What the Resurrection Accomplished for Us

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Easter brings to mind pastel colors, Easter egg hunts, the Easter bunny and maybe even cute little chicks. Yet, a lot of people don’t know the meaning of Easter.

Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus assures us that we are accepted by God. The Bible tells us that Jesus “was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God” (Romans 4:25 NLT).

Sometimes we have the mindset that if we just live a life that is good enough, we will be pleasing to God. But being pleasing to God isn’t the result of something we do; it’s the result of what Jesus did. The Bible says that He has made us “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV).

The Power to Overcome

The resurrection of Jesus also assures us that we have all the power we need to live the Christian life. The apostle Paul wrote, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you” (Romans 8:11 NLT).

So if you’re a Christian, you have no obligation to do whatever your sinful nature tells you to do. Yet, some believers say, “Well, I’ve tried to live the Christian life, and it’s hard.”

Living the Christian life isn’t hard; it’s impossible—without the help of the Holy Spirit. Because Jesus Christ died on the cross, rose from the dead, and has placed His Holy Spirit in our lives, we have all the power we need to overcome any addiction and any sinful lifestyle.

This is what the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead accomplished.

The Hope of Heaven

In addition, the resurrection assures us that, as Christians, we will live forever in Heaven. This is the most important thing of all—death died when Christ rose. Because Jesus rose, we too will rise; because Jesus died, in one sense, we never will die.

Of course, I understand that Christians die every day. But I also understand what Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying” (John 11:25 NLT).

And writing to the Christians in Corinth, the apostle Paul made this statement: “When our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” (1 Corinthians 15:54–55 NLT)

A while back, I was walking on the beach with my wife, and I stepped on a bee. Yes, it hurt, but I knew that bee had stung its last person, because bees can only sting once.

Jesus took the sting of death on the cross of Calvary for each of us. For the Christian, the tomb is not the entrance to death but the entrance to life. The moment we take our last breath on Earth, we will take our first breath in Heaven.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ assures us that in Heaven, we each will have a new body just like his. If your body is starting to wear out a little, then you can appreciate this simple fact. The Bible tells us, “And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory” (Colossians 3:4 NLT).

God’s Promise

This is the great promise of God to all of us who are Christians. But this is only true for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. Have you done that yet? Have you met Jesus? He can come and live inside of you.

Being a Christian is not about being religious. At the age of 17, I wanted a relationship with God, and Christ came and lived inside my heart because I invited Him in. I was filled with doubt and thought it would never work for me, because I’m not the religious type.


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