Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 

1 Corinthians 15: 1-2

As we continue to work our way through 1 Corinthians, I’ll just pause briefly here at the beginning of the fifteenth chapter since I write from here often around the Easter season.

Why? It is critical that we understand the basis for our faith which is simply Jesus Christ and His resurrection because without the resurrection there is no Gospel. It is for this reason, that I consider 1 Corinthians 15, to be one of the most critical chapters relating to our faith.

In these opening verses, Paul reminds the church that it is the Gospel of Christ that was preached, and received and is the foundation of the faith that is in the process of saving the church and us! Notice that we are being saved – not by our own efforts, but by the Gospel which is based on the death and resurrection of Christ.

Paul encourages his readers to “hold fast to the word I preached to you” and later he warns his readers “If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

What is the basis for your faith?