What happens to believers who have died if there is no resurrection?

If there is no resurrection, believers who have fallen asleep in Christ are just as doomed as anybody else. Because without resurrection power, there is no eternal life; their faith is vain and they are yet in their sin.

Les explains that “fallen asleep in Christ” refers to believers who had embraced Christianity and Paul’s gospel. If Christ be not raised, then they too are just as doomed as anybody else, because without resurrection power there is no eternal life. This all comes back to the threefold aspect of the gospel: the eternal Creator God took on human flesh, died, shed His blood, and was buried three days and three nights as proof positive that He was really dead. God raised Him from the dead the third day according to the Scriptures. In verse 19, if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

1 Corinthians 15:18

Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

What happens to believers who have already died if Christ was not raised?

If Christ was not raised, believers who have already died—those fallen asleep in Christ—are just as doomed as anyone else. Without resurrection power there is no eternal life, so their faith would be vain and they would yet be in their sin.