I am what I am (1 Cor 15:9-10)

1 Corinthians 15:9-10

For I am the least of all the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain.

"I am what I am" is a popular phrase used to excuse almost anything. Yes, I know I gossip/treat my spouse badly/react angrily to criticism/don't pray/don't read my bible/don't go to church if something better comes up... but that's just me, I am what I am! Paul tells the Corinthian church that "by the grace of God I am what I am". Is this justification for our self justification? God is gracious so who cares that I'm not? 

That is the opposite of Paul's meaning. He is astounded by God's grace that has taken him from persecuting the church and, as unworthy as he is, has made him an apostle. God's grace transformed Paul from someone trying to kill off the church to someone who would spend the rest of his life planting churches! Paul's cry of "I am what I am" is "can you believe God is so gracious that I am what I am?" not "don't expect me to change". 

God's grace towards Paul was not in vain. What about us? It changed him. Is it changing us?

witnesses to the resurrection (1 cor15:4-8)

1 corinthians 15:4b-8

...he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, then he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, although some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Jesus resurrection transformed people's lives.

• Cephas (Peter) was transformed from someone who was denying that he even knew Jesus into someone boldly proclaiming the gospel, despite the threats of the authorities.
• the Twelve were transformed from a fearful, uncertain and confused group into fearless witness  willing to die for the gospel.
• we don't know the individual stories of the 500 brothers Paul mentions, but he is pointing out to his readers that most of these people are still alive - ask them their story. Every one of them has been transformed.
• James, the brother of Jesus has been transformed from thinking his brother was insane to worshipping him as God!
• Paul was transformed from someone who was persecuting the church and seeking to arrest and murder Christians into the man who God used to take the gospel to the gentile world.

Jesus' life, death and resurrection changes everything!

Jesus is alive (1 cor 15:4)

1 Corinthians 15:4

... he was raised on the third day

Jesus is alive. Death couldn't hold him. No one else has conquered the grave. Because of that, anything that anyone else says about what happens when you die is just speculation. Jesus died and returned and He is not just speculating, we know that our future is resurrection with Him. Because He was raised we know that his sacrifice was effective, our sins are forgiven, it is finished, we are no longer wondering whether we have pleased God because we know Jesus already has. Because Jesus is raised we don't need to be afraid because we see his power that conquered Satan, sin and death and that same power is with us.

Every other "great" religious or political leader is dead or will die. Jesus is alive!

... in accordance with the scriptures (1 cor 15:3-4)

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.

The gospel, the good news about who Jesus is and what he has done is in accordance with the scriptures. The gospel is biblical. It is not God's plan B, it is not a change of attitude or approach from the Old Testament. The whole Bible s about, as Shai Linne raps, "man's complete ruin in sin and what God has done through Christ to bring them together again". If we are not rooted in the biblical understanding of the gospel we are prone to make it about other things without Jesus' substitutionary death central. We can't operate on the basis of "it seems to me..." or "surely it wouldn't have happened like that". Jesus death and resurrection were in accordance with the scriptures and that is where we need to look to understand their implications.

substitute (1 cor 15:3)

1 Cor 15:3

For I delivered to you of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures.

Jesus died FOR OUR sins. Substitution is the heart of the gospel. He took our place. He lived the life we failed to live. He died the death we should have died. He took our sin. He gives us His righteousness. It is the great exchange. This is not some generalised "he died for the sin of humanity" thing, but deeply personal. He died for MY sins. What a Saviour!

preach the gospel... using words (1 cor 15:1-2)

1 Corinthians 15

v1 Now I would remind you brothers of the gospel I preached to you...

v2... hold fast to the word I preached to you.

The gospel is news that needs to be told. It can not be fully explained by actions alone, it needs to be spoken. The idea that preaching or telling people about the gospel is not massively important probably comes from a misunderstanding of what the gospel is. The gospel is not advice but news. If it was advice of what we need to do to be good people then that could potentially be sufficiently communicated by actions alone, but people need to be told about news.

"The gospel is news rather than instruction. The Greek term “gospel” (ev-angelion) distinguished the Christian message from that of other religions.
• An “ev-angel” was news of a great historical event that changed the listeners’ condition and required response (such as a victory in war or the ascension of a new king).
• So the gospel is news of what God has done to accomplish salvation through Jesus Christ in history. It is not advice about what we must do to reach God.
• We do not achieve this salvation. We only accept it."

Tim Keller, Gospel Christianity

remember the gospel (1 cor 15:1-2)

1 corinthians 15:1-2a

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand and by which you are being saved.

The people Paul is writing to in Corinth are Christians - Paul calls them brothers and says that they recieved the gospel. So why is he reminding them of the gospel? He is reminding them of the good news about Jesus life, death and resurrection because it is not just something that they heard and understood in the past, but it is also the thing "by which they are being saved". Their growth in the Christian life doesn't come from moving beyond the gospel but by going deeper into it.

• The way to overcome your habit of lying to cover up your mistakes is to understand that the gospel tells us that, although God knows every "mistake" we've made along with every sinful thought and attitude, He loves us and we are accepted by Him not because we stopped doing things wrong or successfully managed to cover them up but because of Jesus' death on the cross.
• The way to stop reacting in anger to your spouse is to understand how God is slow in anger but rich in love towards us, despite the fact that we constantly provoke Him by trying to take His place.

As Tim Keller says, "the gospel is not the ABC of Christianity, it is the A to Z"