Today is April 14
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from 1 Corinthians 15
"15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve 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 to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed."
Today, one week after Good Friday, we’re reminded by Paul’s letter to the Corinthians what the gospel is... what the good news is... what is, as Paul writes, of first importance. Christ died for our sins, he was buried, and raised on the third day. Paul says: if this isn’t what really happened... you’ve believed in vain. It’s not sentimental, and it’s not symbolic. It’s either nonsense, or it’s the most important thing that’s ever happened.
As you listen to the passage read again, listen for Paul’s intensity. Paul wasn’t originally a believer; he was a persecutor. Paul was not a disciple; he was a detractor. Until Paul was interrupted by a vision of the risen Christ, he chased after the early Christians, even to the point of torture and death. Can you imagine the kind of vision that would turn that kind of person, into the person writing these words?
"15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve 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 to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed."
The gospel didn’t just change everything for Paul, the gospel changed Paul himself. Has the gospel changed you? Do you exist with the gospel as some sort of myth or fairy tale or metaphor? Do you realize that there is something so much more? There is a truth, a historic, existential truth that will change everything if you allow it to intersect you. The truth of God can show you who you really are, what you’re really made for, and it can provide the spiritual power of transformation, so you don’t have to get there out of your own sheer willpower. The Gospel is soul formation, not self-help. The Gospel is what saves: That God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish, but will have everlasting life, and life to the full.
As we end our time of prayer today, be attentive to what is of first importance, and ask God to draw you continually back to the truth and power of the gospel.
Music Credit:
"This is Love" - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)
