Day 195
I Corinthians 15:14
"And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain."
Sometimes we may feel as though our labor is in vain. We may be tempted to think our faith is useless. As the enemy of our faith resists us, there are times when it seems we ought to quit. The circumstances may say we are wasting our time.
The words of Corinthians 15:14 can help to reinforce us. It says if Christ did not rise from the dead, then our preaching and our faith is futile. Let us go back to where we first believed. To be saved, we had to believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. So, we have established that Christ has risen. If His being dead would make our faith and our efforts futile, then His being alive means they are not. The seeds a farmer plants are growing, even when it does not look like it. If the seeds were not planted, his hope for a crop would be in vain. However, because he knows he planted the seeds, he ignores the appearance of things and continues to expect the plants to come up in due time. Assuming he is watering the soil and doing whatever else is appropriate, the only question he needs settled in his mind is: "Did I pant the seeds?" In the same manner, when it appears our faith or our preaching is in vain, assuming we are doing all we know to do to cooperate with God, the only question we need to settle is: "Is Jesus Christ risen from the dead?" If He is dead, then our faith is in vain. Since He is alive, however, our faith will produce.
Let us celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and be encouraged by what it means to us today. We have hope based on facts. We are winners and more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. Because He lives, we should not give up - ever!
My Savior is alive. Because He lives, I will never give up hope. My faith will produce. My preaching will have positive results. I will not stop.