The Resurrection of Christ!

 

A key part of our responsibility as ambassadors for Christ is to tell others about his sacrifice and his resurrection, so that they will believe in him. Our job is simply to state the truth of who he is, and he will do the rest. Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for the remission of our sins, but in his death, the grave could not hold him. He got up with all power in his hands! The story is miraculous indeed but comprehending and trusting the power of the resurrection is what transforms lives!  

Romans 6:6(NLT) says, “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.” Our “old sinful selves” is not a banner that most of us want to wear, especially these days, when society no longer wants to recognize sin for what it is. God tells us in Malachi 3:6 that He does not change, and neither does His Word. His standards are set for all eternity. Jesus Christ demonstrated God’s standard for us by the way he lived, loved, and ministered when he was in the earth.

Sin is a nature of disobedience against the Will and Word of God. Sin is the wrong actions, poor choices, and bad behavior that is designed by satan to take us further away from who God created us to be; it takes us away from our identity in Christ. It is important for us to understand that sin has its root in satan, and it belongs to his kingdom. Adam and Eve fell into the devil’s evil trap when they took the bait and disobeyed God. Men and women have been taking the bait ever since.

Adam and Eve had everything in the Garden of Eden that they could ever possibly want. God took care of their every need, but satan put it into their heads that they could become like gods, knowing good and evil, and the first couple fell for this lie. This fall of theirs is known as the ‘fall of man’ and it also clearly portrays humanity’s fallen nature. This fallen nature is the nature of sin that the devil started, and humanity continued. There are really no words to describe the terrible offense sin causes to God. It was satan’s plot to intercept God’s plan for fellowship and communion with us, so that we would not rule over the earth in holiness as God intended.

Through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God not only restored everything that Adam and Eve lost, but He made us new creations in Christ. Through our new birth reality and the regeneration of our human spirit by the Holy Spirit, we have a new nature created by Christ to be like him. 1Peter 1:23(NLT) tells us, “For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.”

There is no question we’re living in dark times, and the minds and hearts of many people are captured by darkness and evil, but God has a plan of escape for us. It is to live in Christ, where the victory that he won through his sacrifice and resurrection will be evidenced in our lives. Because of what Jesus Christ has accomplished for all of humanity, we have a destiny, and God has claimed us as His very own. Romans 8:29(NLT) declares, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” God called us to Himself, and He gave us right standing with Him that we could never have achieved on our own.

This new nature in us that was created by Jesus Christ must grow. It grows as we put on more of God’s Word in our minds and hearts, and as we walk by the Holy Spirit. No longer do we have to obey the old nature of sin and darkness. Ephesians 4:24(NLT) tells us, “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” Faking it isn’t going to fly. We are to stop telling lies, and stop letting anger control us, because doing so gives the devil just the entrance into our lives he is looking for. Any sin that we tolerate is giving the devil an invitation, so we should do all we can to never give him a platform to steal and destroy us or our blessings.

Ephesians 4:28-29 goes on to tell us not to steal from others, but to do our best to be a blessing to people. Using foul or abusive language is a part of the old sinful nature. It has no part in us as new creations in Christ. We are to cast it off and let the words from our mouths be fountains of God’s grace, as we speak words of encouragement and inspire others to goodness. Finally, Ephesians 4:30(NLT) says, “And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.”

We can live beautifully before the Lord because this is what He wants, and He has empowered us through Jesus Christ to do it. His resurrection from the dead should be for us a celebration of newness. Our old sinful nature was crucified with Christ on the cross, and now all things have become new. We can get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander, and all the other types of evil behavior, because the Holy Spirit will help us. Because of the accomplishment of Christ, we can walk in his love and be kind to each other. We can be tenderhearted towards one another. Instead of holding grudges, we can forgive everyone, just as God through Christ has forgiven us.

We are to imitate God in all we do because we are His children, and He has given us His nature. Changing our behavior, thoughts, conversations, and actions to line up with what God has commanded in Ephesians 4:24-31 is the way to walk in the example of Christ, and to demonstrate our gratitude for his sacrifice for our sins. His resurrection is an ever-present reminder of the transformation God has worked out for us with Christ and the Holy Spirit. Celebrate with joy all that God has done and remember to tell someone about the resurrection of our powerful Lord. ■

New International Version (NIV), Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“The Resurrection of Christ!”, written for Christian Encouragement and Inspiration© 2021. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.