"If In This Life Only..."
I Corinthians 15:19
I live in hope of the resurrection. With
Paul, I say, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all
men most miserable." In making that statement the Apostle does not mean
that (1) The believer's life in this world is a sad, morbid existence; or (2)
It is really more delightful and pleasurable to live in the world without faith
in Christ; or (3) Were it not for the hope of eternal glory the saints of God
would really prefer not to live as they do, in obedience and submission to
their Lord. God's people do not serve him for gain!
Paul simply means for us to understand
that if there were no eternal life in Christ, no eternal bliss of life with
Christ in glory, and no resurrection of life in the last day, then believers would be the most miserably frustrated people
in the world. We would never have that which we most earnestly desire. We would
never enjoy that for which we are most ambitious. We would never see the end of
our hope. We would never embrace Christ, or be embraced by Christ. We would
never see our Redeemer!
I cannot imagine entertaining more
distressing thoughts. Nothing could be more cruel and miserable than to live in
hope of seeing Christ, being like Christ, and spending eternity with Christ,
only to die like a dog! "If in this life only we have
hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable!" What a horrible
thought! What a tormenting supposition! But it is not so.
Believers live in hope of the resurrection;
and that hope is both sure and stedfast. "For we know that our Redeemer
liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though
after our skin worms destroy our bodies, yet in our flesh shall we see God;
whom we shall see for ourselves, and not another; though our reins be consumed
within us" (Job
This is not some fool's philosophy. It is
not a mere religious tranquilizer by which we are able to cope with the trials
of life.This is the calm,confident assurance of the believer's
heart. It is the necessary, inevitable result of faith in Christ, who is the
Resurrection and the Life (John
Don Fortner