1 Corinthians 15:33-34 “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.”
Secondly, if Christ has risen from the grave then the way that we live this life actually matters. To blindly “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die” is not only a false statement; it is actually living for the wrong kingdom. God wants us to enjoy our lives. When we gather with family and friends, soak up those moments and memories because no one truly knows how many opportunities we have to do so. The kingdom-minded Christian understands that there are limits to how God wants them to live. We cannot call ourselves a citizen of Heaven and live like Hell while we are on earth. That might be the message for you today. You believe in God, but if you are honest with yourself, you might be living for the wrong kingdom. In Acts 26:18 said, “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
Watch who you associate with, live sober-minded and do not continue to sin. Learn from mistakes, repent of sin, godly grow from them and surround yourself with like-minded Christians to help overcome evil. Everything found in the Bible is true and everything from the Old Testament to the New Testament needs to ring true in our lives. Thirdly, if Christ has risen from the grave then the hope and peace of God are as real and tangible as Jesus’ resurrected body. Romans 5:13-21 says, “for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Almighty Creator God is the “God of Hope”, filling us with more love, joy and peace. The word hope is used over 200 times in the Bible and tied to our future orientation in Christ, and ultimately to the resurrection that we celebrate on Easter Sunday. Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” A hope that is tied to spending eternity with Jesus – the Author and Perfecter of our life. Philippians 3:20-21 “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Just as the day we are born, we start dying because of sin; the day that we believe and receive Christ, we start living for the kingdom of Heaven. John 1:11-14 “He [Jesus] came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Our duty as citizens of the kingdom of Heaven is to be filled with hope so we can bring Godly hope into this very real, broken world. The hope that we are looking for in this life and the peace that we need to get through, does not come from anything on earth; it coming from another kingdom entirely. Galatians 5:22-25 explains that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
As the Apostle [Doubting] Thomas stated in John 20:25, some today may think that they could believe more if they could touch the resurrected body of Jesus, though the Lord said in Matthew 28:20, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Do you experience His presence in worship and in life? If you were to look back over your life, you could point to many tangible moments where you tangibly felt the hope and peace of God. Hope is not “wishful thinking”, but grounded in who God truly is. What is it going to take in order to make that hope, your reality? God builds His kingdom and finishes what He starts out to do. He will see us through what He calls and sets us to. The hope of God is real; strive after the Lord, serve Him and trust Him with your life. You will find Him to be good. God, Jehovah Jireh, will continue to be our provider, if you are following Him. And when this life is over, we shall go home, be raised in bodily glory, and be with Jesus in the kingdom of Heaven forever. It will be the best family reunion ever. He has risen. He has risen indeed! And we shall all be made alive in Christ.
Your brother in Christ, Brian
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