A faith for “this life only” sounds liberating, but it leads to indulgence.

The words “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”, are in quotation marks because Paul is quoting a popular proverb. This is what people were saying about life in this world, and the saying is so old that it was quoted by Isaiah in the Old Testament (Isa. 22:13). This is the wisdom of this world, as it has been through the ages. That’s why Paul goes on to say, “Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning” (1 Cor. 15:34).

If people really believed that life in this world is all there is, you would think that they might focus their energy on doing all they could to make the world a better place. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. The reality is that when people come to believe that life in this world is all there is, they become increasingly self-indulgent.

Yes, there are examples of secular people living sacrificial lives. But across the mass of humanity, it is surely an observable fact that when people come to believe that this life is all there is, they pour themselves into gaining as much of this world as they can. They pack in as many experiences as possible, and they pursue as many pleasures as they can find.

And who can blame them? If this short life is all you’ve got, you had better hold on to all you have. If we “have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (15:19).

Would you say that you are spending your life trying to hold on to all you have, or living sacrificially for the sake of others? What does this tell you about your hope?

Paul shows us that although a faith for “this life only” sounds relevant, it cannot deliver.

Every generation wants to make the world a better place, and we can thank God for progress in medicine, science, technology, education, justice, and human rights. But there is also a profound sense in which the world never changes. Every human innovation brings new challenges. The evils of greed, violence, hatred, and corruption remain as deeply rooted as ever.

We can thank God for every way in which these evils are held in check, but at no point have they ever been removed. No generation has been able to overcome them. So how will we ever get to a place where righteousness and peace will flourish?

Paul has the answer: “Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (15:24-25).

The focus is not on us and what we will do, but on Jesus and what He will do. Jesus will destroy every rule and authority and power. Jesus will deliver the kingdom to God the Father. Jesus will reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

Every generation has longed for a world of perfect justice, peace, and love. And no generation has been able to bring it about. But one Person can, and He will. Hope has a name, and His name is Jesus.

Do you believe people have the potential to overcome the evils in this world, or can you see that our only hope is in Jesus’ final victory?

The resurrection matters, and believing in the resurrection will give you a new hope, a new confidence, and a new purpose. But a “this life only” message will leave you without hope for at least three reasons.

1. Without the resurrection, your faith would be futile
“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile” (15: 17). Dead men can teach you through their writings, inspire you with their example, and help you through their wisdom. But a dead man cannot save you. So, if you’ve trusted your life and future to a dead man, your faith is futile.

2. Without the resurrection, you would still be in your sins
“If Christ has not been raised... you are still in your sins” (15:17). Christ was the Lamb of God whose unique calling was to take away the sins of the world by carrying them Himself. “The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). If Jesus had remained in the tomb, He would have been unsuccessful in removing our sins. They would still be on us.

3. Without the resurrection, your believing loved ones would be lost
“Those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (15:18). If death still holds Jesus, then death holds our believing loved ones too. And if Jesus was unsuccessful in taking away their sins, they died in their sins, and they would perish. Without the resurrection, there would be no hope for them, and no hope for us. All would perish.

Thank God for the resurrection of Jesus and for this promise to all who believe in Him: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28).

Some people would say, “This is just a different interpretation of Christianity, and it has some things to commend it.” But Paul says, “No. This teaching is like gangrene. If you embrace it, it will lead you into more and more ungodliness. It is toxic. You don’t want anything to do with it. You don’t want to go anywhere close to it.”

So, Paul confronted the message of the false teachers. And what he says here is of vital importance because the same false teaching that troubled the early church is all around us today.

The false teachers brought a “this life only” message. And Paul warns the church against this. “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor. 15:19).

Then he shows the hope that is ours through the resurrection of Jesus Christ: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (15:20). Jesus rose from the dead, and because He rose, all who have faith in Him will one day rise too.

If you have put your faith in Jesus, you have the most glorious future, and when you know that this future is yours, it will shape how you live.

How might you respond to someone who believes in a “this life only” version of the gospel?

What was the message of the false teachers about the resurrection? Perhaps an analogy will help. The life of Martin Luther King Jr. was tragically cut short, but what he stood for continues through people who believe what he believed and teach what he taught.

It may be that Hymenaeus and Philetus said something like this about Jesus: “The life of Jesus was tragically cut short. But what He stood for continues through people who believe what He believed and teach what He taught. His work is being carried on by His people.”

“Yes, we believe that Jesus rose from the dead,” they would say. “And what this means is that His spirit lives on in His people. What matters is not that the tomb was empty, but that we do the kinds of things that Jesus did.”

Their message was not so much about Jesus but about us. The power that would change the world, in their view, was not the power of the risen Lord, but the power of what we do as we follow the example of Jesus. You can see how this would gain traction:

It sounds spiritual. “You don’t need to worry about the body,” they would say. “It is just a shell. What matters is your spirit—what you feel, what you want, what you choose to live for.”

It sounds relevant. “The calling of the church,” they would say, “is not to prepare people for another world. It is to meet the needs of the world today.”

It sounds liberating. If there is no resurrection to eternal life, we are accountable only to ourselves. That puts us in control and leaves us free to live and plan our lives as we think best.

What is most attractive to you about this view of the resurrection? What is the biggest problem you can see with it?

The central truth of 1 Corinthians 15 is that Jesus was raised from the dead, and we who receive and continue in the gospel will share in His resurrection life.

But it seems that some at Corinth had denied this wonderful truth. That’s clear from verse 12: “How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” They denied that believers will rise from the dead and share a glorious new life with Christ.

This was not unique to Corinth. There were false teachers in the early church who taught that the resurrection had already happened. Paul refers in 2 Timothy to “Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some” (2:17-18).

If someone asked these teachers, “Don’t you believe that there will be a resurrection for us?” they would say, “Yes, of course we do. But the resurrection has already happened. If you are a believer, you have already risen to a new life in Christ.” And of course that is true. The problem was that they denied a future resurrection.

If someone denies the future resurrection of believers, they have to reinterpret the resurrection of Jesus. And this is Paul’s point: “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised” (1 Cor. 15:13).

Do you believe in a future resurrection for all Christian believers?

Many of the Corinthian believers were standing and holding fast to the gospel. But some were abandoning the faith they once professed.

The world is always inventing new words to describe old sins. One word you might be familiar with is the word deconstructing. We hear about people deconstructing their faith. They have concluded that the faith they once professed is merely a human construct—that it was put together by the apostles and the early church. They hold that it morphed over the centuries and now needs to be taken down like an old bridge that has become unsafe.

Here is the warning from these verses: A deconstructed faith won’t redeem you from your past sins. A deconstructed faith won’t give you strength for your present calling. A deconstructed faith will not save you.

Paul wants us to know that the gospel is not a human construct. It is something that he himself received from God: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received” (15:3). God has revealed it to the prophets and apostles, and you will be blessed, like Paul, if you receive it and continue in it.

There is hope in Jesus for all who receive and continue in the gospel. God’s Word says, “We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end” (Heb. 3:14). Jesus Himself says, “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mat. 24:13).

Have you been urged to “deconstruct” your faith? Hold onto Jesus’ promise that those who endure to the end will be saved.

Whether you are a newer Christian, a long-time Christian, or you are still exploring the faith, Paul has something to say to you today.

1. Receive the Gospel
“ The gospel I preached to you, which you received...” (15:1). Jesus offers grace for your past, present, and future. But you must receive this grace by believing the gospel. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins. Receive the grace He is offering you.

2. Continue in the Gospel
“The gospel... in which you stand... if you hold fast to the word” (15:1-2). Does receiving the gospel at some time mean that you will be saved regardless of what you believe or how you live afterwards? No! You know that you received the gospel if you are standing in it and holding fast to it. That’s what true believers do.

3. Count on Being Saved by the Gospel
“The gospel... by which you are being saved” (15:1-2). The promise of God to all who receive this gospel and continue in it, is that you will be saved by it. Paul speaks of salvation in the present tense: “You are being saved.” It is a continuing process. Jesus will give you strength to overcome your sins. He will save you from the condemnation sin brings. He will save you from the control sin exercises, and one day, He will save you from sin altogether.

There is hope in Jesus because He died and rose, through the grace He brings, for all who receive and continue in the gospel.

What is the greatest challenge for you today: To receive the gospel? To continue in it? Or to believe that you are being saved by it?