Welcome back on this new week. Starting today, we have a bundle of apologetics questions lined up on the person in the work of Christ.

Next time, we look at several answers to the question, why did Jesus leave Earth after Easter?

I mean, imagine if Christ was still here with us, was not. Why not? That will be APJ in 1978. Then a week from now, the question, why didn't Jesus have to pay eternally for our sins?

Isn't that the price, eternal judgment? So why is this suffering done? That will be APJ 1979 on the 25th of this month.

And then comes the question, why don't we have more archeological or historically written evidence for the death and resurrection of Christ?

That will be APJ 1981, our first episode in October. A lot of ground to cover until then we start with today's question because even if the Christian faith is untrue,

if the cross and resurrection didn't happen, aren't Christians still happier than non-Christians in this life?

Don't our present life priorities make for a more fulfilling experience of this life than the non-Christians seeking their joy in this world, even if we are wrong?

It's a question from Chip, a listener from Georgia.

Pastor John, hello to you. Christian hedonism seems to say that our deepest longings in this life can only be satisfied in God and it's only in him that we can be truly happy.

If God makes us happier than people who simply pursue the world, why does Paul say that we are to be pitted most of all men if there is no resurrection?

He says that in 1 Corinthians 15, 19, even if Christ was not resurrected, isn't our life now more satisfying than the life of the non-Christian?

I'm smiling real big. I love sharp, biblically rooted questions.

I've asked this. In fact, I've spoken on it years ago. I spoke to the Wickliffe folks in Cameroon on this very question.

I was trying to remember what I said. It is a really important and good question rooted in 1 Corinthians 15.

Let me just bring Chip up and the rest of us to where I'm thinking today.

I don't know that I have the completely satisfying answer, but I have some answers that have helped me.

Just a clarification to start with about Christian joy in this painful life.

A huge part of our joy as Christians is what Paul calls rejoicing in hope from Romans 5.

In other words, joy is not complete in what we can know and have of God here now.

Our joy is in hope of what we will know and have of God in the future also.

Our joy here is a foretaste of the fullness of joy there and so it's not complete now.

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