Title: Let's Live with Resurrection Faith
Contents
Let's live by faith in the resurrection
The core of the Christian faith is the cross and resurrection. The cross and resurrection are inextricably linked. It's like two sides of a coin. In order for the resurrection to take place, there must first be death, that is, the cross, and dying on the cross is a prerequisite for the resurrection. For the joy and glory of the resurrection to be enjoyed today, our Lord bore the cross of extreme pain.
In order for a woman to have the baby she loves, she has to go through labor pains. Therefore, as you watch your beloved baby smile and embrace you, you are willing to go through the pain of childbirth. In this way, Jesus also became the sacrifice on the cross as we watched our sinners be saved from our sins and become children of God and embraced in the arms of the Lord.
But how should we live who believe in the cross and resurrection of Jesus? As in today's text, Romans 6:6, Jesus died for me so that we might no longer be enslaved to sin, but live righteously according to the word of life. “We know that our old self was crucified with Jesus so that the body of sin might be put to death, that we should no longer be enslaved to sin.”
Before knowing Jesus, we lived a life that led to sin and death. In other words, they lived according to the lusts and lusts of the flesh and a proud heart. But now, we have to crucify our old self, who lived according to the flesh and sin, and live the rest of our lives as new people who live according to the Holy Spirit and the Word. To sin we are considered dead, and to righteousness we are alive. This is the resurrection faith. Jesus died on the cross and rose again so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
How, then, can we live as dead to sin and alive to righteousness?
(1) Living while looking forward to the day of the Lord's second coming and the kingdom of God.
In other words, we live with the last faith. Man has two ends. It is the personal end and the historical end. The end of an individual means death that you never know when or how it will come. The historical end means the judgment and destruction that will take place all over the world with the second coming of Jesus. Since we do not know when the personal end will come, we must leave it to the Lord and look to the historical end. In other words, we must live longing for the Lord's return and rapture.
Before Jesus was crucified, he said to his disciples, "John 14:1 Do not let your hearts be troubled, because you believe in God, believe also in me. John 14:2 In my Father's house are many dwelling places. I am going to prepare a place for you. John 14:3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you as Myself, that where I am, you may be also.” Jesus died on the cross to give the saved saints a new heaven and a new earth. Even now, Jesus is preparing a place for all the saints who have been saved to live together. When everything is ready, He will come again to receive us and live in a new heaven and a new earth where the Lord is. That's why He said, "I am going to prepare a place for you. John 14:3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you as Myself, that where I am, you may be also."
(2) It is giving up the pleasures of the world and enjoying the Lord.
Lot's family, who lived in the city of Sodom, fell in love with the secular culture of Sodom. Therefore, there was a time when God, who lived in the city of Sodom, was taken away to an enemy country through war. This was a warning to Lot of the dangers of living in the city of Sodom. Still, he could not abandon the worldly pleasures of Sodom, so Lot's wife became a pillar of salt. This was God's punishment for Lot's wife, who couldn't give up her regrets about the world.
What do people in the world enjoy today? Isn't it drunkenness, worldly songs, possessing valuables, enjoying the pleasures of civilization? But we must be people who delight in the Lord. One of them is to enjoy praising. Before I went to church, I liked and sang well the popular songs of the world. But by attending church, I became a person who knew very little about popular songs. Occasionally, I go to a karaoke room, but unfortunately, there are very few songs that can be sung there.
People in the world try to become powerful judges, doctors or entrepreneurs to gain power and wealth. Therefore, he studies with his head wrapped around in order to enjoy his few decades of life. But we should not be those who toil for some life, but we should be those who work hard for eternal glory and happiness. Therefore, when the history of the world ends and our Lord returns, we should be the ones who receive praise and rewards from the Lord.
(3) To be wise in what is good, and to be foolish in what is evil.
The Apostle Paul said in Romans 16:19, “Be wise about what is good, and foolishness about what is evil.” It means to be interested in good things, to be wise and powerful, to have no interest in evil things, and to not know how to act.
Even if you believe in Jesus, if you are curious about the sins of the world, pay attention to them, and follow them, you will sin without realizing it. Therefore, it is to cut off interest in the physical and worldly things, and pay much attention to the spiritual and the blessings of God and seek them. Ω