Christ died. Christ was buried. Christ rose.
This is the gospel that saves.
Good morning. Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 15:1–4: “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…”
Many people point to a moment when they “came to Jesus”—attended a service, prayed a prayer, or took part in a religious ritual. But Paul anchors salvation not in an event, an emotion, or a ceremony, but in a message—the one he received from the risen Christ and delivered to us.
Paul’s gospel is simple:
Christ died for our sins.
Christ was buried.
Christ rose on the third day.
This is the gospel that saves.
In this gospel, we stand.
This gospel gives assurance.
Your salvation is not assured by:
• baptism
• membership
• catechism
• confirmation
• a prayer
None of these can give you assurance.
Assurance comes from believing the gospel of grace, plus nothing.
Christ’s finished work removes the guilt of sin.
Christ’s resurrection secures your justification.
Faith alone receives what grace alone provides.
Dear brothers and sisters, that’s why you can say, “I know I am saved now!”—not because of what I did in the past, but because I believe God’s promise today.
And this is the message we share with others:
Take God at His word. Believe the gospel.
Stand in the grace He freely gives.
Today, rest in this truth:
Your assurance is not in what you have done for God, but in what Christ has done for you.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 1 Co 15:1–4.
Meditation:
My confidence is not in a past event, but in the present truth of the gospel: Christ died for my sins, was buried, and rose again for my justification.
Reflection Question:
Are you looking to a religious action or an emotional moment for assurance instead of trusting solely in the finished work of Christ?