The celebration of Easter, including Easter egg hunts, bright spring clothes, chocolate bunnies, and maybe even a Sunday worship service, is behind us. So, now we should get back to our normal routines—or should we?
Did you know that Christ’s resurrection has the power to radically change your everyday life? The fact that Jesus came back from the dead is much more than an historical event that we should celebrate.
Think for a moment about those first disciples of Christ. The resurrection of Christ changed them forever. Life NEVER went back to normal for them. Before the resurrection they were timid and often fearful about following Jesus. After the resurrection they were amazingly bold about their commitment to Christ. They were even willing to die rather than deny that Jesus came back to life.
The resurrection of Christ marked a new beginning for those early believers, and that should be true for Christians today, too. Why? Because the Bible makes it clear that a relationship with Jesus Christ is a life altering experience. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
If you are interested in becoming a Christian, it is important that you understand what the “old things” are that will “pass away” and what the “new things” are that will come.
What passes away? Our sin! For those who are followers of Christ, God is “…not counting their trespasses against them…” (2 Corinthians 5:19). What a joy to know that when that day comes that we have to stand in the presence of an awesome and holy God, we can stand there with no sin left to our account. That is possible because when we are in Christ, we are covered in “… the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
What becomes new? Two things. First, God gives us a new and intimate relationship with Him. “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ…” (2 Corinthians 5:18). Sin has driven a wedge between us and the God who made us. That is why life seems so broken. We need Jesus to rescue us and restore the relationship that He originally intended for us to have. Being a Christian is not a LABEL. It is a LIFE!
The second “new thing” that God grants to us is a passion to see others experience the same new life that God has given to us. We know this is true because God gives every Christian “… the ministry of reconciliation… He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:18–20).
If you have embraced the truth about Easter, then you not only have a new relationship with God Himself, but you also want others to experience it too. Are you looking for ways to share God’s gift of forgiveness with others? Can you remember the last time you told someone else about the amazing work that Jesus accomplished by dying for their sin and raising Himself from the dead?
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
If that is your passion, then the resurrection of Jesus Christ has already made a radical change in your life. Rejoice! If you aren’t focused on the need that others have for Christ, then give your heart and life to Jesus. Don’t let Easter become a memory. Keep it alive in your heart, and share it with everyone you know.
Leave A Comment