees the resurrection of His people. He died and rose from the dead for the sake of His people. Paul expresses salvation as union with Christ as follows, ⁴ 그러므로 우리가 그의 죽으심과 합하여 세례를 받음으로 그와 함께 장사되었나니 이는 아버지의 영광으로 말미암아 그리스도를 죽은 자 가운데서 살리심과 같이 우리로 또한 새 생명 가운데서 행하게 하려 함이니라 ⁵ 만일 우리가 그의 죽으심을 본받아 연합한 자가 되었으면 또한 그의 부활을 본받아 연합한 자가 되리라 ⁶ 우리가 알거니와 우리 옛 사람이 예수와 함께 십자가에 못 박힌 것은 죄의 몸이 멸하여 다시는 우리가 죄에게 종노릇 하지 아니하려 함이니 ⁷ 이는 죽은 자가 죄에서 벗어나 의롭다 하심을 얻었음이니라 ⁸ 만일 우리가 그리스도와 함께 죽었으면 또한 그와 함께 살 줄을 믿노니 ⁹ 이는 그리스도께서 죽은 자 가운데서 사셨으매 다시 죽지 아니하시고 사망이 다시 그를 주장하지 못할 줄을 앎이로라. ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him (Rom. 6:4-9).

         Of course, this refers to spiritual union with Christ. When we are saved, we are eternally united with Christ. Such union will be perfected at Christ’s return when our dead bodies will be united with our souls. We will live together with Christ forever. We will be clothed with a glorious resurrection body similar to Christ’s resurrection body. Paul describes it as follows: ²⁰ 오직 우리의 시민권은 하늘에 있는지라 거기로서 구원하는 자 곧 주 예수 그리스도를 기다리노니 ²¹ 그가 만물을 자기에게 복종케 하실 수 있는 자의 역사로 우리의 낮은 몸을 자기 영광의 몸의 형체와 같이 변케 하시리라. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself (Phil. 3:20-21). Paul explains our glorious resurrection body in 1 Cor. 15:42-49. It will be imperishable, glorious, powerful, spiritual, heavenly body that fits a life with God in heaven. Christ will raise our mortal bodies from the dead through the Spirit (Rom. 8:11).  We are united with Christ in His death and resurrection. So, if we deny our bodily resurrection, we are denying the effects of Christ’s resurrection even though we affirm the historicity of His resurrection. We are sinning against God, disbelieving the blessings of salvation wrought through Christ’s death and resurrection.

         Like in the time of Jesus and His apostles, people today readily reject the notion of the bodily resurrection of the dead and the bodily resurrection of Christ as well. They assume that such a notion is superstitious and mythical, belonging to the bygone days. Their reason, science, emotion, or will reject it without a second thought. Liberal Christians also deny the atoning death and resurrection of Christ, trying to elicit only spiritual meanings from the historical events of Christ’s death and resurrection. But they are destroying the foundation of their belief and at the same time trying to stand on the sandy foundation of their faulty interpretations. But, we must trust the words of Christ with all our hearts: 나는 부활이요 생명이니 나를 믿는 자는 죽어도 살겠고 ²⁶ 무릇 살아서 나를 믿는 자는 영원히 죽지 아니하리니 이것을 네가 믿느냐. "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (Jn. 11:25-26). Like Job, who was going through inexplicable suffering, anticipated the day in which he would see His Redeemer in His body: ²⁵ 내가 알기에는 나의 구속자가 살아 계시니 후일에 그가 땅 위에 서실 것이라 ²⁶ 나의 이 가죽, 이것이 썩은 후에 내가 육체 안에서 하나님을 보리라. ²⁵ For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. ²⁶ And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God (Job 19:25-26). Let’s be certain of Christ’s resurrection and our future resurrection in the midst of inexplicable events or sufferings in life so that we can stand firm in Christ for the glory of God.

         Not only are we to be certain of the inseparability between Christ’s historical resurrection and our future resurrection, but also we are to be certain of…

II.             여러분의 전도와 믿음의 정당성을 확신하라.  

Be certain of the validity of your preaching and faith.

The denial of the resurrection of the dead necessarily leads to the denial of the resurrection of Christ. After he has shown the logical deduction, Paul draws the further deductions from the denial of Christ’s resurrection. If Christ was not raised from the dead, says Paul, Christian preaching and faith would be in vain, ineffective, empty, worthless, or powerless. Furthermore, we would be false witnesses of God. We would be considered religious liars or charlatans who sell the falsehood of Christ’s resurrection to make personal profits. Then, all the churches of Christ all over the world should shut down. All of them would be deceived. They should go home and enjoy at maximum level whatever they deem to be ok. The denial of Christ’s resurrection will create moral chaos and increase despair in the hearts of people, and make them completely materialistic and hedonistic. The denial of Christ’s resurrection invalidates our Christian preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is primarily made up of Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and return. If we deny Christ’s resurrection, then it implies we deny the rest of all the truths about the person and work of Christ, which constitute the contents of our preaching and faith. However, if we affirm the historicity of the resurrection of Christ, we can readily affirm all the truths about the person and work of Christ. Thus, the doctrine of Christ’s resurrection is pivotal for our Christian preaching and faith.

Indeed, Paul preached the gospel of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection according to the Scriptures. And some of the Corinthians responded to Paul’s preaching by faith. In the beginning of 1 Cor. 15 (vv. 1-2) and the end of the first section of 1 Cor. 15 (v. 11), Paul says, 형제들아 내가 너희에게 전한 복음을 너희로 알게 하노니 이는 너희가 받은 것이요 또 그 가운데 선 것이라 ² 너희가 만일 나의 전한 그 말을 굳게 지키고 헛되이 믿지 아니하였으면 이로 말미암아 구원을 얻으리라. Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ² and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you-- unless you believed in vain; 그러므로 내나 저희나 이같이 전파하매 너희도 이같이 믿었느니라; Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. The Corinthians believed Paul’s preaching of the gospel. They were converted from paganism to the living God. They were saved from eternal condemnation to eternal life. They believed Christ as their Savior and Lord. They received the gift of salvation by faith in Christ. According to Paul’s biblical logic, the deniers of the resurrection of the dead are basically denying the resurrection of Christ even though they give assent to the resurrection of Christ. They are saying Paul is a false witness of the resurrection of Christ. Then, they are making their faith in Christ ineffective, hollow, and worthless. Thus, Paul exhorts them to be certain of the resurrection of the dead and the validity of the apostolic preaching and faith.

Surely, Christ’s resurrection guarantees our preaching whereby people hear the gospel of salvation. We are to secure our preaching in the certainty of Christ’s resurrection. Preaching is our calling. We are witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. Though we have not seen the risen Christ with our naked eyes, yet we have seen Him by faith when we responded to the gospel by faith. Paul and his apostolic associates were the reliable eyewitnesses of His resurrection. If the dead are not raised from the dead, then we will be spiritual conmen. We will be false witnesses. We are misleading them to misery. But Christ is risen. Our witness is truthful. We are not working against God. We are not misrepresenting Him. Christ’s resurrection is our message. If Christ hadn’t risen again from the dead, then our preaching will be without its content. It will be futile, groundless, ineffective, useless, and worthless. The preaching of the gospel devoid of Christ’s resurrection is in vain. The preaching of the gospel is about Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection that not only constitute the message of salvation and merit our salvation. One Christian commentator says, “The gospel message was wrapped up in the bodily resurrection of Christ and its promise of the restoration and renewal of human life and creation, not an escape to some disembodied, ethereal world” (Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, p. 755). We must be certain that the resurrection of Christ is essential part of the gospel preaching. Since Christ rose from the dead, we can preach with confidence in its effectiveness and power of the gospel preaching.

Also, Christ’s resurrection guarantees the validity of our faith. So, we are to secure your faith in Christ’s resurrection. On the basis of Christ’s resurrection, we can see our faith is not futile. Christ’s resurrection guarantees the truthfulness of the objective aspect of faith, that is, the contents of faith. Christ’s resurrection confirms that all that we believe are true and trustworthy. Also, Christ’s resurrection validates the subjective aspect of faith, that is, our faithfulness and experiences of faith. The subject aspect of our faith is not in vain because Christ rose again from the dead. It will be rewarded at His return. Faith in the bodily resurrection is not in vain because it is sure and certain. It motivates us to be faithful to the Lord. It motivates us to live by trusting the Lord. Paul’s concluding exhortation based on the certainty of Christ’s resurrection and our future resurrection is this: 그러므로 내 사랑 하는 형제들아 견고하며 흔들리지 말며 항상 주의 일에 더욱 힘쓰는 자들이 되라 이는 너희 수고가 주 안에서 헛되지 않은 줄을 앎이니라. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58). If our preaching and faith are futile, then all our Christian efforts in life will be futile. But since our preaching and faith are truthful, says Paul, we should be steadfast. 

Indeed, the Corinthians heard the gospel of Jesus from the apostles. And they trusted it for salvation. But if they remove the resurrection of Christ from the contents of faith, their faith loses its power, ground, and effectiveness. This is what liberal scholars and Christians do. They have created a new gospel for a new scientific age, denying the supernational works of God in the Bible. They box God in their reason and understanding. They can’t prove the resurrection of Christ and so deny the bodily resurrection of the dead. They shouldn’t call themselves Christians because they are destroying the message of salvation, that is, Christ’s atoning death and resurrection. They can’t offer any solution to the fundamental problem of men’s sin and death. Sin is the root of all problems within and without. It brings about death. Religions try to woo people by offering their solutions to these problems. But only Christianity offers God’s solution to sin and death. Christ’s death is God’s answer to man’s sin and Christ’s resurrection is God’s answer to man’s death. Christian preaching is about the message of Christ’s death and resurrection. Faith is God’s means whereby we accept God’s gift of salvation.

If we remove any of the two, we will fall. So, if we don’t believe the resurrection of the dead, we are denying the fact that Christ’s resurrection is the basis of our salvation. We are destroying the foundation of our Christian faith. We are destroying ourselves by denying our faith life. We will live only for here and now. We will be soaked in materialism, consumerism, and worldliness. We have no reason to bear under suffering. We lose our motivation for holiness. We will lose biblical exhortation to preach the gospel of eternal life in Christ. Without affirming our own resurrection at Christ’s return, we will lose our directions while drifting freely in a hedonistic world. But, if we believe we will live beyond the grave, we will keep ourselves pure in Christ by living by faith in Christ. Also, we will live by faith in the sustaining grace and power coming from experiencing Christ’s death and resurrection. Paul indirectly commends the Thessalonians believers for their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 1:3). Faith in Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection works in love and hope for the glory of God. Therefore, we must be certain of our preaching and faith based on Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection.

III.           하나님의 선물인 용서와 행복을 확신하라.

Be certain of God’s gift of forgiveness and happiness.

Paul’s logical deductions from the Corinthian doubters’ premise “there is no resurrection of the dead” are undeniable and inescapable. His point is simple: If we deny our future, bodily resurrection, then we deny the historical resurrection of Christ. If we deny Christ’s resurrection, then we are making our preaching and faith ineffective and useless. Then, we are found false witnesses. We are still in our sins. We have no hope of meeting with our beloved ones, the dead in Christ. So, we are most pitiable and miserable among people. Therefore, we must be certain of Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection. Christ’s resurrection guarantees our future resurrection, preaching, faith, forgiveness, reunion with the dead in Christ, hope beyond the grave, and happiness. We have every reason to believe the certainty of our resurrection because Christ indeed rose again from the dead. Since Christ’s resurrection is a historical fact and theological truth, our resurrection is certain, our preaching and faith are sure, and our forgiveness and happiness are secure. This is what Paul says twice in vv. 12-19 for emphasis. It is much easier and more beneficial to believe in Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection than to disbelieve them. If we deny them, we encounter the insurmountable problems. Paul suggests the only one option, that is, standing firm on the truth of Christ’s resurrection and our future resurrection.       

As Paul says in v. 17, our forgiveness, that is, justification in the context, is inseparably tied with Christ’s resurrection. If Christ had not risen again from the dead, we would have been under eternal condemnation. But we are in the risen Christ. There is no condemnation against us (Rom. 8:1). Christ’s resurrection secures your forgiveness from sin and death and grants us freedom in Christ. Through Christ’s resurrection, we are granted reconciliation with God. If we deny our resurrection, we are denying Christ’s resurrection. Then, we are denying our justified status secured by His resurrection. Then, we are destroying the ground of our justification. Then, we are still under condemnation. We are bound to hell. Therefore, affirming our resurrection on the basis of Christ’s resurrection is essential for salvation. Listen to this passage: 예수는 우리 범죄함을 위하여 내어 줌이 되고 또한 우리를 의롭다 하심을 위하여 살아나셨느니라. who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification (Rom. 4:25). Surely, Christ is the Ladder on which we stand firm to reach heaven. If we say there is no resurrection of the dead, we are removing the ladder from under our feet. In so doing, we commit ourselves to a free fall into a bottomless pit. No one, who knows its folly, wouldn’t dare to do such a destructive thing. We must hold unto Christ, which means we hold on an unshakable hope of the resurrection of the dead. If we deny the means, that is, faith, whereby we receive the gift of eternal life, we are committing the sin of self-deception and self-destruction.

Not only does Christ’s resurrection guarantees our justification, but also it guarantees our hope and happiness. Another miserable consequence of denying Christ’s resurrection and the believer’s bodily resurrection is a demise of hope and happiness in Christ. If Christ had still been in the grave, there would be no life after death, no hope beyond the grave, and no happiness for believers on earth. Believers throughout the centuries since the apostolic time have endured persecutions, hardships, pains, or torments while witnessing to the gospel of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. They have looked beyond the grave and set their eyes on the risen Christ. They haven’t lived for here and now. They have lived for eternity in union with the risen Christ through the Holy Spirit. So, their hope goes beyond here and now. Their hope of the future resurrection has kept them enduring all their hardships. However, if Christ had not risen again from the dead, their faith, hope, and hard works would be futile. Then, they would be most miserable, better to give up their faith and hope and enjoy their lives to the fullest by seeking momentary pleasures to forget about their pains.

However, Christ’s resurrection transforms such a mindset totally. It guarantees believers a glorious future. It guarantees happiness in Christ. We don’t need to live in misery. We are to live in union with the risen Christ, which makes us holy and happy in the midst of trials. Where do you find your hope and happiness? What kind of hope do you want to have in current situations? What do you wish? Maybe, you wish to have little more money, health, success, fame, or pleasure, so that you may feel happy. You may wish to have job security, lasting health, or good relationships. Surely, you desire to have them for happiness. But the reality is such things are very momentary and evasive. Once you think you have them in your hands, they soon disappear out of sight. You may see your hopes and wishes shattered in the midst of impersonal, harsh circumstances. Wars, plagues, relational breakdowns, economic collapses are currently menacing. On top of them, you are tired of boredom and monotony of life. Literally, it is hard to have a hope for a better future because everything of the future seems to be murky and gloomy. But our God is the One who holds our future. He promises us a new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem. The risen Christ is with us. Christ is guiding us through His Spirit and Word to His eternal kingdom. Thus, we have a hope that works against hope. 

The old apostle John, exiled in the little isle of Patmos, was going through a lonesome time. He was weary of his old age. He had devoted his life to the cause of Christ. If Christ was not risen, then all his perseverance for Christ would be in vain. However, he met with the risen Christ numerous times. He had a meal with Him. He was taught by Him. Then, he was given the visions in which he was privileged to see what would happen in the end times. Here is what he saw: 또 내가 새 하늘과 새 땅을 보니 처음 하늘과 처음 땅이 없어졌고 바다도 다시 있지 않더라 ² 또 내가 보매 거룩한 성 새 예루살렘이 하나님께로부터 하늘에서 내려오니 그 예비한 것이 신부가 남편을 위하여 단장한 것 같더라 ³ 내가 들으니 보좌에서 큰 음성이 나서 가로되 보라 하나님의 장막이 사람들과 함께 있으매 하나님이 저희와 함께 거하시리니 저희는 하나님의 백성이 되고 하나님은 친히 저희와 함께 계셔서 ⁴ 모든 눈물을 그 눈에서 씻기시매 다시 사망이 없고 애통하는 것이나 곡하는 것이나 아픈 것이 다시 있지 아니하리니 처음 것들이 다 지나갔음이러라. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:1-4). Hope of a new life with God in a new world sustained John through all the hardships and temptations in Patmos.   

Without the resurrection of Christ, everything we have worked for would be forgotten in eternity. But since Christ rose again, our hope is not in vain. Paul says, ¹⁸ 생각건대 현재의 고난은 장차 우리에게 나타날 영광과 족히 비교할 수 없도다 ¹⁹ 피조물의 고대하는 바는 하나님의 아들들의 나타나는 것이니…²¹ 그 바라는 것은 피조물도 썩어짐의 종노릇 한데서 해방되어 하나님의 자녀들의 영광의 자유에 이르는 것이니라 …³ 이뿐 아니라 또한 우리 곧 성령의 처음 익은 열매를 받은 우리까지도 속으로 탄식하여 양자 될 것 곧 우리 몸의 구속을 기다리느니라 ²⁴ 우리가 소망으로 구원을 얻었으매 보이는 소망이 소망이 아니니 보는 것을 누가 바라리요 ²⁵ 만일 우리가 보지 못하는 것을 바라면 참음으로 기다릴찌니라. ¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God…. ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God….²³ And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience (Rom. 8:18-25).

 Not only do we live with hope in Christ, but also we do hope in eternal life. We will live forever with Christ in heaven. If we regard it as a myth, then we are most miserable of all men. The apostles willingly suffered more than anyone else while preaching the gospel of Christ’s resurrection while confidently expecting they would rise again from the dead and would be perfected in Christ. They will be clothed with perfect, resurrection bodies. So, they are not miserable and pitiable. They will enter into eternal bliss. So, they were happy, enduring all hardships for the glory of God. We don’t need to be pitied by people of the world. We don’t fall into self-pity, either, because we have everything in Christ and we will be rewarded by God. Our current life here on earth is full of unwanted suffering and pain. But we can go through them because we have Christ with us and have a hope in our future resurrection. Even when we lose our beloved ones in Christ, we are greatly comforted and hopeful because we will see them again in heaven. We are not pitied, but comforted by the presence of Christ. As long as we live the present with a hope of a bright future, we can happily continue our pilgrim journey to the Celestial City against all odds, oppositions, and temptations. 

On July 30, 1967, Joni Eareckson had a diving accident in Chesapeake Bay. It left her a total quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down. At first in the hospital she fought bravely against her condition, determined that she would walk again. But gradually she came to the realization that her injury was permanent and that she was never going to regain the use of her hands or feet. Through a period of rehab and therapy and with the strong support of her parents, sisters, and friends, she gradually climbed out of her deep black hole. She began to trust God and face the future with realism. She learned to paint with her mouth. She became a popular public speaker and writer. And she developed JAF Ministries (“Joni and Friends”) for the support of people with disabilities. At the heart of her transformation was her rediscovery of the Bible. She relearned its great doctrines. She was helped by the vision of Jesus on the cross, “immobilized, helpless, paralyzed,” as she was. But what helped her most was the resurrection. “I have hope for the future now,” she writes. “The Bible speaks of our bodies being glorified” in heaven….I now know the meaning of being “glorified.” It’s the time, after my death hear, when I’ll be on my feet dancing.” It is essential to note that what sustains Joni is the Christian expectation of a bodily resurrection. It would have been no great comfort to be assured of a mere survival of death. And to believe in a resuscitation, a restoration to this life, would have meant the horror of further imprisonment in her wheelchair. “I can scarcely believe it,” she writes. 저의 손은 오그라들고 구부러졌으며, 저의 근육은 아무런 힘이 없이 작동하지 않으며, 저의 무릎은 뒤틀렸으며 어깨 아래로는 아무런 감각이 없습니다. 이런 나에게 언젠가 새로운 몸이 주어질 것입니다. 가볍고, 빛나며 의의 옷을 입은 몸, 능력과 영광의 몸입니다. 저와 같이 척추에 장애를 가지고 있는 자에게 이것이 주는 소망을 상상할 수 있겠습니까? 혹은 뇌성 마비나 뇌를 다친 자, 혹은 근육 마비가 있는 자에게 이것이 주는 소망을 상상할 수 있겠습니까? 극한 우울증을 앓고 있는 자에게 이것이 주는 소망을 상상해 보세요. 다른 어떤 종교도, 철학도 이와 같은 새로운 몸과 마음과 생각을 약속하지는 않습니다. 상처를 입고 살아가는 사람들이 이렇게 엄청난 소망을 발견하는 것은 오직 그리스도의 복음 뿐입니다. I with shriveled, bent fingers, atrophied muscles, gnarled knees, and no feeling from the shoulders down, will one day have a new body, light, bright, and clothed in righteousness-powerful and dazzling. Can you imagine the hope this gives someone spinal cord-injured like me? Or someone who is cerebral palsied, brain-injured, or who has multiple sclerosis? Imagine the hope this gives someone who is manic depressive. No other religion, no other philosophy promises new bodies, hearts and minds. Only in the gospel of Christ do hurting people find such incredible hope. So, denying the resurrection of Christ and our glorious resurrection means destroying the foundation on which we stand firm with hope against hope.

Conclusion: Lenski a Christian commentator said, “A Christianity without a risen Christ and the sure and certain hope of our resurrection from the grave, whatever men may say in laudation of its moral influence and its good works, is worse than none.” The deniers of Christ’s resurrection and our bodily resurrection are destroying the rock foundation of Christianity. We must stand firm against all their unfounded falsehoods and hold unto an unshakable hope of our bodily resurrection. About two weeks ago, I attended a funeral service of one of my acquaintances. During the gravesite service, I heard the message of resurrection. The pastor preached that we would rise from the dead at the Lord’s return. In fact, it is the kind of a message of hope of resurrection we often hear during gravesite service. Soon, the body of the deceased one will begin to decay and return to dust. The family and quests respectively returned home after the service. Soon, the memory about the deceased one will be forgotten. The hope of the resurrection will disappear, too. How many in the world will live in anticipation of the resurrection? Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the war between Ukraine and Russia, and a high inflation, anxiety about the unpredictable future plagues us. In a time like this, we desperately need a hope of resurrection. But most believers regard their resurrection as a far distant event that will take after in an unknown time long after their death. It is merely a doctrine that has no influence upon their current living. Today, those who believe their decayed bodies turned dust will be reunited with their souls are treated as “insane.” Having only a vague idea of our resurrection, most of us only busy ourselves about our realities in life. We hear a message about Jesus’ resurrection on Easter alone. But the resurrection of Christ is God’s power that transforms our current lives. His death and resurrection form the two pillars of the gospel of salvation. His atoning death manifests God’s love and His glorious resurrection manifests God’s power. The same love and power enable us to stand firm against the age of anxiety. They raise us up from the monotonous, repetitive, and tiring cycles of our daily routines. Also, they make us endure the weights of life. Believing in Jesus doesn’t mean that we live well only here and now. It should lead to living together with Jesus. Eternal walking and fellowshipping with Jesus is the greatest blessing of salvation. Jesus broke the power of death and rose again. Now, He is always with us. No matter what circumstances or times we may go through, we need not fear. The Lord, being with us, guides us, and works a change for us, being within us. As He rose again, so we shall rise again. Our perishable bodies will be clothed with the glorious bodies and live with Him forever. This the salvation that we have received from God. Believing Christ’s resurrection should lead to believing in our bodily resurrection. A hope of the resurrection empowers us to live eternal life every day. May all of us experience such power in our daily living!      

Benediction: ²⁰ 양의 큰 목자이신 우리 주 예수를 영원한 언약의 피로 죽은 자 가운데서 이끌어 내신 평강의 하나님이

 ²¹ 모든 선한 일에 너희를 온전케 하사 자기 뜻을 행하게 하시고 그 앞에 즐거운 것을 예수 그리스도로 말미암아 우리 속에 이루시기를 원하노라 영광이 그에게 세세 무궁토록 있을지어다 아멘.  ²⁰ Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, ²¹ equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Heb. 13:20-21)