Life in Christ!

By Peter Schmidt

Life in Christ!

John 11:25-26

²⁵ Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: ²⁶ And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die.

Resurrection Day is here. What a blessed time to celebrate the gift of our Savior Jesus. He is our reconciliation to the Father. He takes away our sins. Everything that is wrong in us can be dead in Him, cleansed by His blood. 

During this season, many Christians seek to be reminded of the hope of Jesus' resurrection. A hope of God forgiving sinners. His promises to set people free from their sin and give them eternal life. For these reasons and more, church attendance swells every Easter. Both the weekly faithful as well as those who only find themselves in a pew a handful of times per year – it's time to get to church and hear the good old Gospel message retold in every church across the world ... year after year … telling us the good news of Jesus death, burial and resurrection!

Undoubtedly, the Gospel sermon will quietly echo in every churchgoer's mind, their deepest thoughts about God and about themselves. Easter Sunday, more than any other time of the year, is the day the largest number of people will hear that message that cuts to the marrow of what we believe. For those few hours people will contemplate - faith. 

Some listeners will reflect on what the Bible says about how to live. Others may seek solace in God, needing to make peace with life's ups-and-downs. Still for a few, Easter is only a tradition, they slug through to oblige their nagging parent or pushy spouse. While, for worshipers, who hold onto the promises of God, the meaning of Jesus' resurrection grows deeper every year.

Like many people, my struggle with faith has been a journey. I encourage people to ask honest questions and seek real answers. If this is my opportunity to help someone who is asking, why they should put their faith in Jesus, I would love to say the best answer to understand God's heart is to know WHY Jesus committed himself to endure the cross. Because it explains all of God's intentions for you and me. It explains what He thinks of everyone of us. And what He wants to work in every heart. Here is the mission that Jesus fulfilled on the cross:

1. Jesus died to take our place, so no one would have to perish, but all might be saved. John 3:16
2. Jesus died so that we would be transformed by His grace. 2 Corinthians 5:21

That's it! That is what God wants to do in us all! The power of the cross is the forgiveness of the “Old Man” and the creation of the “New Man”. As long as a person is seeking both forgiveness and regeneration from God, I know Jesus went to the cross to do that. The same passion that led Jesus to die for us is the same power that surges through all who look to Him to be recreated from the inside.

However, the whole struggle of faith is actually a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. (Galatians 5:17) The flesh is about the corruption of human desires and weakness of human power. (Romans 7:18)  Anyone, who has put their faith in Christ, CANNOT go on living to gratify their flesh. (Galatians 5:24)

Anyone who is guided by their own self-seeking desires is not seeking the purposes that led Jesus to died for them. Anyone who is relying on the weakness of their own human power, are not being led by God (1 John 2:16). The Spirit that wills to transform all people, will NOT be at work in the person who is captivated by their own lusts. So if we refuse God's transformation, because it denies the flesh, we are rejecting the grace of the cross. Consider Galatians 5:13-25 & Romans 8:1-13.

Now consider how much better it is to be free of the desires of our own will. Jesus' will for us is SO much better and He already proved how far He will go to accomplish that will. Our self-will is built on fear, greed, lust, hate, deceit etc. His will was paid for in His blood. 

The good news is that we have access to GRACE BY FAITH! That's access to God's power to work in us the grace of Jesus, not to walk in the weakness of our wills but in the might of His Spirit. Believe that God wants to forgive and transform you, because He will. There is nothing more precious in this world than to have fellowship with God. Trust in Jesus and He will lead the way. 

Throughout the Psalms the authors exhort us to trust God, wait on Him, and worship Him. Throughout the epistles of the New Testament, the writers exhort faith and warn against living by the flesh. 

I hope this message has encouraged you. If you have enjoyed this blog and would like to leave a blessing, Please post in the comments below, either a scripture that reminds us that we have access to all the promises of Jesus by faith or any verses that warns us about living by the flesh so that we can all live by what the Bible says. Thank you!