1 Corinthians 15:12-20 Resurrection
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 1, 2020 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
(Understanding the Text) One of the factions in Corinth must have been claiming that their was no resurrection of the dead. This is why Paul made a point previously of listing all the people who had seen the resurrected Messiah, including himself. He was not bragging. He was saying that Jesus is alive, and he, Paul, was a witness to the living Jesus.
(Revelation of God) Paul’s point is that Jesus’ resurrection is proof that humans can be resurrected from the dead. He says that without Jesus’ resurrection, the whole message of the gospel is empty. As long as death reigns, humans have no hope, and they should just enjoy themselves as best they can regardless of who else it hurts. However, if there is a resurrection that gives us eternal life, then we need to pay attention to how we treat others, how we live ourselves, and our relationship to God. Without Jesus’ triumph over the grave, there is no triumph over sin. Jesus reconnected us to the Father when He rose from the grave. Because Jesus is alive today, we can know that we too can live forever in love and relationship to Him. We have hope because, Jesus led the way and showed us the path back to the Father. We just have to trust Jesus and look to Him and follow where He leads, and we will be back where we belong in a beautiful life of eternity.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that it’s all about Jesus. Jesus’ work didn’t finish at the cross. He is still working with me today to bring the work to completion. Completion is me with Him in heaven without fear and death and sickness and brokenness. Thank you.