The Resurrection of the Believer

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Jesus rose from the dead.

About fifteen years later, Paul found himself standing before a throng of Greeks in Athens, announcing the resurrection of Jesus Acts 17:31b-32
Acts 17:31–32 KJV 1900
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

There are four kinds of afterlife:

Annihilation: secular materialism
Bodiless shades: think of Elysian fields, shades of the dead in Greek and Roman epic poetry, ghosts, naked souls of 2 Cor. 5:3
Reincarnation: Plato, Hinduism
Resurrection: Christianity
Job 19:26 KJV 1900
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, Yet in my flesh shall I see God:

I. Four Consequences if there is no Resurrection.

A. If death is final, we have a dead Savior.

13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised

If it is impossible for God to raise His children from the dead, then it is also impossible for Him to raise Jesus from the dead. Without a risen Christ, there can be no Christians, no church, no Christians, no hope, no faith, no cause to rejoice. We would have no high priest in heaven interceding on our behalf today.
We would have to sing, “I serve a dead savior, He’s in the grave today.”
The position that was being held by some of the members of the church in Corinth--the impossibility of a resurrection of the body from the dead—implied that Jesus could not have risen from the dead. This false belief was a frontal assault on the very center of the gospel.
Verse 3 “that he rose again the third day”
Also Acts 2:24--

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Ephesians 1:18-20--

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

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B. If death is final, we preach a dead gospel.

Our efforts to proclaim the gospel are futile.

14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain,

There are three different words meaning vain in this passage. V. 2, v. 14, v. 17. Paul piles on three different words not because he intended three entirely different meanings, but to emphasize just how futile the gospel is with a dead Christ.
“Vain” can mean: empty, without moral or spiritual value, void of content, pointless, futile, worthless, without any ppurpose or goal.

Our gospel is shown to be a lie.

15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

This is saying more than that the gospel is untrue if there is no resurrection. If God does not rase the dead, then when we preach about the resurrection we make ourselves to be no-good, dirty, rotten, low-down, despicable, abominable, bold-faced liars.

C. If death is final, we have a dead faith.

Our sins still separate us from God

17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

If we “are yet in (our) sins,” then we retain our guilt before God who has not forgiven us, our consciences are still defiled by the knowledge of our sin, we cannot “come boldly before the throne of grace,” and we do not stand “holy and without blame before Him in love.”

Our loved ones who have died in Christ are eternally lost.

Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

But Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

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D. If death is final, we are wasting our time in serving Christ.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Why was Paul convinced that he was so much more bad off if what he was preaching turned out to be false? 2 Cor. 11:24-28

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, lin hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

II. Five Steps to Our Resurrection

A. The first man, Adam, died as the penalty for his sinful disobedience.

Romans 5:12 KJV 1900
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

B. All of humanity since Adam has been subject to death for sin.

For since by man came death,

For as in Adam all die,

C. Christ died, even though He never sinned.

1 Corinthians 15:3 KJV 1900
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV 1900
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
John 8:46 KJV 1900
Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

D. Christ rose again from the dead in His physical body.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

E. We who are in Christ shall rise again in our physical bodies.

by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 John 3:2 KJV 1900
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Conclusion

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