Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame. But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. All flesh is not the same: Human beings have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another.

—1 Corinthians 15:29-40 (TNIV)

Several things of interest are contained in this passage from Paul. First, note the courage, purpose, and hope that Paul has because of the resurrection. He tells the Corinthians that he could not be a minister of the Gospel and face the danger he does without the resurrection hope. Indeed.

Second, notice how Paul’s orientation of life would be radically altered if there were no resurrection. Without the hope of the resurrection, replete with its eternal perspective on what real life is all about, life would be reduced to eating, drinking, and being merry, baby (i.e., about satisfying our carnal desires), because we only have a limited amount of time to enjoy all the worldly goods at our disposal. This, of course, would necessitate that we spend all our time accumulating as much as we can get so that we can enjoy as much as we can. Are you living this kind of lifestyle? If you are, how’s that working for you beyond any measure of superficiality?

With the resurrection hope, however, Paul understands that life is about so much more than the world and satisfying our bodily desires. It is about having a life-giving relationship with the Source and Author of all life so that we have real power to face the brokenness of our fallen world and enjoy the blessings we have at God’s hand.

Last, did you notice Paul’s response to the question about how God raises the dead? He considers the question foolish because it is beyond our ability to understand or comprehend, even as it is not beyond God’s ability to effect. Paul is essentially telling us that we need to make a decision about God. Is he omnipotent or not? Is he who he says he is? If God is not omnipotent or who he says he is, then why bother to try to worship or obey him, why put on a charade? Instead, get on with eating, drinking, and making merry!

However, if God is omnipotent and is who he says he is, why would we doubt him or his promises, especially since we know Christ has been raised? It is an historical fact! Consequently, why wouldn’t we spend our time adoring him, worshiping him, loving him, and trying to please him for all he has done for us?

The resurrection has been a mind-blowing event from the beginning. But it is petty cash in God’s economy and power. No wonder Paul had the kind of joy, hope, and purpose of living that he did. Do you have that kind of power, the power of God, in your life?