you Well, a good morning to you. Today I'd like to encourage you from 1 Corinthians 15. Now, when I said 1 Corinthians 15, some of you are right away thinking, resurrection, that's the resurrection chapter. Yes, it is. And there's a couple of logical deductions I can make regarding the truth of, the biblical truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. One of them is, if you're a Christian, you believe in it. I can say that because Romans 10, 9 says, if you believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. The corollary is if you don't believe that God has raised him from the dead, you cannot be saved. Some people who claim to be Christians, and yet they say, well, you know, the idea of the resurrection, the physical, literal resurrection of Jesus from the dead, that's really not that important. No, it's absolutely vital. It is important. The other part of that, corollary to that is, if you don't believe in the resurrection, you're not a Christian. All right, well, I trust if you're listening to this morning, you are a follower of Jesus, you believe in the resurrection, and that's not even a question for you. But the question that I do want us to consider is, does the truth of the resurrection, my belief in it, my conviction of its reality, does that make an impact on how I live? You see, it should. And we get this from here in chapter 15, verses 29 and following, as Paul is speaking of himself, but I want to zero in on verse 32. He says, if in the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, if the dead do not rise, if there is no resurrection, then let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. But there is a resurrection. So should I live that way? He goes on to say, do not be deceived. Evil company corrupts good habits. I believe that there is a resurrection, that Jesus rose from the dead and so shall I. So therefore, I want that truth to affect how I live. I don't want to live in such a way that says life's a party and when we die, that's it. No, I'm not going to live that way, because it isn't true. And I'm not going to live in a way that I surround myself with evil company, because that's going to corrupt me. Evil company corrupts good habits. It goes on in verse 34 to say, Awake to righteousness and do not sin. Awake to righteousness and don't sin. So as one who believes in the resurrection, I need to be awake to righteousness. I need to look to the path of righteousness. Which way should I go? What's the right path to take? What is the path of righteousness? Why does it matter? Because Jesus rose from the dead. Because he rose, so shall I. This chapter ends with further encouragement on the basis of the resurrection that I can, as he says in verse 58, therefore be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Why? Knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Why isn't it in vain? Because the Lord lives, Jesus lives, and so shall I. So while I live in this life awaiting for the coming of the Lord, awaiting for the resurrection of this mortal body, I want to, in the meantime, be steadfast, immovable. I want to always be abounding in the work of the Lord. That kind of life, that kind of labor, it's not in vain. So, do you believe in the resurrection? As a Christian, I know you do. You believe Jesus rose from the dead, and you know that because He lives, you shall live also. He will raise you from the dead as well, this mortal body. Well, in the meantime, let that truth impact how you live today, and I trust it'll be lived well. Our Father and our God, we do thank you that Jesus rose from the dead, and because he lives, so shall we live. In the meantime, may we live in a way that anticipates that resurrection, that acknowledges it, that has made a difference in our lives. We pray in Jesus' name. and for His sake. Amen. All right, listen, I hope you have a good rest of your day and that the Lord will bless you in it.