Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
November 14, 2023: SOAP #5094: Psalm 149; 1Corinthians 15, 16

(with few revisions from earlier SOAP)

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, or preaching is useless and so is your faith …  17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins …  20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead …

OBSERVATION:  The death of Jesus on the cross as the payment for our sins is meaningless without His resurrection.  Without the resurrection, there would be no forgiveness of sin, there would be no basis for our faith, and there would be no reason for preaching.

APPLICATION:  Without the resurrection I would still be trying to work off my sins.  I would still be trying to do enough good to outweigh the load of my sin.  I would still be without the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within me.  If Jesus could not conquer death, then I would have no hope of conquering it. 

But Jesus did indeed complete the payment for my sins and returned to his physical life!   The payment for my sins is completed!  The Holy Spirit does dwell in me!  I do have hope to conquer death!   My life, as Jesus’ life, will not end in death. 

Death will be my servant, a doorway through which I will pass into a life that will never die!   Life — I am just passing through!  Death — I will be just passing through…to heaven, my permanent home!   !

PRAYER:  Lord, thank you for the reality of forgiven sins!  Thank you for the reality of your Holy Spirit living in me!  And thank you for the reality of death being the doorway into eternal life with you!   Amen

Pastor Leon
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