How to Understand the Hope of the Resurrection (Part 2)

The Hope and Truth of the Resurrection

1^st Corinthians 15:8-28

⁸And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ⁹For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

¹⁰But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ¹¹Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

¹²Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

¹⁴And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

¹⁵Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. ¹⁶For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: ¹⁷And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. ¹⁸Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. ¹⁹If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

²⁰But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. ²¹For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. ²³But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

²⁴Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. ²⁶The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

²⁷For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. ²⁸And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Introduction:

We began studying the truths and the Eternal Hope of the Resurrection, and we at least saw how vital that hope is to the entire Christian faith. We skipped through 1^st Corinthians 15, hoping to come back the next time and fill in the blank spots.

**What Would Be the Results if the Resurrection Never Happened?**

Paul builds a sort of “legal case outline,” here. He points out several connected ideas:

He himself was the last of the Eyewitnesses. Not because he was good…quite the opposite. And he underscores the fact that he is not worthy to be called an apostle, since he had viciously persecuted the Church.
Whatever the case, “it is what it is:” He says, “I am what I am.” He had to accept what he was, and start there, just as we do.
And Paul testifies that by the Grace of God, he had accomplished more than the others, but not on his own: God did the work. However, regardless of which apostle did the preaching, the people had received the Gospel and believed it.
But, now some among them were denying that the Resurrection was a reality. He said:
- If that is true, then Jesus is still dead.
- If Jesus is still dead, then the Gospel (which is dependent upon the truth of the Resurrection) is not true!
- Those who trusted in Him have a vain hope.
- All those who preached salvation by Jesus are liars and false witnesses.
- Those who believed in Him are still dead in their sins.
- Those who died, believing in Him, are in Hell, and lost forever. (Wow!)
He concluded that, if the Hope we have in Christ is only valid for this earthly life, we are of all men most to be pitied.

BUT! Christ IS Raised from the Dead!

Paul refuted all the connected side-effects (of the resurrection hypothetically being a lie,) with the single statement: “He is Risen!” The Gospel is true!

Jesus is the firstfruits of the believing dead who will be raised to be with Him. He says:
- Death came by Man (Adam,) thus the Resurrection also came by Man (Jesus.)
- All in Adam die: All in Christ shall be made alive. (Resurrected.)
- All will occur in proper order: Jesus first, afterward, all the rest of us.
The Resurrection will culminate in final victory for Jesus,
- Jesus will reign until He supersedes all other kingdoms and authority.
- All enemies will be under His feet.
- The final enemy to be destroyed is Death.
- The Final Kingdom and all glory will return to God the Father.

So, What Do We Do With All That Information?

Point One

The first thing we perhaps ought to notice is that only Paul lays hold of these three claims:

I am not worthy to be called an apostle. (1^st Corinthians 15:9)
I’m less than the least of all saints. (Ephesians 3:8)
I am the chief of sinners. (1^st Timothy 1:15)

If others had made similar claims, we might simply consider it a mark of humility. If Peter had said it, I might have assumed it was self-condemnation, for his having denied Jesus. But only Paul said these three things: So, I have to conclude that, because the Holy Spirit chose the words, and He chose they would only come from Paul, then there must be some sense in which all are true, and only true of Paul, since all are exclusive statements.

Why is this important? Because it means if these were literally true of Paul, they cannot be true of me or of you, even if we “feel” they are true. Feelings are not reliable reflections of reality. If God could use Paul, He can use anyone.

And, just as Paul was forced to do, we have to start where we are, and choose to obey Jesus, and submit our lives to Him, if we hope for God to accomplish anything through us. This is not a “Do-it Yourself” project! Jesus said, “…apart from Me ye can do nothing!” (John 15:5)

Point Two

The Truth of the Resurrection, and the Hope of the Resurrection are central to the Truth of the Gospel. In John 11:25, Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” If Jesus did not literally, physically rise immortal, from the dead, then all the rest of the Gospel falls apart.

If He is still dead, then the whole Bible is a lie! The Central Theme of the entire Bible is the Redemptive Plan of God, foreshadowed in Genesis and repeatedly confirmed, in stronger and stronger terms, throughout all of the Word of God. Thus, if the Central Theme is negated, the entire structure is fatally flawed.

The “Gospel” would not be “good news.” All who believed it would have made a fatally bad decision, trusting a false messiah, and they would be just as fully lost as if they had no savior… because they truly would not have one.

Paul concludes that if our faith in Jesus has only temporal results, then it is no different than all the “world religions.” If we have been following a false messiah, then we are pitiable, miserable wretches, and still headed for destruction. But!

Point Three

Jesus is Alive! All of the above questions and speculation about the “result of a false messiah” are pointless, in the face of the eternal fact of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul went on to teach the logic of the resurrection, showing that it was entirely fitting that a man (Jesus) should undo the damage done by the first man, Adam. Although He doesn’t elaborate, here, this fits the requirements of the Kinsman Redeemer from the Old Testament:

The Redeemer had to be a near relative (which is why Jesus became a man.)
He had to be free, Himself (Jesus was sinless and free from the taint of sin.)
The Redeemer must have the price of Redemption (a sinless body, with untainted blood.)
He had to be Willing.

Two Positions, Two Heads of a Race

Adam sold out the entire Human Race: Jesus bought back the entire Human race, but He left it up to the individual to choose whether to trust in His completed work at the Cross. All who choose to remain in Adam simply remain spiritually dead; separated from God. All who choose to believe God, and trust His plan of salvation, are placed into (literally “baptized into… immersed into”) the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, and we are permanently bound to Him by His Grace and Love.

Why will we be resurrected? Because He bought our salvation at the Cross. All we did was to believe His Word, and receive Him. He has already been resurrected, but God said that from His perspective, if you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, then, in Him, you are already resurrected, too! Ephesians 2:6 says you are already seated with Him on the throne in Heaven!

Point Four

Because He is already the Victor, (and we have joined Him in that victory,) we will see His ultimate victory over the entire world, as well as over all the unseen evil beings. We will see Him triumph over all His enemies, including Death! Revelation 20:14 says “Death and Hell will be cast into the Lake of fire.” After that, He will deliver the eternal Kingdom to the Father, with the Glory that goes with it.

How Does All This Truth Affect Us?

Does it make a difference in our lives, knowing that the Resurrection of Jesus The Messiah is a fact, and that we are already resurrected with Jesus? It truly ought to make a difference! Pat James used to conclude, regarding this sort of truth, “We’re bullet proof!” meaning that we simply cannot fail to end up with God for eternity, as we are already there, and Jesus promised, “He that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out!” (John 6:37)

How much more confident would we feel in daily life, if we truly grasped how completely He has redeemed us, and how fully He has made us His own?

Romans 6:2-6 explains that through our being baptized into Christ, by the Holy Spirit, we are now fully identified with Him in His death, burial, resurrection and eternal life. He says we are dead with Him. He says we have been buried with Him, and that we shall be like Him in the resurrection. Ephesians 2:5, 6 makes it more explicit, saying that we have been (past tense) brought to life in Him, and raised up (ascended) with Him, and seated with Him in the heavenlies. It’s a done deal!

That truth should set us free to serve without fear and without holding back. I do not claim to have fully grasped this, because, like most people, I sometimes suffer doubts and fears. But I do know this truth, and I believe that it is fully applicable today.

Lord Jesus, please bring the truth and the hope of the resurrection to life in our minds and hearts, and use it to set us free from our fears, our doubts, and our besetting sins. Teach us to walk in the newness of life.

May 26, 2018May 27, 2018

Introduction to Colossians

Colossians 1:1-8

Introduction:

The epistle to the church at Colosse is written by the Apostle Paul, as were more than half the books of the New Testament. It was written about the same time as the epistles to Philemon and to the church at Ephesus, evidently, as it was carried by the same messenger(s). We must bear in mind, though, that, while the human writer is Paul, the true Author is the Living Word, the Lord Jesus. So, this is the Written Word of God, and we will approach it with that in mind. All scripture must agree with the rest of scripture. Whenever we think we may have found a contradiction, we can rest assured that, with more careful study, we will confirm that the discrepancy was just due to our own misunderstanding.

Are there different styles of writing from one human writer to another? Certainly, there are, just as the marks left on wood by my hand-plane are different than those left by a drawknife or a scraper…or a saw, for example. But my hand was the one guiding each tool, and I can accurately claim to have “handcrafted” the resulting project, regardless of what it is. I’m the maker!

God’s Word bears the stylistic and vocabulary-related marks of his various chosen tools, the writers of the Bible. But it is truly all “One Book, by One Author.” And it has one central theme, the Person and Work of Christ. In fact, the entire Bible is structured around God’s redemptive plan for the fallen human race: and Jesus is that plan.

This epistle is not nearly so personal as the one written to the church at Philippi, as Paul did not know the people in this church as intimately as he did those at Philippi. He knew them mainly by reputation, evidently, through Epaphras, who, it seems, may have planted that church. The result then, can be seen even in the opening greeting: it is not nearly so tenderly, and passionately worded as is the letter to the believers at Philippi. The people at Philippi were his intimate friends and fellow-laborers. That church was his only regularly supporting church, even though, ironically, it was not his “home-church” He was initially sent out from Antioch, but his relationship with Philippi seems to be the closest he had with any individual church.

So, while the greeting to the church at Colosse is not “cold,” or impersonal: it is simply to a group with whom he had less close ties, so it is a little more reserved. Paul begins by introducing himself and Timothy to the believers at Colosse:

Sent From God –To You!

¹ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
²To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul introduced himself simply as “an Apostle of Jesus Christ (a “sent one”) by the will of God (not self-appointed), and Timothy, our brother. No special accolades, no boasting about his great education, or his other credentials, nor even a list of all the churches he had personally planted (and there were many): He was “sent by God”…and that was it. The same was true for Timothy: He was just a faithful brother. Do you see the simplicity of service, here? It is a privilege to serve: just do it!

I think it is noteworthy that the letter is not addressed to the “Pastor”, nor to the “Deacons and Elders”, nor yet to the “Church Board of Trustees”, or any such thing. It is to the “saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse.” It is to the Church, proper. All the church epistles are addressed to the churches, not to the leaders, nor any sort of authority figures. By the way, the Bible knows nothing of friars, abbots, sextons, monks, cardinals and popes, etc. They are entirely invented by humans.

Position and Condition

The letter was to the “saints” (the word “saints” means “holy ones”…they were made holy by their position in Christ) and the faithful (believing) brethren “in Christ.” That is a key phrase: our position in Christ along with His indwelling Holy Spirit in us, is all that sets us apart from the World around us; just as Noah’s position inside the Ark was all that set him apart from his neighbors who were outside. Consider the end result of our position, and that of Noah. All in the Ark lived because of their position inside the Ark. All in Christ live (eternally) because of our position in Christ.

What does it mean, to say that the believers, the saints, the “holy ones”, are “holy” before God? It literally means that we are “set apart” for God’s service. It means that we are His private, personal property, and that we are for His service and His pleasure. We often forget this truth, and think that we are here to please ourselves. We forget that we are called to “be holy as He is Holy.” It does not mean we wander around with a halo over us, and our palms pressed together, or any such silliness: it means that we belong to Jesus Christ; and it makes perfect sense that we should actively seek to serve Him, as His chosen vessels for the Gospel; His ambassadors to the lost World around us.

Paul focused on that one positional attribute that all believers share: We are in Christ. And, as we can observe in Colossians 4:16, this epistle was intended to be a “circular letter:” It was to be read in other churches as well. It is to us, as believers in Christ. We are in Christ, by the new Birth, through Faith, so this letter is addressed to us, personally. As we study, try to keep in mind that this is literally God’s letter to you! Take it personally!

Also, consider this: Paul’s position in Christ was more important than his specific task, as an Apostle. And, an Apostle was not more “in Christ” than any other believer. The first concern is our position. But once that position is secured (and it is a permanent change), our condition before the Lord becomes our first concern. Am I walking with Him? And, finally, am I exercising my gifts? Am I doing what He has called me to do? Part of being “faithful” is being committed, and reliable. Yes, the word “faithful” means “the believers”, but the kind of faith God calls us to exercise is also intended to produce “faithfulness”, in the sense of reliability. Can God count on you to obey Him on a daily basis? Can others count on you to be the man or woman of God you are called to be? Can they trust you to live a Godly example for them, both in words and actions?

Grace and Peace

In verse two, as in virtually every Pauline epistle, is Paul’s opening blessing, praying for God’s sustaining Grace in the lives of the believers, resulting in His abiding Peace. These two ideas always come in that order: Grace, then Peace. In Salvation, we received saving Grace, through faith, and it resulted in Peace with God. On a daily, living basis, we receive God’s sustaining Grace, again through daily renewed faith, and it results in the Peace of God. Both flow from the Father and the Son, to us. “Grace be to you, and Peace.” Always in that order!

Thanksgiving and Prayer—Faith and Love

Paul may not actually have known these people, personally: but he said that he and Timothy had been praying for them, and giving thanks for their walk with God ever since they had heard of their faith in the person of Jesus Christ, and their love for the believers around them.

³We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
⁴Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

This is how we are supposed to respond to other believers, based on our faith in Christ, and our position in Him. Jesus gave us the commandment that we are to love one another as He loved us. These believers were doing exactly what Jesus said to do, and Paul and Timothy were overjoyed to hear of it. Keep in mind, too, that Salvation is a gift, not a reward. Faith in the Gospel brings Salvation, which gives us Hope. Obedience brings reward.

Our Hope and our Coming Reward

Paul and Timothy gave thanks especially because of the Hope that was secured for these believers, including the reward that was in store for them in Heaven. Paul reminds them that they (the believers) already knew about this, too.

⁵For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

What is the “Hope that is laid up for us in Heaven?” Our hope is eternal life with Christ; being finally separated from our sins, and the trials of this life. We hope for a new body, free from the ravages of age and disease, and for the literal, physical presence of the Lord Himself, the fulfillment of all the promises of God. We look for a new heaven and a new earth, where the damage done by man is all in the forgotten past, and Joy surrounds us like the air and the sunlight.

All this and more is “laid up for us”…it is on deposit, credited to our account, since the moment we each trusted Jesus’s blood at the Cross as full payment for our sins. Eternal Life is already ours. Reward is accumulated as we allow God the freedom to use our lives.

I remember, when I had first trusted Jesus as my Savior, but still knew almost nothing about the rest of the Bible, a friend, who knew I was just recently saved, asked “Are you looking forward to going to heaven?” I replied honestly that I wasn’t even sure whether I believed in a heaven or hell; I only knew that I needed Jesus now! But as I began to read His Word, I soon came to see The Bible as “first and final authority,” in all things, so that I eventually saw that, “if God says it; that settles it,” whether I personally believe it or not. And, as it happened, it turns out that the Bible does have a fair amount to say about both heaven and hell, so that I gradually came to understand a few things about eternity. And, yes, I eventually understood that my “hope” had been “laid up for me in heaven,” immediately, when I first believed, though I knew nothing about it. Later, I learned that there was a reward involved, too, though I still don’t really feel I know much about that part.

The Gospel and the World

Paul also says that that Gospel had been going out to the whole world just as it had come to Colosse. The Gospel is for everyone, but not everyone has heard it.

⁶Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

What is the “Gospel”? We hear the word used in a lot of ways, including the idea that “gospel” must mean “truth,” because people say, “No, really, that is the gospel truth!” when talking about things that have nothing to do with the Bible, but which they believe to be absolutely true. The Greek word translated “Gospel” is “euaggelion”, which means “Glad tidings”—good news. The Gospel of Christ, as it is presented in the Bible, has to include at least the following things:

The fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins, in fulfillment of scripture (fulfillment of God’s eternal promise.)
The fact that he was buried…really dead, pierced through by the Roman spear, after dying on the Cross. Dead and buried, wrapped up like a mummy, and interred in a rock tomb with a heavy stone for a seal. This also fulfilled prophecy.
The fact that He rose from the dead after three days and three nights in the tomb, also in direct fulfillment of scriptural prophecy, and the fact that he was seen alive by many witnesses, over a period of forty days after his resurrection.

Why do I list these three things? Because, in 1^st Corinthians 15:3, 4, Paul listed them in that order, as being the core truths of the Gospel of Christ: the “Good News” which, being believed in, has the power to save those who believe. (Romans 1:16) When I review, in my own mind, any recent conversation in which I attempted to share the Gospel with an acquaintance, I’m questioning whether I really offered that person “the Gospel:” Did I really include the death, and burial and resurrection of Christ, or did I just tell them “how wonderful the Christian life is?” (Sorry, that is not the Gospel…and not really even true, in many respects: Paul says, over in Philippians 1:29, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on his name, but also to suffer for His sake.” That doesn’t sound very “wonderful” to most people.)

The Gospel is the Good News of Eternal life in Christ, and how it was purchased for us by the death, and burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the Christ. The Messiah. And, being believed in, it is the Power of God to save sinners…and it is the only thing so described in the scriptures. If I leave out the necessary ingredients, is it still the “Gospel?” Can I still expect it to work to change lives, if I leave out those key points? The answer to both questions, is “NO!”

Faith and Responsibility

So, why did I mention that “not everyone has heard the gospel? Because Paul pointed that out, too, over in 1^st Corinthians 15:34, saying “Awake to righteousness and sin not, for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” Our faith brings responsibility.

Paul is only reminding these believers, at Colosse, of things they had already been taught: He says that Epaphras taught them these doctrines, earlier. And that he (Epaphras) was also the one who told Paul and Timothy about their vibrant faith:

⁷As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
⁸Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

So, evidently Epaphras is the one who led them to Christ, and who planted that church, and who had continued to serve them, teaching and encouraging and helping them mature in their faith…and the church was doing well. Notice that Paul uses Epaphras as an example: he calls him a “dear fellow servant” and reminds them that Epaphras has been a “faithful minister of Christ” to them. He was a faithful servant of Christ, bringing them the message of salvation, and training them up as men and women of God. The word “minister” means “servant.” It is not a special “religious” term. It was and still is used in many walks of life to mean a servant. Epaphras served Christ by serving them with the Word of God.

Now, he had the opportunity to report to Paul and Timothy what GOD had been doing in Colosse. He was not claiming personal credit for the changes in their lives. Only the Holy Spirit could make those changes happen. And Paul and Timothy were rejoicing with Him for God’s victory at Colosse.

Paul was very encouraged to hear of the inroad of the Gospel in that town. He wrote this letter to encourage them and to help them to become more established in their faith. He goes on to say that, ever since he heard of their new-found faith, he had been praying for them: Next time, we will see what sorts of things Paul prayed for, in the lives of these believers.

Lord Jesus, open our hearts to your word. Fill us with your Spirit, and let us grow in faith, as these believers were growing in faith. Teach us the meaning of practical holiness, and remake us all into your image. Allow us to serve as your ministers, bringing your Grace to those around us.