Jesus Christ is alive! Today is the day we celebrate His resurrection. Praise the Lord! Jesus’ death on the cross paid the penalty we owe for our sins. His resurrection is proof that all those who believe in Him will one day also be resurrected.
“Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:5-13 NIV) [1] (emphasis added)
When Jesus rose from the dead, He demonstrated that God has power over death. Therefore, He can raise us from the dead, also. When Christians’ bodies die, their soul and spirit immediately go to be with the Lord. (2Corinthians 5:8) Then when He comes to call the Christian living and dead to be with Him bodily, those who have died in Him will return with Him in the rapture and He will call us all to be with Him in a new resurrected body forever. (1Corinthians 15) Jesus is the Lord of all.
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT) [2]
Happy Easter!
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