The Past, The Dead, Stay Strong
1 Corinthians 15:10 is a very powerful verse as Paul is retelling Christ's resurrection and the order in which he appeared to people. Paul retells how he was not born at the time in which Christ was resurrected but Christ still appeared to Paul (even though Paul was persecuting Christians). Paul says in verse 10 "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain." This means Paul recognizes that he made huge mistakes and bad choices before Christ appeared to him, but "I am what I am" signifies how Paul's past does not keep him from serving God. And when he says "His grace was not in vain" he is saying that God's grace wasn't wasted. If Paul had ignored seeing Christ and not doing what he was told, then Christ speaking to Paul would have been wasted. I ask you, what is God try to tell you but you are not listening?
Paul also points out an issue with a belief versus the truth. It was believed by the Corinthians that the dead could not be raised, but they overlooked that fact that Christ was raised from the dead. If the dead could not be raised then that makes the faith in Christ null and void and a fallacy. Paul points out that if there is no resurrection then we have no Heaven, no afterlife and we should be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19).
Lastly, 1 Corinthians 15 ends with a reminder to believers, not just Corinthians. Paul says "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58)." He is endearing to them while encouraging them to stay strong and unable to be moved in doing work for the Lord knowing that the work is not in vain.
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The Resurrection
The Resurrection of Christ (to me) is symbolic of how our former lives were and our current lives are after we accept God's will fully into our lives and submit to His will (James 4:7).
Mary Magdalene, John, Peter and Simon Peter went to the tomb to check on Jesus but he was no longer there (John 20:1-4).
The pieces of clothing that he was buried in were left in the tomb and folded neatly and left behind by Jesus (John 20:6-7).
When we set our hearts and minds and souls on being fully sacrificial to God's will, we too can leave the old ways behind us like Jesus left behind the linen cloths from his burial. Those burial cloths represent what was, not what is. People we knew before full obedience to God come to see us, metaphorically speaking, it seems like we are not there. We are not the same. We are different. Our submission is to God's will, not the way things used to be. They can only see pieces (similar to memories) of what used to be us, just like the burial clothes of Jesus. We are made new through the power of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
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Why Look Back?
I have a personal testimony that is quite long and would take an entire conversation to cover every part of it. Also, my testimony is not over yet. God is still directing my steps. It is up to me to follow them. And when I don't follow those steps that He lays before and my selfishness redirects me to another path, God jumps right back in and lays another path before me. Once again, it is up to me to be obedient to His word and do what it is that Has commanded me to do (John 14:15).
I bring up this topic because in a conversation I had with a friend the other day about regrets in life. We were talking about what life would be if "this" happened instead of "that." While I do struggle with how nice things would have been if I worked at this company or finished school sooner or gone to school elsewhere or had been married to an ex-girlfriend, I also realize that I am in life where God needs me to be to do the work He has commanded me to do. While I do not know where life would have taken me had past things worked out a certain way, it also doesn't matter to even think about it. I am a different person today than I was 15 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and 2 years ago. I can appreciate where I am even if I do not like all the parts (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
In Genesis 19, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for not having righteous people in it. God spared Abraham's family and God's angels told Abraham's family not to look back at the city as it was being destroyed or they would turn into pillars of salt. Lot's wife looked back at Sodom and Gomorrah and did the opposite of what she was instructed and turned into a pillar of salt.
It is one thing to look back at life and appreciate where you have been and stay faithful in the path God has laid before you, but is another to see your past life (before following Christ) and wish it was that instead of where God has you now (2 Corinthians 5:17).
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