What Matters Most...

We all have convictions, persuasions, and opinions. Convictions are those things that we are willing to part company over. Persuasions are those things that we are convinced of and will argue but we are unwilling to break a relationship over. Opinions are things we think are true but will not argue for. When I was young I had many, many convictions. Now, many of my convictions have become persuasions and a number of persuasions have become opinions.

Over the next few days I am going to lay out my convictions. These are the beliefs about which I am willing to part company over. It doesn't mean that I won't be friends with someone who thinks differently than me. What it means is that I would not be willing to submit to their spiritual oversight and leadership.

Paul writes this in 1 Corinthians 15:

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

For Paul, the thing that was of first importance was that Christ died and rose. He goes on to say,

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 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. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 

19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For God has put all things in subjection under his feet. But when it says, all things are put in subjection, it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

This part of the scriptures lays out for us the the most important thing. That Jesus is resurrected from the dead is of supreme importance. The opening of Romans give us even more insight into the great importance of this truth,

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ...

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul says that if Christ has not been raised then our faith and preaching are in vain. This seems a bit extreme doesn't it? No, because in Romans 1 Paul states that it was in the resurrection that Jesus is declared to be the Son of God! Consider the absolute importance of this statement. If Jesus is not raised from the dead then it means that he is not the Son of God. It means that he has not reversed the curse of Adam and that there is no forgiveness of sin. Humanity and God are still separated and there has been no reconciliation and no redemption.

My first conviction is about Jesus: Jesus is the resurrected Lord, the second person of the Trinity. It is his resurrection that proves that he is who said he was and did.

There is so much more to say about this but the we must stop. This blog is already too long you stopped reading long ago.

Here are links to the rest of the posts in the series (as the posts get written their links will be added):
The Trinity
The Scriptures