For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
When sharing tough truths with a difficult individual, you may be met with the response, “So what?” This response shows indifference. What you’ve said may be true or it may not be true, but what difference does it make? We poke fun when a child or teen responds this way, but we are prone to the same indifference in matters of faith. We hear about the resurrection each year around Easter, and the message is moving, but what difference does it make in our daily lives?
Paul answered the hypothetical “So what?” about the resurrection to remind us of the implications this reality has on our faith. The resurrection not only showed God’s love for us but also displayed His power over death, sin, and evil. The resurrection completed the sacrificial work of Jesus and has given us access to God as His children. Paul described this impact in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, saying, “The love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf.” When we come to faith in Jesus, our lives change; we go from living for ourselves to living for our Savior. If we remain unchanged by this reality, this is not due to any lack in Christ and His work but to lack in us.
- What does it mean to live for Christ? Who has been an example of that to you?
- What are some places that the gospel feels irrelevant to your life right now? How can you submit this before God?
- Pray and tell God about when and where it’s difficult to remember the impact of the resurrection. Ask Him to open your eyes to how you need to live for Him.
