It's a Pitiful Life, part 1

What if Christianity turns out to be a total sham? What if there is no resurrection, and your faith is good only for what it offers you in this life? Would Christianity still be a good life to choose? Considering all the immediate benefits to being a Christian, some might say, “Sure, Christianity is the best way of life, even if there is no life after death. It gives me hope, peace, confidence, and joy. It helps me have good relationships with people. After all, Jesus did call it the ‘abundant life,’ right?”

But what does Paul say? “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Cor 15:19 NIV). And a few verses later, he suggests the best alternative lifestyle: “If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (v 32). In other words, if there is no resurrection, we might as well go for our best life now. Enjoy yourself, because this is all there is. Have fun. Make a buck. Live it up.

If Easter is a lie, the American Dream makes perfect sense. But if Jesus truly did rise from the dead, then the goal set of a nice house, good job, fun vacations, and relaxing retirement of the American Dream is, at best, sub-Christian. Want to know how much Easter matters to you? Examine what you are living for right this minute. If your deepest hopes and dreams could be granted without the need for life after death, it’s not a wonderful life; it’s a pitiful life. “Do we have hope in Christ only for this life? Then people should pity us more than anyone else” (NIrV).

But why? Stay tuned…