1. KNOW 

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, Paul introduces another matter: the gospel which he preached and made known to the Corinthians. It wasn’t an opinion or wishful thinking, but rather a crucial matter impacting salvation. He reminded them to continually cling to this truth. Paul clarified that he did not invent this — he received it directly from Jesus (Galatians 1). The gospel is simple: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Jesus is the only Person who died for the sins of others! Not only did He die, but He was also buried and resurrected, according to the Scriptures. God provided a solution for our sinfulness and disobedience as early as Genesis 12:3 and Genesis 22:18: He declared every family in the world will be blessed through Abraham’s seed. Isaiah 53 speaks clearly of prophetic statements about Jesus’ ministry: v.5 speaks of the Messiah who will be pierced for our sins or transgressions, v.6 declares that all of us have gone astray but the Lord charged it to this suffering Servant, and vv.9-10 describes even the death and burial of Jesus! Romans 1:3-4 summarizes this: Jesus Christ is the Savior (Messiah) who resurrected from the dead! Christianity is not a legend or a myth, but it is a REALITY. We must know, and not just know, but also BELIEVE.

2. BELIEVE

James 2:19 tells us that believing is not only for Christians — even demons believe, and they shudder in fear and reverence. Belief should flow from the mind to the heart! We should not be doubtful of when people leave the church or the faith: in 1 John 2:19, John explains that they do not belong to the body at all because they did not truly believe what they initially professed. Matt. 24:12-13 instructs us to endure to the end and not give in to the world's influences. This is called “the perseverance of the saints”: we must believe to the end. Paul continued to tell the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 15:5-8 about further proof of the resurrection from eyewitnesses like Peter, James (Jesus' brother), Paul himself, and even 500 more people! Truly, Jesus died and rose again! The apostles in the book of Acts always emphasized the resurrection as they preached. In fact, these apostles died for the truth they proclaimed. 

Famous lawyers like Simon Greenleaf, Lionel Luckhoo, and journalist Lee Strobel were initially unbelievers who upon investigating, found the resurrection and Christianity to be true. Christians who LIVED the faith out helped these individuals come to faith!  

3. LIVE

In 1 Cor. 15:9-11, Paul talks about how he lived out his faith, laboring for the gospel and preaching extensively because he wanted others to know what he knew. He attributed it to the GRACE OF GOD. Will you choose to follow leaders like Peter, James, and Paul? Many may say no because of their past, but grace is extended to them too! Understanding God’s grace enables us to live the power of the gospel in our daily lives. Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:12-19 that if you truly understand the gospel, including the resurrection of Christ, your life will be different! If Christ has not been raised, everything we do is useless! But because we know it is true, our lives should be transformed, and we must live out the love, grace, and abundant hope we have in Jesus. 

Peter, foreseeing the end times, encourages us in 2 Peter 3:10-12 to change our behavior and live lives glorifying to God. And in Phil. 2:10-11, Paul declares that during the end of the world, people will bow down to Jesus and declare that He is LORD! He also adds that if the resurrection is not true, let us just eat and drink, for one day we will die (1Cor. 15:32). There is LIFE AFTER DEATH, and a great future awaits. 1 Cor. 15:58 encourages us to be “steadfast, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord” because it will never be in vain. It is a worthy cause! Have you shared this great truth with others?