Spring Bible Conference Reflection

This was the testimony that I shared with my group at the conference!

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” – 1 Corinthians 15:22

In 1 Corinthians 15:12-34, Paul dissects the arguments for and against the resurrection of the dead. He begins by asking the question - “But if it is preached that Christ has been raise from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” Why was the resurrection such a grave matter? Why was it so important for Paul to address this problem amongst people in the church? The resurrection of man (especially the resurrection of Jesus) was a theoretical debate amongst different sects of Jews. Even when Jesus was alive, the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the death. However, Jesus’ resurrection is one of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity. What is the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection? As sin entered the world through Adam, the relationship between man and God was broken - not only for Adam and God, but for his descendant as well. God told Adam that if he ate fruit from the knowledge of good and evil that he would “surely die.” Yet, Satan tempted Adam and questioned if God really told them they will die, ultimately questioning the consequences of sin. In the same way, there are so many temptations and ways to sin in our world. College campuses are full of ways to indulge in our sinful desires – and Satan continues to lie – “did God really say you’re going to die?” We live in a really permissive culture. But while sinning can seem exciting, thrilling, and fulfilling at the moment, in the end, it truly only leads to death. The resurrection signifies Jesus’ power and reign. However, if there is no resurrection – and Jesus did not resurrect from the dead, sin and death continues to separate us from a relationship with God. Although the enemy continues to lie, we know that Jesus has already conquered death. As Philip Brown shared in his message (paraphrased) – if God has already taken care of my salvation, I can entrust him to take care of the little details of my life. Having a relationship with God is far better and greater than any pleasures this world can give me. “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” God sent Jesus not to make bad people good, but to make dead people alive. As a result, as Paul told the Corinthian church, in order to rid myself of anything that separates me from God, I must “stop sinning” and continually repent. I pray that as a church, that we may look to the cross, stop sinning, and find our fulfillment and satisfaction in Jesus.

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I was really blessed this conference listening to all the messenger and testimony speakers. It was really refreshing! During praise night, I was just reminded that God has and will always be with me whatever I face in life. One word I received from God was the theme over my life - "grace over grace." I have seen his grace over and over in my life in the past and I believe that I will continue to see his grace this semester, next semester, and in the years to come. I'm also super proud of the youth group for the video they produced and can't wait to see where God takes us next!