God's People Must Be United and Growing in Holiness
1 Corinthians 15:20-34[1]
As preached at Rolling Hills Church on Sunday, August 5th, 2012
Scriptures
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
27 For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.
28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?
30 Why are we in danger every hour?
31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!
32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."
34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
Christ has been raised: believe this truth, which gives such hope and such promise!
V 20-23 Christ has been raised – as the first of many.
Adam brought death, Christ brought life.
In Adam all die, in Christ all (who believe in and follow) live. One man brings death; one man brings victory over death. To be born in Adam is to be born under the curse, the lineage to whom all sin and death is due. To be born in Christ is to be born again, to life forever as God intended for mankind. Not all people – there is no 'universalism'; but all who are called, all who believe. We have to take v 23 with v 22. John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Look to this truth, church; Jesus has been raised, we also will be raised.
Christ has been raised as the first of many.
V 23-28 Christ has been raised – to lead and to hand over a kingdom.
He is the One sent to gather all whom God gives Him John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. John 10:28-29 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
Daniel 7:14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Some have called this The Restoration.[2] What Adam lost in the fall Jesus will restore and bring back to God. Jesus our Lord will conquer every enemy that ever raised its head to oppose God. He will make war on all sin, rebellion, and ungodliness. He will finally conquer death, and then when all is subject to Him, he will subject Himself and all to God, who reigns forever.
Christ has been raised as the first of many. To lead and to hand over a kingdom.
V 29-32 Christ has been raised – or we are both foolish.
You are foolish for being baptized for the dead. I am foolish for fighting for the gospel, living in danger, and for not just kicking back and taking it easy. We have no idea what Paul was writing about here with this 'baptism for the dead'. Probably some of the Corinthians, who were in a world of error according to this book, were doing this, and if so, it was most likely for those who had believed Christ but were not baptized before they died. Either way, the whole of Scripture teaches believers' baptism, that is one is baptized after giving sufficient evidence/testimony of their faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul, of course, was persecuted from the time he began preaching Christ in Damascus (Acts 9:22-25). He lived with a continual burning call to reach the nations with the gospel, and that call was fueled by love for Christ and hatred for his former zeal to wipe out the church. He knew that life was on the other end, and that death could do nothing to him. His point here is that the resurrection of Christ assured him of his own resurrection, and that of the elect – all who believe in Jesus for forgiveness of sin and eternal life! So his zeal couldn't be quenched. He would be foolish to endure all that he had if Christ had not been raised.
Christ has been raised as the first of many. To lead and to hand over a kingdom. Or we are both foolish.
V 33-34 Christ has been raised – wake up from your sin!
Shake off the deception! Stop listening to lies!
Shake off your unbelieving friends. Do not keep bad company – unbelieving, lie-loving company.
Shake off the drunkenness.
Do not keep living in sinful unbelief.
Stop seeking willful ignorance – both for you and others! You live foolish and call your faith into question (15:2), and you allow those around you who are in ignorance to continue in ignorance!
You don't have to live this way, church – there is hope, there is promise of life!
Christ has been raised as the first of many. To lead and hand over a kingdom. Or we are both foolish. So wake up from your sin!
Christ has been raised: believe this truth, which gives such hope and such promise! Live this hope promise, church!
Share this hope and this promise – the dying world needs to know!
And celebrate this hope and this promise of the resurrection. Today we will do that by taking the bread and the cup, what is also known as the Lord's Supper.
[1] All Scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved. I paste them in red for distinction.
[2] MacArthur, John A. New Testament Commentary, 1 Corinthians, Chicago, Moody Bible, 1984. Page 419
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