1 Corinthians 15
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
1) Remember what God told you in the beginning when you became a believer.
Many Christians start their Christian walk well but fall by the wayside and their faith suffer shipwreck because they fail to remember the things God told them at the beginning of their Christial life. Remember what you heard and believed in the beginning which gave you your first love for Jesus.
It is sad and painful if a person turns away from the Gospel which first saved him. Paul never turned aside from the first revelation which he received from Jesus. He continually reminded him of it right through his life until he died.
Paul said to the Galatians that he passed on to them the Gospel which he received and believed. He even said to them, “if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”
2) What you preach must have taken control of you and worked in you first.
It doesn’t help if you preach that a person must not steal and you’re a thief.
Paul preached the full Gospel – Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection. Some preachers today only preach half the Gospel; they deny the resurrection of Christ, and so they speak blasphemous things.
Again other theologians deny that Jesus died in our stead. They are humanistic and cannot accept that God the Father would allow His Son to go through the terrible suffering He went through for us. These days people are falling away from the Gospel on all sides; and they speak blasphemy.
Jesus arose victoriously from the dead. The watchmen passed out from fear when He arose – the very same soldiers who mocked Him only a few hours before. But to the women the same experience meant great joy when the angels met them and told them the glad news.
Jesus’ resurrection shook the very foundations of hell. It reverberated through hell that the Hero of heroes had conquered and been victorious over death and hell. This is the One who Paul met and who he preached.
Have you experienced that resurrection power which rose Him from the dead? If you tell people that Jesus had arisen from the dead you must tell it in the resurrection power of Jesus, having experienced His power in your life.
If you truly believe that Jesus arose from the dead and has conquered the works of the devil, you cannot but be deeply concerned for the multitudes who do not know Him; unless you do not know Him yourself.
When you meet with Him who arose from the dead you can never be the same again. Saul was persecuting the Christians but when He met Jesus he was changed into Paul, a bond servant of Jesus; and he served Him faithfully to the end.
Jesus said to the women who wept for Him, “do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” Parent, maybe your children do not follow the Lord but love the world because of you; they see the world in you.
Never forget what God has spoken to you in the beginning. Remember the calling you have received from Him and remain faithful to the end.