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Seven “Ifs” and a BIG “but”!

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain (1 Corinthians 15.14)

LAD“Is there life after death?” I tossed this question to twin teen girls just yesterday. Surprisingly they had different answers. These twins are the most identical I have ever seen. They do everything together and even “feel” when the other is sick or in pain! However, they had dissimilar responses to my question.

The banter between the two went something like this, “Some believe that there is and some don’t.” “How can we know?” “Well, somebody has to die and then communicate with us so that we’ll all know! You go first!” said Lara. “Not me! You go!!” said her sister Larissa with a giggle.

The Corinthian believers apparently had a similar question about life after death because Paul responded with an amazing paragraph (1 Corinthians 15.12-19). It contains seven “ifs”. Note them:

  1. if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
  2. if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen
  3. if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
  4. if so be that the dead rise not (we are found false witnesses of God)
  5. if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised
  6. if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
  7. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

My translation summary, “If Christ hasn’t risen from the dead then we are all TOAST!

However, at this very moment Paul burst from this desperate line of thinking with a huge “BUT”. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept (20).

Folks! Take a deep breath and rest easy. There IS hope because Christ really DID raise from the dead! There IS life after death. 

Once again the Bible makes stuff easy. It eliminates our “LAD" (Life After Death) doubts. We can know without having to send a scout on ahead of us as Lara (or was it Larissa?) suggested.

However, this brings in another horrible thought. Since we know that there is LAD then there must be DAD (Death After Death)! Eternal death is as sure as eternal life.

I left the girls thinking about this one. If you have never confronted these two questions be sure that they both exist whether or not you believe in them. Come to terms with what the Bible says and make your choice. Choose life not death! It is a “No-Brainer” really. BUT the choice is yours!

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