Resurrection

This past Sunday I preached from 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 on the physical resurrection of believers. I was reminded again how important it is for followers of Christ to think rightly about heaven and the hope we have beyond this life. False teaching leads to false living. That's true in many areas, but especially when it comes to the good news of what Jesus has accomplished through his death and resurrection. Losing sight of the certain hope of resurrection and eternal life with Christ on a renewed earth saps our spiritual passion and strengthens the grip of the fleeting pleasures of sin on our soul. Here are a few quotes I came across during my study. I hope they encourage you:

"The great weapon with which the disciples of Jesus set out to conquer the world was not a mere comprehension of eternal principles; it was an historical message, an account of something that had recently happened, it was the message, 'He is risen.'" -- J. Gresham Machen, Christianity & Liberalism, page 28

"The physical resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of redemption--both for mankind and for the earth. Indeed, without Christ's resurrection and what it means--an eternal future for fully restored human beings dwelling on a fully restored Earth--there is no Christianity." -- Randy Alcorn, Heaven, page 109

"Someday you will read or hear that Bill Graham is dead. Don't you believe a word of it! I shall be more alive then than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God." -- Billy Graham