Jesus' Physical Resurrection Is A Part Of The Gospel

1st Corinthians 15:12-17, “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”

I read a disturbing news article this week from Austin, Texas, about a church pastor who denies that Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead:

A pastor from Texas has drawn rebuke for making an outrageous claim on social media that Jesus Christ did not actually rise from the dead.

Jim Rigby, pastor of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas, made a satirical post describing himself as a Presbyterian minister bound for hell, according to Charisma News Senior Editor Jennifer LeClaire.

"Apparently, because I don't believe in a literal resurrection, I'm not really a Christian," Rigby wrote. "This unfortunately also means I won't be going to heaven with many of you," adding that while his family is enjoying a heavenly banquet, "I will be screaming in unending torment along with Jews and Democrats and the evil college professors who teach evolution."

"My accusers explained to me that I had it all wrong," Rigby went on. "They said I did not understand the gospel. You see, the earth was once a paradise. The dinosaurs were actually gentle and friendly. But then Adam and Eve stole a piece of fruit. God got very angry. So God invented cancer and hemorrhoids to punish human beings for our treachery."

Rigby questioned why God has decided to "barbecue us eternally for the mistakes of our ancestors." He also wondered why it became "good news" when God allowed His son Jesus to be crucified in our place.

SOURCE: Texas Presbyterian pastor draws rebuke for claiming that Jesus did not really rise from the dead

Dear reader, according to our text Scripture passage from 1st Corinthians 15:14-17, that pastor is not saved. That is, he cannot become a born-again believer until he repents of his unbelief, and acknowledges that Christ is indeed bodily risen from the dead.

For those of you who are familiar with my writings, you know that I often make mention of Jesus' “bodily” or “physical” resurrection from the dead. I use these important words on purpose, to emphasize that Christ is risen! I learned something frightening many years ago, that the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses (JW's) deny Jesus' bodily resurrection from the dead. JW's believe and teach that Jesus only raised up in spirit, but not physically in a literal fleshly body.

I love this beautiful passage of Scripture, recording Jesus' speaking to Thomas in His resurrected body:

John 20:25-29, “The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

Take a look at 1st Corinthians 15:6, regarding Jesus after He raised up from the dead:

1st Corinthians 15:6, “After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”

Wow! Jesus was seen by over 500 saints at one time, in His resurrected glorified body. Amen and amen! Pastor Jim Rigby in Texas isn't the only pastor who denies Jesus' resurrection altogether, there are thousands more standing behind church pulpits today. It is apostasy!

NO ONE has ever been , or ever will be, born-again who denies Jesus' bodily resurrection from the dead. How can Christ save anyone, if He didn't rise up from the dead and exit His grave in the tomb? The Bible teaches that today Jesus physically sits upon a throne in Heaven, on the right-hand of His Father. Colossians 3:1, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”

There is another heretical religious group called “modalists,” who teach that Jesus doesn't have a physical body in Heaven anymore. They believe that when Jesus bodily ascended into Heaven (Acts 1:11), that He just became the Father again. Modalists believe that when a saint gets to Heaven, we will just see God the Father sitting upon one throne, and not seen the Son in a separate body of His own. They believe that God enters into different “modes,” wearing different hats so-to-speak, but He only occupies one body. This is false doctrine!

Now, it is true that there is only one true and living God (Deuteronomy 6:4). And this one God exists and has manifest (revealed) Himself to humanity in the form of three distinct, separate, equal persons; namely, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20; Colossians 2:2, 9). In theology the Godhead is often referred to as The “Trinity.”

Dear reader, make big of Jesus' bodily resurrection. I have read numerous “The Romans Road” religious tracts passed out by churches, in which Jesus' resurrection is not even mentioned. Sadly, Christ's bodily resurrection is often left out of tracts, which cannot accurate then be called “Gospel tracts.” They are really religious brochures, misleading people. I implore you friend to make sure to preach the true accurate Gospel, which is recorded by the Word of God:

1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

When Paul says you are saved “if you keep in memory what I preached unto you,” he is not saying that you can lose God's salvation if you change your mind. In humbly believe that he's saying you were never saved at all if you drift away from the truth. It is a wrong mindset to tell people that they must keep having faith the rest of their life to go to Heaven. The correct mindset is that a born-again person (a child of God) WILL keep believing. You don't have to tell a human child to remember to stay alive. It is automatic.

Likewise, once you are saved, you are permanently saved. Nothing more is required to maintain being in state of salvation. This is why I expose The Salvation Army, for erroneously calling salvation "a state." Ladies and gentlemen, salvation is not "a state" that you enter into and out of; but rather, it is a new birth wrought by the Holy Spirit of God almighty (John 1:12-13).

I hope this blog has helped you to see the vital importance of constantly emphasizing Jesus' physical resurrection when witnessing to people. JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN!!!