What do you believe? Some might respond, ‘Believe about what?’ This is a question that could be widely asked today? Answers are confusing. However, because so many have convinced themselves that they are no more than the highest form of animal that has evolved, many choose not to think too far into the future, it all looks so bleak.

When I was young the Russian leader, the communist Krushchev – an atheist as were all such Russians – jeered at westerners for believing in “a pie in the sky”! And he was justified! The Bible’s real message is totally different and the substance of it is in today’s 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians. Note carefully how Paul begins this chapter.

“Now I would remind you brothers (and sisters – footnote) of the gospel I preached to you. which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.” [v.1-2]

Paul then re-iterates what he preached. It centred on the certainty of the resurrection to occur when Jesus returns (v.21,22). He says that if there is no resurrection, the dead stay dead “and your faith is in vain” (v.12-14). When Jesus returns there will be a renewal of life for all who have died believing in the gospel message – and they will then have a wonderful spiritual body (v.44-49)

But in Corinth, the prevailing Greek belief was in an immortal soul or spirit. The Greeks were ridiculing the Christian hope and saying “there is no resurrection of the dead” [v.12], it is not needed as we are going immediately into a spirit existence. It is tragic that this false belief was to be adopted by much of the church in the centuries that followed. Paul warned of this happening (2 Timothy 4 v.3,4) and stressed his personal hope and expectation was that “there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord ... will award me on that Day” because “I have kept the faith” [v.7,8]. If we do not keep this faith, our belief is in vain!

Today many have no hope in an existence beyond this life; others have a false faith, based on human philosophy, in a spirit existence after death. Let us not be among those who “believed in vain” – or among those who give up on believing in God’s word and live only for the here and now. The hopelessness of life without God becomes plainer every day. Look up and read the last verse in today’s chapter.