First Importance

Have you ever found yourself wondering, “Why do Christians seem more joyful?” If you’ve ever struggled with anxiety, discouragement, or spiritual fatigue, you’re not alone. Many of us miss out on the abundant life Jesus came to offer—not because it’s unavailable, but because we lose sight of what’s truly most important.

In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul brings us back to the foundation of our faith. He reminds the church in Corinth, a community notorious for its struggles and inconsistencies, of what he calls the gospel “of first importance.” And that gospel? It’s the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Foundation of Our Faith

Paul writes, “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.” This isn’t just a theological idea—it’s a life-altering reality. The resurrection of Jesus is not a myth or metaphor. Paul argues that over 500 people saw the risen Christ. The disciples saw Him. Paul himself encountered Him. If these events didn’t happen, he says, our faith is in vain. But if they did happen—if Jesus really walked out of that tomb—then everything changes.

When the World Silts Up Our Soul

Just as the port of ancient Ephesus was slowly cut off from the sea by river silt, our spiritual lives can get clogged. Life’s stress, sin, and distraction build up like plaque in an artery, blocking the flow of God’s blessings. We may even begin each day acknowledging the resurrection, but if we don’t let that truth transform us, we live unchanged.

Paul’s solution? Keep the resurrection front and center. Not as a ritual or religious slogan, but as a living, breathing source of daily power.

Faith in the Fact

We live in a world transformed by great thinkers like Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud. Their discoveries reshaped science and psychology. But no figure has changed history—and eternity—like Jesus Christ.

Simon Greenleaf, one of the greatest legal minds of the 19th century, once set out to disprove the resurrection using the very rules of evidence he taught at Harvard Law School. Instead, the evidence led him to faith in Christ. The resurrection wasn’t just possible—it was provable. And from that moment, Greenleaf’s life, like so many others, was forever changed.

What Is of First Importance?

A professor once said, “Everyone has a religion—whatever is of first importance to them.” So what is of first importance to you? Is it your career? Your family? Your comfort? Paul challenges us to make the resurrection—not just Christ’s, but our own spiritual resurrection—the centerpiece of our lives.

If we believe Jesus rose from the dead and offers us new life, then that belief must bear fruit. In Galatians, Paul calls this the “fruit of the Spirit”—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities are not manufactured by effort. They’re the result of surrendering to Christ.

Carried by the Gospel

Martin Niemöller, a German pastor imprisoned for standing against the Nazis, said near the end of his life: “When I was young, I felt I had to carry the Gospel. Now that I’m old, I know the Gospel carries me.”

This is the shift we all need—to stop trying to carry Christianity like a heavy burden and instead let the truth of Christ’s resurrection carry us. This truth isn’t a parable or a metaphor. It’s a historical, personal, transformational reality. And it invites a response.

The Second Chance of Pentecost

After Jesus’ resurrection, 500 people saw Him, but only 120 were in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost. Why weren’t the other 380 there?

It’s a question worth asking. Where would you have been? With the 120, waiting expectantly for the power of God to fall? Or somewhere else, distracted, doubtful, or too busy?

That day, the church exploded in growth—from 120 to 3,000 in a moment. Soon another 2,000 joined. And it all started because a few people believed—and acted on—the truth of Jesus’ resurrection.

Choose the 120 Life

The Gospel isn’t about carrying rules or religion. It’s about being carried by a risen Savior. It’s about living in resurrection power every day. It’s about choosing to be with the 120—those who wait for God, are filled with His Spirit, and turn the world upside down.

So the question is: what’s of first importance in your life?

Because if Christ’s resurrection is real—and it is—then everything else must fall into place behind it.

Choose the joy. Choose the power. Choose the life that’s only found in Him.