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Vote for Jesus: a look
at 1 Corinthians 15:1-34
by Captain Michael Ramsay
In Canada we
have an election coming up again – the third in four years.
All the 'experts' admit without a doubt that this one will
be... a 'waste of taxpayer money'. Even our Prime Minister,
who wants the election, admits that it won't change the
working dynamics of parliament but it's a contest; a game like
any other and the competitors want to win it.
I have gotten to know a number of politicians around here
lately and as I was listening to one speech from a recently
elected MLA, it reminded me of 1 Corinthians 15:20ff. Here is
a paraphrase of that passage as if by a contemporary
provincial politician:
"Our party's leader has indeed been raised high. He is first
of a new breed of Premier. You see devastation came to this
province from the previous government but the resurrection of
the economy comes through our new government. For as with the
old leader all of us were as good as dead, so with our new
leader all will be made alive.
But each in his own turn: first the Premier, then his party
members and supporters, then, by the time of the next
election, the whole province that belongs to him. Then the
time will come for the next election when, of course, his
majority will be so big that it is like he will be handing
over the province of Saskatchewan to God himself.
For our leader will by that time have destroyed all dominion,
authority, power of the former regime: indeed there will be no
more problems in this province at all. And we'll re-elect our
leader, our government, and our party again and again, for he
will reign forever in order to put all our troubles and crush
all our enemies under his feet..."
It is amazing how political speeches have started to sound
like scripture or sermons these days. The more I listen to
political speeches and the more I watch the news, the more I
realise that the world really is crying out for a messiah. The
USA – which is also in the midst of an election campaign -
every 4 years parades out at least one possible new messiah.
Look at how people talk about Obama (particularly before
McCain announced his running mate); there is no mention of his
past failures, only an almost messianic hope for a bright new
future as if he is the One.
For all its strengths, this is one of the main downfalls of
western democracies. Every election people are mistakenly
looking to parties, politicians, ideologies, platitudes, and
other such nonsense to solve our problems - as if that is
where our salvation comes from.
You know what? If Obama or McCain wins the next US election,
he is not going to withdraw their troops from the more than
100 countries that they are in. He is not going to beat their
swords in the ploughshares (Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:3). He will
not be the 'Prince of Peace' (Isa 9:6). He will not end
poverty (Matt 26:11, Mark 14:7). None of the presidential
candidates can walk on water (Matt 14, Mark 6, John 6). Not
one of them has been raised from the dead.
Likewise in Canada, regardless of who is elected, services
will not improve so much that the blind will see and the lame
will walk (Matt 15:31, Lk 7:22). A majority government by the
Conservatives, Liberals, NDP, or even the Greens, is not going
to solve all of our problems. Not one of our federal leaders
can walk on water – no matter what their ads tell us – not one
of them has been raised from the dead.
There is a leader though who has and he's not running in the
election. There is a leader who has done all that and he lived
2000 years ago. This leader did all these things and more. He
even preached good news to the poor and meant it and they
believed him and then, like all great leaders, he died. Jesus
died but it didn't end there and this is important. The
Apostle Paul says:
"Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the good news (gospel)
I preached to you, which you received and on which you have
taken your stand. By this good news (gospel) you are saved, if
you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you
have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you
as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was
raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...(1
Corinthians 15: 1-4)"
This is the most important part of the Christian faith: Paul
says that it is because of the good news (gospel) that Christ
died for our sins, was buried and raised from the dead that we
can be saved. It was in this that He actually won the eternal
election.
It is only because Jesus did win that election; it is only
because of His death and resurrection that we have any hope at
all because if Christ wasn't raised from the dead then what is
the point of 'being a Christian'? If Jesus just died and,
without defeating death, moved on to whatever is next, what's
the big deal? Why then would he be different from Martin
Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Tommy Douglas, Mother Theresa, name
your person... Why would he be so special? He wouldn't; he
would just be another person.
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the
firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death
came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also
through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will
be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the
firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him (1
Corinthians 15:20-23)." We will all be resurrected so we can
all be saved if we turn to or – drawing on our analogy of the
election – if we vote for Christ.
Being born and raised on the west coast of Canada, I can
remember watching the election returns on election night and
it is always exciting but I can never remember a time when the
election wasn't over before the polls were even closed on
Vancouver Island. The Prime Minister's party had always
already won the election before we even finished voting out
west. He had already defeated his foe. This is the same with
Christ. Even though we each have until the last polls close
(until we breathe our last breath) to cast our vote, Christ
has already won the election. The only question we have is
whether we want to join Him in His victory party or not. The
election results were counted on the cross and announced at
the empty tomb. Christ has won the victory.
Christ has already been resurrected and he is coming back to
celebrate his victory and when the eternal polls close we will
be resurrected too; we will all be raised (cf. Doctrine 11)
and at that point some of us will be raised to eternal
salvation and some of us – those who reject the opportunity –
will be outside where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth
(cf. Matthew 8:12, 22:13). But it is our choice. The victory
has already been won. We have all already been invited to the
victory party.
Salvation is there for any of us who want it and this is
important: there is the resurrection, there is the judgement
at the end of the day and any of us who call on the name of
the Lord at anytime before our polls close here can be saved!
Jesus died and rose again so that whosoever may, will be
saved!
Christ is our salvation. We should remember this as we cast
our votes very soon (in our temporal elections) that there
really is no other name by which we may truly be saved. Christ
is the leader who deserves our full support. He is both
liberal in His love and conservative in His steadfastness. He
is neither a small 'd' democrat nor a small 'r' republican. He
is a capital 'M' Monarchist – He is a King and He is the Son
of the King. Unlike all the others who are trying to get us to
turn to them for our salvation, He has actually run the race
and won the election already. We are just waiting for the
polls to close, so if you haven't done so already then go out
and vote for Christ today: there is no other name by which we
may be saved. The Lord raises up mere earthly governments and
He topples them but when the eternal polls close and he does
come back, make sure that He has your vote so that we will all
be a part of His victory party at the resurrection of the
just.
Our salvation comes from Christ alone.
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Captain Michael Ramsay
The Salvation Army
Nipawin and Tisdale
ramsay@sheepspeak.com
www.sheepspeak.com
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Writings: http://www.sheepspeak.com/Michael_Ramsays_opinion.htm
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