Has God forgiven your sins? How do you know?
Yes, the Bible tells us that Jesus died for our sins, but so what? What makes that true?
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:17: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”
The resurrection is what proves Jesus true.
Lots of people have lived good lives, taught multitudes of people, and some have even performed miracles. But no one else has ever predicted their own resurrection and pulled it off. No one, except Jesus.
Paul makes that clear in verse 20, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.”
Because Jesus has risen from the dead, Paul concludes this chapter on the resurrection with verses 55-58:
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Without the resurrection, our sins have not been forgiven. If Jesus has not risen, nothing else matters.
