He is Risen.
The three words that ring through all of history.
Jesus defeated death, took the sting away.
He opened up the way to heaven.
Sadly many people do not embrace or even understand this fundamental truth. Many, not all of you who call me your friend, (there are 1,070 of you on Facebook, on 4/9/23) are without Christ this morning as I post this. I say this with the utmost respect and love. On a day where Christians are rejoicing, both on earth and in heaven, today there are some who even profess Jesus as Savior, who live for themselves the rest of the week. The reason is, they don’t submit to Jesus as Lord or as the Master of their lives. They believe intellectually the truths of the Scripture, but don’t wrestle with those very truths in their soul (heart).
I ask you today, are you holding onto your righteousness? Are you hiding behind the cloak of organized religion? Are you working your way to heaven by your own merit? This is not the way to heaven, it is only through Jesus. Not your efforts.
The call of God by the grace of God (his unmerited favor) and the death, burial, resurrection of Christ is what you must believe in for the forgiveness of your sins. That must be accompanied by repenting (Godly sorrow over sin) of your sin, confessing it and forsaking it forever. Hating your sin. By believing this truly, and embracing Jesus as Lord and Savior, your life on earth will change. Your eternal destination settled with God. ——THIS right here begins a new life! New beginnings. The old life fades away, the new life in Jesus only gets sweeter. Trials will come. Tests will come. Only to make you stronger and pure. Consider them joyful. Never lay eyes off of Christ.
We Christians know full well that because Christ rose from the dead, we too will rise when He comes for us at His Second Coming. Oh that’s right, this SAME, RISEN Jesus, is coming back for His bride (you and me, the church).
The story didn’t end when He rose. He ascended into glory, He went and sat down at the right hand of God, but right now as I type this post, He intercedes for His church, he’s also preparing us a place to live when we reach the eternal state. This is the height of all eternity, to be with our God, eternally rejoicing over this salvation we have in Christ.
My friend, don’t squander this good news I’ve shared with you. For if you do, and you pass out of this life without Jesus as Savior and Lord, you face eternity without Him and an eternal sentence of eternal death. “Weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Eternal conscious suffering. “Where the worm dies not, and the fire isn’t quenched”.
Repent today. Believe today, today is the day of salvation. Jesus has risen. The tomb is empty.
It is the absolute fact in history.
God bless you all.