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of teaching that clusters around the sufferings of Christ, the blood of Christ, and the cross of Christ (Oh that
their very enumeration may stir up some to search the Scriptures for these treasures of truth), and devote our
remaining space to the glorious fact that the Christ Who died LIVES AGAIN.
The Resurrection of Christ is vital to:
(1)
SALVATION Õ"If thou shalt ... believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved" (Rom. 10:9).
(2)
GOSPEL Õ"If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain ... ye are yet in
your sins" (1 Cor. 15:14-17).
(3)
HOPE Õ"If Christ be not raised ... then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this
life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable" (1 Cor. 15:17-19).
(4)
IMMORTALITY Õ"The dead shall be raised incorruptible ... and this mortal must put on immortality"
(1 Cor. 15:52,53).
(5)
VICTORY õ"Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory"
(1 Cor. 15:54).
Here, in the risen Christ, is our one and only hope in view of that "one event" that lies ahead of every mortal
man:
"Jesus said ... I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live"
(John 11:25).
"Death hath no more dominion over Him" (Rom. 6:9).
No. 4
Why faith is essential
Certain things are self-evident. Such truths we call "axioms", they do not admit of argument. The person who
does not readily accept any statement, but demands some measure of proof, we consider a wise and reasonable man.
The person who is contentious, and refuses to proceed until self-evident truths are proved, is a nuisance, and is
looked upon as lacking in intelligence. We should not waste time with a man who demanded proof that the sun was
shining, it would be self-evident. No business man could tolerate for an hour the unnecessary delay caused by
anyone who held up all business transactions while he received proof that 2x2=4, and that there really are 20
*
shillings in the £1.
It is perfectly certain that in the unwritten laws of everyday life there would be found this one:
"Without faith nothing is possible"
The man who entrusts a letter to the Post Office exercises faith in the whole machinery and service of the
G.P.O.. Modern business life, we are told in cold calculating text books, is built up on credit, and the word credit is
derived from the Latin credo = I believe. Every banking transaction, every cheque paid or accepted, every exchange
of commodities or services for a bill, all the intricate legal business that decides inheritance and fortunes upon a
signature and a testimony, all are saying with one voice, credo, I believe.
What should we think of a man who, before embarking upon a railway journey, demanded proof that the line
was actually laid, proof that signalmen were on duty, proof that the engine driver knew his work, proof that the
ticket would be accepted, proofõ but why continue? Such a bore would simply be left until he learned something of
*
Written before British currency was decimalized in 1971.