BIBLE PASSAGE:
“For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so
that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”
(Romans 14:9)
MEDITATION:
Christ is the Lord of all believers, whether dead or alive. Satan is
the enemy of all people and his greatest weapon is the fear of death.
The irony is, he leads everyone toward death, and yet creates a fear
of it. When Jesus died, He abolished death, and Satan’s supreme
weapon was eliminated.
We were hopelessly under the control of Satan, but Christ’s death
opened the door for us to choose to be rescued from the influences
of an evil world. Jesus also freed us from the other ‘lords’ of Satan
which are striving to have dominion over us, and prevent us from
enjoying a close relationship with THE Lord.
Then, and this is important, Jesus rose from the grave to live again.
His resurrection is confirmation that He has redeemed those who
have chosen to make Him Lord of their life. Yes, Jesus, God’s own
Son, suffered and died for our sins, so we could choose to avoid the
punishment we deserve, and live with Him now, and for all eternity.
With an amazing frequency, the Bible affirms the bodily resurrection
of Jesus. In the book of Acts, Luke makes a profound statement about
the resurrection of Jesus.
“To whom also He showed himself alive after His passion
by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days”
(Acts 1:3)
The question we should ask ourselves is,
What are we going to do with these “many infallible proofs”?
Someone asked George Beverly Shea how much he knew about God.
He said,
“I don’t know much, but what I do know has changed my life.”
We may not be able to take all of the Bible’s evidence into a scientific
laboratory and prove it, but, if we accept any fact of history, then we
have to accept the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
As the resurrected Savior, He has the keys to death and hell. At His
return, He will open the graves and judge both the dead and the living.
Until His return, believers need to cultivate love and peace among
themselves. Judgment day is not some fictional event created in the
minds of men, it is a reality that is included in God’s Word.
Becoming a believer and follower of Jesus is not something to be toyed
with. It is a serious decision that determines where we will spend eternity.
Consequently, we need to be serious about what we believe, and in our
obedience to the Lord.
He has not, and He will never, change His requirements to fit the whims
of man. We have to change our priorities to fit His established standards
for believers. It can seem like a daunting task, but His resurrection was a
guarantee that those who belong to Him, would receive the Holy Spirit as
our Advocate to help us in being transformed from unrighteousness to
righteousness.
ACTION:
Do you believe in the earthly life, death, and the resurrection
of Jesus? Do you believe it enough to change your habits and
attitudes in order to fulfill His expectations of those who truly
belong to Him? Are you guilty of modifying His standards to
fit your lifestyle and desires?
Is He sincerely the Lord of Your life? If you are not adjusting
to His expectations, then simply stated, He is NOT your Lord.
You may know about Him and believe He died for your sins,
but you have not allowed Him to be Lord of your life.
If He is not your Lord, then what do you think you will hear
Him say to you when He returns?
Will He say,
“Well done, good and faithful servant”
Or, will He say,
“Depart from me, I never knew you”
If we want to hear Him say, “Well done”, then we need to make
whatever changes are necessary for Him to be Lord of our lives.
Next, we need to ask Him to show us the spiritual gift we were
given when we were saved, and start actively using it to serve
Him and the purpose He has for our life, so we can contribute
to His ministry.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the death and resurrection
of Your Son, Jesus. All the arguments concerning His existence
are refuted, because I feel His presence each day. It causes my
soul to rejoice knowing that You, my living Lord and Savior, are
with me! Help me to conform to Your standards, rather than trying
to conform Your standards to fit my lifestyle. I want You to truly be
the Lord of my life, so I can enjoy fellowship with You now, and look
forward to an eternity with You and our Father.”
BLOG: utvolwoody.com
BREAD FOR BELIEVERS 
Discussion
No comments yet.