Author : Lowell Blasingame
reprinted by permission, “Stand,” August 2008.
“Moreover, brethren I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand: By which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain,” (l Cor. 15:1-2). He follows by telling them that he had preached the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (v. 3-4) “according to the Scriptures.”
It was the resurrection which was being contested for he asks, “how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead,” (v. 12b). He has shown that Christ’s resurrection, which is our assurance of one, is a fact amply verified by a number of credible witnesses (v. 5-9), and by the grace of God which had been bestowed upon him, he had preached this as a part of the gospel and they had believed it (v. 10-12).
He continues by showing that “if there is no resurrection, then is Christ not risen. ” If Christ has not risen, then his preaching was vain and since their faith was built upon his preaching, it “is also vain,” (v. 13-15) because it was based upon the testimony of false witnesses. From this he concludes that if his preaching that Christ was raised is false, it means that their faith is vain and they remain in their sins, those who have died are without hope and we are of all men most miserable (v. 16-19).
The dire consequences of believing in vain is illustrated in the importance of faith in the redemptive scheme. Jesus taught that failure to believe in Him and His claim to be the Son of God will cause one to die in his sins and if he does this, where Christ has gone, he cannot come (Jno. 8:21-24). The Hebrew writer said without faith, one cannot be pleasing to God (Heb. 11:6). This not only makes faith imperative but it, also, impresses the importance that our faith not be in vain. Consider things that may cause one’s faith to be vain.
1. One’s faith is vain if it is based upon the wrong teaching. In religion we are repeatedly exposed to the idea that it doesn’t matter what one believes as long as he is honest and sincere. Differences in denominational teachings are defended by saying that believing is the important thing and what one believes isn’t of real importance. I don’t think those espousing this in religion would follow the same logic(?) in other areas of life and contend that it isn’t really important what one eats to build a healthy body, that it isn’twhat one eats but the act of eating that does this! Immigrants from another country found growing in one of our states a mushroom which they thought was the same as one in their native country and gathered and ate them. They became very ill and one or two small children died from this. They honestly and sincerely thought these mushrooms were safe but their believing this did not protect them from the poison which these mushrooms contained.
Paul makes the point to the Corinthians that he had taught them to believe in a resurrection of the dead and the assurance of this was in Christ’s resurrection. However, if there is no resurrection, then Christ had not arisen, his preaching was false, their faith based upon it was made vain and they were still in their sins (1 Cor. 15: 13-19). This teaches us two things, first, that one cannot be taught wrong and believe right, and second, faith which is wrong doesn’t produce the right results. Paul told the Corinthians that believing the wrong thing means that they were still in their sins.
Friend, it does make a difference what one believes in religion. Jesus taught that God’s word is truth (Jno. 17:17) and that it is truth that makes us free (Jno.8:32). Paul said that believing a lie would cause one to be condemned (2 Thess. 2: 11-12).
2. One’s faith is in vain if it is placed in the wrong person. Jesus said, ” I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,” (Jno.8:12). Again He said, “—Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins:for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins,” (Jno. 8:23-24). Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me,” (Jno. 14:6). Peter taught that Jesus was the stone rejected by the builders that had become “the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,” (Ac. 4: 11-12). Paul said, “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory,” (2 Tim. 2: 10).
Upon the basis of testimony like this from the Lord and apostles inspired by the Holy Spirit, I draw the conclusion that Christ is the person and the only person in whom our hope for salvation rests. Prominent and influential religious leaders may have become “broad-minded” and “tolerant” enough to conclude that Jews, Muslims and Oriental religions that do not accept Christ as the only begotten Son of God and His death as the only acceptable sacrifice which the Heavenly Father will receive as payment for our sin debt have their sins forgiven and will be eternally saved but they have their hope in the wrong persons. Nor can we, who claim to believe that He is the Savior, then put our feelings, what preachers say, what our parents believe or what the majority thinks above what the Lord says expect to hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” If we honor the words of others above His, will He not say, And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Lu. 6:46). My point is that our faith will have been in vain, if we put it in the wrong person.
3. Faith, that stands alone, is in vain. Human creeds teach that our salvation is by “faith only,” (Methodist Discipline, Art. IX), or solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood,” (Art. V,” in Baptist manuals). The New Testament teaches that faith which avails is one “which worketh by love,” (Gal. 5:6) and that faith only “is dead” (Jas. 2: 17, 20, 26). James, also, said, Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only,” (Jas. 2:24).
So popular in denominationalism is the doctrine of salvation by faith only that it is often referred to as “Orthodox Protestantism.” There is no question about faith’s importance because our Lord said that one not believing in Him would die in his sins (Jno.8:24) and the Hebrew writer said that without faith one cannot please God (Heb. 11 :6). I’m not trying to minimize the importance of faith. I am trying to emphasize the that Christ is the author of salvation to them that obey Him (Heb. 5:9) and this tells us that it is obedient faith, not faith alone, that saves.
4. Faith, that doesn’t endure or that draws back, is in vain. Faith failures sometimes come. Christ experienced this with some of his disciples who went back, and walked no more with Him,” (Jno. 6:66). The Hebrew writer exhorts us to “holdfast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end,” (Heb. 3:6) and not make the mistake of “departing from the living God” (Heb. 3:12) and failing to enter His promised rest by coming short of it by our faith failing (Heb.3:14-19; 4:1-2). He admonishes them not to cast away “your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward,” because if one draws back, God has no pleasure in him but He does in those who “believe to the saving of the soul,” (Heb. 10:35-39). A faith, that motivates one to begin to follow the Lord, then turns back and ceases to serve Him, is a faith that is in vain. The faith that endures under affliction is more precious than gold (1 Pet. 1: 7). (LB)
