By Dean Kelly

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you — unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: 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,” (I Corinthians‬ 15‬:1‬-4‬)‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬.

Paul here speaks of the very heart of the gospel: the death, burial and resurrection from the dead of Christ. That is the expression of the good news, which the word translated “gospel” literally means. Jesus’ vicarious death, dying to pay the price for our sins, pays the debt we cannot pay to save ourselves from spiritual death. His burial sets up the culminating event for salvation, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

“But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (I Corinthians‬ 15‬:20).‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The facts of the gospel also demand a reaction from us. Notice that those who don’t know God, and those that do not obey the gospel will have vengeance taken upon them (2 Thessalonians 1:8). Note that we obey the facts of the gospel when, as penitent (Acts 2:38), confessing (Acts 8:37), believers (John 8:24), we are baptized into Christ. 

Note Romans 6, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans‬ 6‬:3‬-5‬).‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

May we take full advantage of the cross by obediently submitting to the grace that is extended toward us when we meet Him at that cross!

Dean Kelly is minister at Highland Home Church of Christ.