1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ² By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Some days we don't "feel" saved or like God even cares.  Some days we are bombarded by life and we no longer even care.  It is at these times that we hold to what is true.  We live by truth, not by emotions.   There are people all over the world who preach different paths to heaven.  Only the gospel is the truth and we must cling to it.
 
³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

How appropriate that we get to this portion of scripture as we get ready to remember Christ's crucifixion and to celebrate his rising from the dead.

In Jewish law all one need was two or there witnesses for something to be entered into court and be proven true.  Here the risen Jesus was seen by over 500 people.  His resurrection could easily be proven in a Jewish court.  In fact some of the witnesses to his resurrection were still living at the time of the writing of this letter. 

"Big deal.", you say.  "We can't talk to the witnesses today.".  That is true.  Who was the first president of the USA?  George Washington.  How do we know?  Because of the written testimony of those who were there.  The historical accuracy of the Bible has has been proven over and over.   Jesus did die and he did raise from the dead.

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve 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 to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. ¹¹ Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Do you sometimes struggle with your past?  Here we see that even Paul did.  Yet by the grace of God and through His power Paul preached the gospel.  You and I can as well.

God Bless.