meant for greater things - 24th week friday 2014

Here Paul continues what he began yesterday  - to affirm that since Christ was risen from the dead then we too would rise from the dead.  If there is no resurrection from the dead then faith is useless, believing is useless, following Jesus is useless.  Thus Paul ended saying, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.”  Kon nagatuo kita kay Kristo para lang sa sini nga kinabuhi, pues kaluluoy man kita.  Kon indi man lang kita mabanhaw para pa sa ano nga kita magtuo kay Kristo.  This is the point of Paul in arguing about the resurrection of the dead.  Mangabudlay ako para sa sini lang nga kabuhi?  Mangabudlay gid ako sing tuman para sa seisenta ukon sitentay anyos nga kabuhi?  Tapos ano, patay ka man lang.

If there is not resurrection there is no point in following the Lord.  Positively there we can sacrifice, we can obey even if we are made to do things against our liking, we can deny self, and wants, we can set aside dreams and ambitions, we can suffer hunger and toil, we can love the unlikable, we can persist even in hardships, we can forgive the unforgivable, because we are not just doing it for this life but for the life beyond this life.

You have been sacrificing so much lately, practicing, memorizing, tiring out your bodies … for what – just for a trophy?  just for the honor of it? for things that are here today and gone tomorrow.   If you can do so much for so little, you can also do far greater for things that will really last.  Work for things that are eternal.  Again you are meant for greater things.