Vital signs- Saturday, April 16th, 2022

“Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.”

(1 Corinthians 15:15)

Were the disciples liars? Were they deceivers? If so, why? Why would they deceive? Why would they lie? What gain did they have if Jesus Christ was still in the grave? They died as martyrs. They were tortured, they were persecuted, they were burned at the stake, they were eaten by lions, they were stoned, they were crushed, and they were humiliated.

Hypocrites and martyrs are not made of the same stuff! People tell lies to get out of trouble, not to get into trouble. A man may live for a lie, but few if any men will willingly die for a lie. The disciples said, “We have seen Him! We have touched Him!” Are you going to tell me Simon Peter was a con man? That John the apostle was a crook? That the apostle Paul who wrote most of the New Testament was a known perjurer, deceiver, and a false witness? Of course not. But if Christ is still in the grave, preaching is profitless, faith is foolish, and the disciples would have been deceivers.

• How does the willingness to die for the truth of the Gospel give a witness to the credibility of the Gospel to the world?

• Is there something or somewhere that you would consider “too far” to go for the Gospel? How might you submit this before God?

Take time today to ask God what you are holding back from complete submission to Him. Ask Him to help you let that go.