is Your Faith Vain

Vain

Having or showing an excessively high opinion of ones appearance or worth

We all know someone who cares more about the image that is being betrayed than the content of their character. They spend more time crafting and portraying a particular message that they come off as either shallow or narcissistic people. Jesus calls these people a bunch of white washed tombs because even though they make look good on the outside, because not only are they dead on the inside, but they stink, especially when their backs are up against the wall.  The title song to the vain soundtrack would Carly Simon’s song You’re So Vain and how often do we think the love song is actually about us?

1. Now I would remind you, brothers,of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2. and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

I Corinthians 15:1-8 ESV

     In this passage the Apostle Paul is hammering home an essential truth and this truth is that we should not believe in vain. So my question to all of us is, what does it mean to believe in vain? So here is what I think Paul was getting at, and the first observation is that believing in vain actually is distorting the truth. The Apostle Paul reminds us that he preached us the truth and the hearers of that word received it. Believing in vain actually is taking the truth that we hear and know, and we distort it for our own personal gain or for what makes us feel warm and fuzzy. We essentially turn into the Beauty and the Beast character Gaston and where we think that we are Gods gift to everyone and we start to believe our own hype. When we start believing our own hype, we tend to think the world and God revolves around us and that we either are Gods only or biggest voice. When we go down this path, we become a narcissist who lacks any sort of accountability.

     The second idea that Paul is getting at is that when we believe in vain, our works out ways Gods grace. We try and earn our way into heaven by doing and or saying certain things and in essence this is works righteousness. At best we minimize Gods grace because we don’t really need it because we can just earn our way into heaven. This means that we are all about following rules and we limit the relationship with God and others. I think we do this is because relationships are messy and why do messy when we can just follow a strict order of rules and regulations. This faith is more about our head and not so much heart.

    Another way we can believe in vain is the idea that we either limit the power or flat out deny that the resurrection ever happen. There were several groups at the time of this letter including the Saducees that did not believe in the resurrection. This is why Paul goes on the defense explaining the resurrection and how Jesus showed Himself to His disciples and five hundred people after His resurrection. Jesus even appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus. A dead person, whether its Jesus or anyone else really can not appear Himself unless they are resurrected. The other aspect of this is that, if there is no resurrection, the Christian faith is pointless. The lynch pin to the Christian faith is the death and resurrection of Jesus, and if He did not do this, Christianity does not exist.

    Here is the truth about sin, death and resurrection in relationship to Christianity. Because of our sin, we can not be in relationship with God, because God very character and nature prevents Him from being in contact with sin. The only way our relationship can be restored is through a sacrifice. The only two requirements is that the sacrifice is perfect and blameless. Jesus is the only one that meets this requirements. If there was another way for Jesus to restore our relationship with God, it would of been done. If Jesus would of just died, our sin would of been take care of, but victory over sin still would be an issue. This is why there needed to be a death and a resurrection. Jesus death takes care of our sin issue, and His resurrection gives Him victory over death. This means that our relationship can be restored with God and that eternity in heaven is a possibility. So lets finish up with some questions to ponder throughout our day and week?

Are there certain beliefs or actions that makes my faith about me?

What are those actions, thoughts or words we use to prevent healthy vulnerability and that leave us comfortably numb?

Are there any ways where we try to earn our way into heaven or earn the favor of God or others?