Thursday, August 28, 2014

Respecting the Resurrection

Summary of Evidence For The Resurrection
By: Rachael Prescott

“The resurrection is either one of the most wicked, vicious, heartless, hoaxes ever cultivated on the minds of human beings or it is the most miraculous fact of history.” (Josh McDowell)  Few people, including Christians, seem to realize that the resurrection of Jesus in the cornerstone of a worldview that provides the perspective to all of life.  No matter what tragedies we face, the resurrection gives us the promise of a future of limitless good.  Our wildest dreams of peace, love and harmony can be fulfilled because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The resurrection is the fulfillment of our most basic need for hope, security and relationships.  What happened to Christ can happen for us.  Like Him, we will die, but His resurrection is a promise that we can have eternal life. Death is not the end. 

With the resurrection all prophecies of the Messiah, told in the Old Testament, were fulfilled.  This in and of itself is incredible!  The chance of just one of those prophecies being fulfilled is like covering the whole state of Texas with quarters 3 feet high and tossing one quarter with a red dot on it somewhere into the pile.   Then send someone in to find that one quarter with the red mark on it and only give them one chance to get it correct.  That is impossible!!

I think I take the resurrection for granted.  The resurrection is a serious part of what I believe but I don’t think I appreciate it enough or understand the gravity of what it means for me as a Christian.  Am I really thankful for what Jesus did for me 2000 years ago or do I just go through the motions?  Do I just use it as insurance to do whatever I want to do? Sure, we have freedom in Christ, but that doesn’t mean the freedom to sin.  Sometimes I find myself caught in the middle of sin or contemplating to sin and think, “Oh, God will forgive me.”  That’s such a bad way to think.  But, that’s the way I treat the resurrection sometimes.  How do I stop?  Now, I don’t do it as often as I did when I was younger but the fact that I still do it is a big problem.

My spirit and flesh are in constant battle with one another.  My spirit knows what is the right thing to do but my flesh wants to live for the moment and not live with the hope of the promised future that comes from the resurrection.  We are called to freedom but when we sin we become a slave to the law.  The secret to this battle can be found in Galatians 5 and it is learning to “walk by the Spirit.”

When I live in the Spirit of God or dwell in Him, I allow the Spirit to control me by keeping my heart happy in God.  How do I do that?  Well, doing things like taping scripture, or the promises of God in the area’s I am the most (home and work) can help me meditate on those promises while I work.  These promises can help lure me away from guilt, fear, and greed and remind me of the significant sacrifice of the resurrection.  The fight of faith is fought with the promises of God. 


“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.” ~Galatians 5:13

No comments:

Post a Comment