Read:
1 Corinthians 15:17
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
Also Read:
Romans 10:9
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Today we celebrate Easter Sunday thinking upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What God did on that third day was so powerful, but everyday needs to be a day of acknowledging the resurrection. In the new testament they were always preaching the resurrection. This was one of the greatest messages that the church preached, and it should be ours as well. The bible says that one cannot be saved without faith in the resurrection, and the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is the same Spirit that gives us strength to not only accept and acknowledge Him, but to grow in Him as the temple. Jesus said that He would rebuild the temple in three days. One of the Greek definitions for temple is the spiritual temple consisting of the saints of all ages joined together by and in Christ. Jesus' body was torn upon the cross, and it gave us entrance into God's presence by His precious blood that was shed. I don't know exactly what it was like when Jesus took His last breath upon that cross, but I do know that the earthquake and the darkness that fell upon the earth that moment made some that didn't believe speak the words, "Surely this was the Son of God!" It must have been something unbelievable. I want to ask you today if you believe in the resurrection? You can't be saved unless you believe in His resurrection. This is the only thing Romans 10:9 says to do. believe in the resurrection in your heart through true repentance. The Greek definition for confess in Romans 10:9 speaks of the "heart" and "soul". Anyone can say "I believe" but not have that spiritual change down deep inside of them. We speak what has already been changed down deep inside of us, and it is the part of our soul that acknowledges the resurrection. It is our will that says, "Yes Lord! I believe that you were raised from the dead. It's only by the grace of God that we can believe. Believe today! Its that simple. Believe and live out the "testimony" of how you have been changed on the inside. Live out the testimony of the resurrection. You may be saved today, but need to be refreshed with what God really did on that third day. We need to be a witness of that resurrection everyday.
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you today and thank you for what you did that third day. Help us Lord to preach this message everyday by not only with our words, but our actions. We thank you for that Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Quicken us by that same Spirit today as we travel this journey with you, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
No comments:
Post a Comment