Verse 17

"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; and you are still in your sins."

The object of our faith is important. Daily and eternally.

Daily we make hundreds of faith decisions. This evening I placed my faith in my friend John when I let him drive my car. As a leader, I place faith in interns and volunteers dozens of times a day when I ask them to do things. It is important that the objects of my faith are trustworthy.

In the long term, the object of my faith is also important. I am currently preparing to place faith in a bank to loan me a ridiculous sum of money to purchase a home. I have faith that my decision to run will have long term health benefits for me.

Eternally, well, that's the trump card. Even moreso, because of two things that I strongly believe. I know that I am a profoundly flawed and sinful individual. And, I believe that this physical life is not the end of "me".

I am in desperate need of redemption. Of forgiveness. Of reconciliation.

And, all of humankind shares this desperation.

So, the object of my faith is terribly important.

I have placed my faith in Christ. I have placed it in Him and Him alone to be that redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

But, what if I've slightly miscalculated? What if Christ isn't quite the total answer? What if the story of his life, death, and resurrection isn't right? What if Christ died and stayed dead? What then?

Paul makes it clear.

If that Christ (an unresurrected Christ) is the object of my faith, then all is lost. That faith is futile.

Futile. The Greek word means, "devoid of force, truth, success, or result" or "useless and of no purpose."

There's no gray area here. If Christ is not raised, there is no forgiveness of sin, no power to save us, life is useless and of no purpose.

Thanks be to God the Resurrection is real. That's good news.