Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.

“Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;  and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.  Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.  For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;  and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless;  you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”  1 Corinthians 15:12-19.

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The importance of the resurrection of Christ is the clear theme of today’s devotion.

“if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless;  you are still in your sins.”  Verse 17.

“Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.”  Verse 18.

“If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”  Verse 19.

But, Christ has been raised from the dead which means so much to us!

“knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.”  2 Corinthians 4:14.

“He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”  Romans 4:25.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”  Ephesians 2:4-7.

Consider the following from the Heidelberg Catechism.

Q. 45.  What doth the resurrection of Christ profit us?

A.  First, by His resurrection He has overcome death, that He might make us partakers of that righteousness which He had purchased for us by His death;  secondly, we are also by His power raised up to a new life;  and lastly, the resurrection of Christ is a sure pledge of our blessed resurrection.

“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;  for he who has died is freed from sin.”  Romans 6:4-7.

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”  Romans 8:11.

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 4:14.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  1 Peter 1:3-5.