1 Corinthians 15:12-20 - Doubts Are Bible Canon (Bible Journal)

"[12] But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? [13] For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. [14] And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. [15] And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. [16] And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. [17] And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. [18] In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! [19] And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. [20] But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died (‭1 Corinthians 15:12-20 NLT‬)."

I have struggled with the voice of doubt, and I can't say that I still don't. But these words from Paul are so helpful to me, and I still can't believe that some of the same doubts I wrestle with are actually Bible canon! I love how Paul states the worse case scenario of what if we are all wrong about Christianity, states that it would basically suck to be us if that is actually the case, then reaffirms the truth of what Jesus did for us, and pushes forward. These are life verses for me that I read regularly when my Bible habit is on track, and they always bring me comfort and improved faith in their way of addressing my concerns in a guilt free fashion, and they also remind me of the other multiple passages in the Bible that discuss doubt (including doubts that some of the heroes of the Bible fought with and won against). I am grateful to God for sticking by me despite doubts of my own, and for giving me resources to help me work through doubt. This kindness of the Lord inspires me to continue to seek Him and grow in my faith.