Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today let’s examine the validity of our hope.

Today’s scripture, 1 Corinthians 15:16-20 (NLT) challenges…
[16] And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. [17] And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. [18] In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! [19] And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. [20] But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

Consider…
There is a two-part requirement for salvation per Romans 10:9 (NLT). The verse says…
[9] If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Notice we have to declare Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead. This is the fulcrum of our eternal hope. That’s because John 11:25-26 (KJV) says…
[25] Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: [26] and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

It just occurred to me that Jesus saying this to Martha right before waking her brother Lazarus up was setting up a preview of what’s to come for believers.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 (KJV) affirms…
[13] But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. [14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. [15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. [16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

This reveals the rapture happens after the ressurection! It also points out God’s view of death. He sees it through the lens of Christ. Look at the wording used in these verses…

• Them which are asleep
• Dead in CHRIST shall rise first

Jesus wakes us up before He calls us up. I believe that’s why Romans 13:11-14 (NLT) admonishes…
[11] This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. [12] The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. [13] Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. [14] Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

The Holy Spirit is telling us, don’t sleep on Jesus (ignore or reject Him), instead rest in Him (believe and accept Him).

That reminds me of one of the most famous and beloved verses in the Bible. John 3:16 (KJV) says…
[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Notice our eternal destiny is dependent on believing in Christ’s identity.

Galatians 3:26-29 (NLT) explains…
[26] For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. [27] And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. [28] There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

By the way, I always wondered what promise of Abraham was Paul talking about? Googling my question returned the fact that Paul explained it earlier in the chapter. Galatians 3:6-9 (NLT)…
[6] In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” [7] The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. [8] What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” [9] So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

The promise is to be made right in God’s sight through Jesus Christ! Which brings us to Romans 10:10 (NLT) which explains…
[10] For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Let me remind you that the previous verse, cited earlier in this post, said…
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead

Here’s the deal, if we don’t believe God raised Christ from the dead we have no hope for everlasting life. Not only that, if we don’t believe Christ was resurrected, then we don’t have hope that His ressurection power lives in us and empowers us to not be controlled by sin.

Romans 8:9-14 (NLT) explains…
[9] But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) [10] And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. [11] 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. [12] Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. [14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Believing Christ was ressurected is required to believe He is living and lives in us.

While writing this I hear Bill and Gloria Gaither singing…

… God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

… Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

I hope this post encourages you to live with a resurrection hope that allows you to, as Jesus Culture sings…

Step out of the shadows
Step out of the grave
Break into the wild
And don’t be afraid

Run into wide open spaces
Grace is waiting for you
Dance like the weight has been lifted
Grace is waiting

Where the Spirit of the Lord is
There is freedom, there is freedom
Where the Spirit of the Lord is
There is freedom, there is freedom
Come out of the dark just as you are
Into the fullness of His love
For the Spirit is here, let there be freedom
Let there be freedom

There is freedom in the ressurected Christ who ressurects us from the emptiness of death into the fullness of His love.

So today hold firmly to the heavenly hope found in the resurrected Christ and live free from the deadly penalty, power and ultimately the presence of sin!

Today’s Song is…
Celebrate (He Lives)

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)