God has given us His Word, and in its inspired pages we read: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).
Notice the phrase, “I delivered unto you first of all.” This is very important, because it shows us just what Paul the Apostle preached first; it gives us his starting point, his first lesson. From Athens he had gone down to Corinth, where the Lord told him He had “much people,” and there he preached and taught for a year and a half. Some years after this he wrote to these Corinthian people reminding them of what he had FIRST taught them. What was it? “Christ died for our sins.” You see it was a message that met their need, for were they not sinners before God?
“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). If you turn to Luke 18 you will read there of one who took his true place before God. His very brief prayer is given in verse 13: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” He owns himself a sinner, deserving nothing but judgment and immediately the Lord has something encouraging to say of him: “This man went down to his house justified.”
I ask again, Have you realized your lost condition and cried to God as did this man? If you have, then listen: “The wages of sin is death,” but “Christ died for our sins,” and “He hath made Him to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.” Troubled heart, what a message of gladness to those Corinthian people in that day, and the same word is for you. The question of sin and guilt is forever settled for the believer at the cross. God in His great love meets man’s need at once. He proclaims peace by the blood shed at Calvary. He is in haste with His own remedy for man’s ruin.
Will you accept God’s salvation? Will you believe that the death of Christ is the basis, the only basis, of approach to God? Will you believe that, “first of all,” Christ died for our sins, and that without His death and His resurrection we would still be in our sins? Then you will know that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).
“God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish,
but have everlasting life.”