Assured Through Resurrection: Easter 2016

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.  Without it, there is no Jesus to follow, a God that is not powerful, and no Spirit indwelling the Christian.  Without Jesus being raised from the dead, we have a useless faith, we are still in our sins, the dead are lost forever, and the followers of Jesus are the most foolish of all people. (1 Corinthians 15:16-19)

To the praise of the glorious grace of God, the resurrection is true!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3 ESV)

How does the resurrection of Jesus save sinners?  In almost every way!  Admittedly, it’s hard to separate the resurrection from the life and death of Jesus in their atoning work, but apart from the resurrection, none of the rest of it matters.  The resurrection of Jesus is the bedrock on which the rest of our faith stands.  And just like the bedrock foundation beneath a strong building, the resurrection gives us assurance that the ground of our faith won’t fall out.

When we gather on Easter to celebrate the death of death, we are proclaiming faith not only in a God who raised His Son from the dead, but our faith in His ability to do the same for us.  The resurrection power of God is ours as His followers; the power that raised Christ dwells in us as our seal of salvation.

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:10-11 ESV)

He is risen indeed!  Delight in the riches of the love of God today as you celebrate our Risen King!