Things New and Old: Every Belief Has Its Necessary Implications.

Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.

Sunday, April 13, 2025

Every Belief Has Its Necessary Implications.

#Every_belief_has_its_necessary_implications.

Some believers were stupid (i.e. lacking common sense) and foolish enough to deny the resurrection of the death. So, Apostle Paul, reasons with them and spell out the implications.

1Corinthians 15
In the first eleven verses, Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians of his gospel ministry among them before addressing a serious issue: the denial of the resurrection of the dead.

a. Verse 12: “If Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?" Let us reason together and work out the implications of this idea.
- If there’s no resurrection of the dead, then a necessary and inevitable implication is that even Christ has not risen
- Paul spelt out some serious implications if Christ is not risen from the dead. Then verse 20 reverses the whole paragraph: "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead."

Let's examine those six things.

- v14: "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain." But since Christ be risen, our preaching His gospel is of great importance and benefits, etc.

- v14: “If Christ be not risen… then your faith is also vain." But since Christ be risen, our faith is built on a solid foundation, etc,

- v15: “If Christ be not risen, then "we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified of God that he raised up Christ…" Since Christ has been raised, the apostles are faithful and truthful and trustworthy witnesses of God, etc.

- v17: "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet [still] in your sins." But since Christ has been raised, ye have been forgiven and delivered and set free from the wages of sins, etc.

- 18: If Christ be not risen then "then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." But since Christ has been raised, those asleep in Christ are waiting for their resurrection unto their eternal glory

- v19: If Christ be not risen, then "we are of all men most miserable." But since Christ has been raised, we are of all men most envied!

Restating the Negatives in Positive Terms

- Those necessary implications laid out by Paul are framed in the negatives to highlight the foolishness and stupidity (lacking common sense) of denying the glorious gospel truth, even the resurrection of the dead; the implications framed in the negatives are intended to highlight the direct opposites, the truth and the blessings of Christ’s resurrection.

- Each of those points requires separate messages for further elaboration.

There are many evil implications associated with the popular falsehood of justification before God by faith. Can you spell out some of them?

People should be free to believe what they want but they should be informed about the necessary implications of their beliefs; let them live with them.