Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1912-06-13

mental, then. is
the resurrection
OF Christ to Chris
tianity that II Christ be not risen from
the dead the gospel OF Christ Is want
ing in reality. and barren in results;
II is false and groundless, barren and
fruitless: II Is nothing. II does moth
ing.
l. Our Preaching 10 valn.-Paul
makes Christianity answer with its
life for the literal truth OF the resur-
rection OF Jesus Christ from the dead.
That the body OF the founder OF Chris
tianity did not remain in the grave
after the third day Is fundamental to
the gospel as Paul preached II This
great fact was a fundamental plank
in the platform OF the apostles gos
pei: It vas the very keystone Of the
arch OF Christianity. the very core
OF the gospel al he had received and
proclaimed II. and as the Corinthian
Christians had received IL. Take away
from Paul's gospel the fact that Chris,
arose from the dead and you have
taken the very heart and core out OF
his messase-then IL Is nothing but a
painted story. a concocted tale; for
the resurrection Of Christ was not
a mere appendage 10. but a constitu-
tive part Of Pauls gospel message. II
II be true that no living Christ Issued
forth from the tomb OF Joseph. then
that tomb became not only the grave
OF a man. but OF a religion, too. with
all the spiritual hopes built upon 1t.
and al the splendid enthusiasms II
has inspired: then the whole gospel
story Is a sham. and unreality. an i'm
posture at its very heart: then the
platform Of the gospel falls to pieces,
and the arch Of Christianity crumbles
into dust
II you have no Christ risen from
the dead. says the apostle. then on
what does the religion of Christ rest.
and What reason have We for preach
ing IL Then our words are empty
sounds. the hopes We have aroused are
idle dreams. our pleas are vain boasts,
our proposals are vain things, our In
tenttons are futile plans: indeed. our
whose message and preaching is a
sham. a delusion. a tissue OF false
hoods. An empty phantom, 4 worth
less fiction Instead OF our message
being the proclamation OF a truth, il
Is the dissemination OF a lie. for II
Christ be not risen then in reality
We have no gospel that is worthy OF
the name-our message is but a vain,
worthless. empty sham Is this cred
ioler
H. Your Faith 10 vsln.-If Christ be
not risen. II he remained in the grave,
then you have put faith in the wrong
person and in the wrong thing, for IL
Christ did not rise. as he said. then
be vas nothing less than a false proph-
ct, a hetrayer. a blasphemer. who had
suffered death Justly. It Is utterly
worthless and useless to put your
trust in one whose word has so utter
ly failed To build your hopes on one
whose o solemn assertions have
fallen TO the ground would be moth
ing less than sheer madness; such an
act would not be faith but credulity;
then such a person as the Lord Jesus
Christ disappears. and you have moth
ing left but a man like ourselves in
whom to believe.
III. Yet in Your sIns-It Ia here
Acknowledged that Christ alone can
save from sins. but II he could not
save himself from sins power how can
be save the sons of men from its guilt
and dominion Christ himself dis
tinctly taught that his death had re-
demption value. and that his resur-
rection from the dead would be proof
positive OF this fact. The apostle
Paul. also, says that Christ died for
our sins. and was raised again for our
Justification Rom. 4:25D But IL
Christ himself Is still under the power
OF death. which Ia the wages Of sin
how. then. can he release others from
the payment OF that debt? Then
his death has no redemptive value.
IL Christ remained in the grave then
humanity has no redeemer. man has
no Saviour; the guilt and power OF sin
has not been removed, men are not
49,
pardoned. sinners are not justified. the
SHINING and sinful race is still under
the guilt and condemnation OF sin and
exposed to the just wrath of a right.
eous God against sin and sinners. Then
freedom from condemnation is unreal
the sense Of forgiveness is a sham. the
consciousness Of pardon for sin ia the
greatest delusion. Then Christ's death
has wrought only imaginary changes.
and deluded its most faithful adher-
ents- Then We have put faith in the
wrong person-he was not what he
claimed to be. he did not. could not 40
what he claimed to do; there is
therefore, no forgiveness through His
blood. no life and blessedness through
his name. and no Justification and
pardon on the ground OF his work
The denial OF the resurrection Of
Christ carries with il the remoyal ~
all hope and ground OF forgiveness
and pardon II Christ be not risen We
are hopelessly lost in our guilt and
sin