◄ What Does 1 Corinthians 15:3 Mean? ►

The gospel of salvation is so simple that a little child can understand and be saved, and yet learned men and clever theologians have grappled with the simplicity of this beautiful message of God's saving grace and have caused it to become one of the most complicated issues in Christendom today. And unless we return to the simple reading of the Word of truth with open eyes and a heart that is unprejudiced by unbiblical opinions and unscriptural interpretations, where the plain message of saving grace is clearly outlined for all to read, we are likely to be drawn into this never-ending doctrinal argument. But the Bible tells us in simple terms: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."

It was the Lord Jesus Himself, Who had delivered to Paul the simple, saving message of salvation, which he outlines in the simplest terms in the first few verses of this passage. The gospel message was given to Paul by divine revelation: "That Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, and rose again," and Paul reminds us that we received our salvation as a free gift of grace, through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We must not add to this free gift by attaching the need for additional works of the Law, nor must we diminish the full message of the blood-stained Cross which covers the Person and work of Christ at Calvary.

And here Paul is reiterating this same, vital saving truth, and emphasising its primary position of importance within the gospel of Christ, because believers in Corinth were being influenced by their pagan neighbours and starting to doubt the authenticity of Christ's Resurrection, while others were being ensnared by legalists who were teaching a 'works based' salvation. But if anything is added to Christ's finished work on the Cross, or if anything is omitted from the full, final, and finished substitutionary work at Calvary, it renders Christ sacrifice of Himself as both redundant and irrelevant.

Christ died FOR our sin according to the Old Testament Scriptures, and the New Testament Scriptures expand on this truth that He also died TO sin, on our account. Christ died to pay the penalty for our sins but He also died to break the power of sin in our lives. Indeed, Christ died for the sin of the whole world. He was the sin-sacrifice for the whole world so that whoever believes on Him would not perish but have life - His resurrected life - His eternal life - His abundant life - the new life in Christ. And He died TO sin so that the power of sin in the life of a believer could be broken in our lives.

The gospel message of saving grace is the most important information that we will ever hear and it is most vital message that we need to share with a lost and dying world, for Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and then to live His life through them - by grace through believing that: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures."

Loving Father, sometimes I am so familiar with the truth of Scripture, that I do not adequately take in its enormous significance. Help the truth of Jesus’ death and Resurrection permeate deep into my heart, for You are good and gracious, and Your mercy toward me is everlasting. I love You, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.