First Importance Is Christ

"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15: 1-4).

Today the world is in crisis and everyone of us hear it daily on the news. We learn more about it out in public as we interface with others, and we have deep, concerned discussions with our family and close friends about today's worldwide difficulties (which naturally revolve around money). And I don't wish to diminish the severity of this trial that the world is going through but rather I want to share what is good about it.

In the verses above, the Apostle Paul is reminding us of Christ's resurrection. Paul says "...if you hold fast" the words you have been taught about our Lord and His Second Coming, then you are very much aware of what is happening in the world today. If you listen to the talking heads of the news society you can arrive and a hundred different conclusions. But it is important for us as Christian men and women to remember that we have (some of us for decades) been praying for His return. Some of us have the events of His return permanently implanted on our brains and in our hearts.

Now, this may not look like a time of great joy in the life of America, but He (God) is what we were founded on and it is our job; no it is our obligation to take a deep breath and go out and share the joy of an eternity within God's grace. An eternity that has far more value for us than what we see as temporal right now.

So Paul told ALL of those who would listen that what was of "first importance" was threefold:

Christ died for our sins.
He was buried.
And He rose from the grave.

This is what people who don't know Christ need to know about Him. And there are any number of references in scripture that support this need in the world today.

Things are moving very rapidly these days and you may have family or friends who are not aware of the above principles of salvation. Don't be the one who must stand before Christ and answer as to why you did not share. Fall in love with the Savior to the extent that Acts 4:20 becomes tattooed onto your brain. Here Doctor Luke says "for we cannot stop speaking of what we have seen and heard". You've heard about the Christ, and seen the miracles he has performed in the lives of others. It's your turn now. Let's give Jesus Christ the "Welcome back" He deserves. "The harvest is ripe"

Dave