Easter is a celebration of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. How important is the resurrection of Jesus Christ? The Apostle Paul wrote about the importance of the resurrection of Christ in the entire 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians. He began by saying, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once: of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." (1 Corinthians 15:1-8)
The Gospel is good news because it states the only way that a person can be saved from the punishment for sin and someday be allowed to go to heaven. We are all sinners as measured by God's holy standard, which is absolute perfection. The punishment for sins is eternal death in the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20.) No one deserves heaven. No one can earn heaven by good works. We are all born condemned. God loved the world of sinners so much that He sent His eternal Son from heaven to die for sinners. (John 3:16) Jesus was God the Son, Creator of the heaven and the earth. He alone could pay the penalty for all sinners. He had to be a God-man so He had to be born of the virgin Mary. Since He was born by the power of the Holy Spirit, He had no sin nature like every other human. Therefore He alone qualified to be the Savior for all mankind. His perfect life showed who He was. The numerous miracles which He did showed that He was God. His teaching showed that He had come to be the only Savior for humans. His death on the cross provided the only possible payment for our sins. His resurrection proved that God, the Father, was satisfied with the payment for our sins. Without the resurrection there would be no Savior. There would be no salvation for any person.
The Apostle Paul stated that a person can be "saved" by believing that Jesus had paid for that person's sin by His death, that He was buried, and rose bodily from the dead on the third day. He declared in his writings, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9, 10)
There would be no salvation for anyone without the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There would be no Savior. There would be no "good news." Believe all of the Gospel and your sins will be forgiven. You will someday be in heaven. Disbelieve any part of the Gospel, and you will never go to heaven. Your sins will never be forgiven.
For more information, contact me at reimerssr@stny.rr.com, call me at 410-0134, check our website at www.fbcdunkirk.org or visit Faith Baptist Church at 32 E. Second St., Dunkirk.
