86.3 Christ Rose First, We Will Follow

(1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death., as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised. For just as death came by means of a man, in the same way the rising from death comes by means of a man. For just as all people die because of their union with Adam, in the same way all will be raised to life because of their union with Christ. But each one will be raised in his proper order: Christ, first of all; then, at the time of his coming, those who belong to him. Then the end will come; Christ will overcome all spiritual rulers, authorities, and powers, and will hand over the Kingdom to God the Father. For Christ must rule until God defeats all enemies and puts them under his feet. The last enemy to be defeated will be death. For the scripture says, "God put all things under his feet." It is clear, of course, that the words "all things" do not include God himself, who puts all things under Christ. But when all things have been placed under Christ's rule, then he himself, the Son, will place himself under God, who placed all things under him; and God will rule completely over all.

86.2 Resurrection Christ Is The Basis Of Our Faith

(1 Corinthians 15:12-19)

Now, since our message is that Christ has been raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life? If that is true, it means that Christ was not raised; and if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe. More than that, we are shown to be lying about God, because we said that he raised Christ from death-but if it is true that the dead are not raised to life, then he did not raise Christ. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins. It would also mean that the believers in Christ who have died are lost. If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world.

86.1 Christ Surely Rose From The Dead

(1 Corinthians 15:1-8)

And now I want to remind you, my brothers, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm. That is the gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it -- unless it was for nothing that you believed.

I passed on the you what I received, which is of the greatest importance, that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures; that he appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. Then he appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at once, most of who are still alive, although some have died. Then he appeared to James, and afterward to all the apostles.

Last of all he appeared  also to me - even though I am like someone whose birth was abnormal.

85.4 From The Depth, I Call To You, Lord

(Psalm 130)

From the depths of my despair I call to you, Lord.

Hear my cry, O Lord; listen to my call for help!

If you kept a record of our sins, who could escape being condemned?

But you forgive us, so that we should reverently obey you.

I wait eagerly for the Lord's help, and in his word I trust.

I wait for the Lord more eagerly that watchmen wait for the dawn-- than watchmen wait for the dawn.

Israel, trust in the Lord, because his love is constant and he is always willing to save.

He will save his people Israel from all their sins.

85.3 Promise To Solomon After Repentance

(2 Chronicles 7:12-22)

The Lord appeared to him at night. He said to him, "I have heard your prayer, and I accept this Temple as the place where sacrifices are too be offered to me. Whenever I hold back the rain or send locusts to eat up the crops or send an epidemic on my people, if they pray to me and repent and turn away from the evil they have been doing, then I will hear them in heaven, forgive their sins, and make their land prosperous again. I will watch over this Temple and be ready to hear all the prayers that are offered here, because I have chosen  it and consecrated it as the place where I will be worshiped forever. I will watch over it and protect  it for all time. If you serve me faithfully as your father David did, obeying my laws and doing everything I have commanded you, I will keep the promise I made to your father David when I told him that Israel would always be ruled by his descendants. But if you and your people ever disobey the laws and commands I have given you and worship other gods, then I will remove you from the land that I gave you, and I will abandon this Temple that I have consecrated as the place where I am to be worshiped. People everywhere will ridicule it and treat it with contempt.

"The Temple is now greatly honored, but then everyone who passes by it will be amazed and will ask, "Why did the Lord do this to this land and this Temple?" People will answer, 'It is because they abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt. They gave their allegiance to other gods and worshiped them. That is why the Lord has brought this disaster on them.'"