The Risen Life
Today's Verse:
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ~Colossians 3:1
The greatest testimony for the veracity of the Christian message is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. It is a fact that is true and transformational. The empty tomb points to a Savior Who is alive and lives forever. No wonder Job could triumphantly declare, “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” Our witness for the Lord Jesus is made credible and powerful when the power of the resurrection is allowed to work through our lives. Let us look at what it means to be risen with Christ.
We see the enrichment of a risen life.
The moment Christ comes into our life for salvation, we become the recipients of an enriched life. The power of the resurrection makes us heralds of the gospel message. We speak with confidence and power to every sinner about believing that God raised Jesus from the dead. Believing on the resurrection is faith in the deity of Christ. Then, the power of the resurrection gives us inspiring hope. We have a living hope through our risen Lord. It is a reminder that we have a place reserved for us in Heaven. It is a reminder that God is the One Who keeps us by His power, and not us. Then, the power of the resurrection enables us to live in the power of His holiness. A resurrected life is set apart from the world and its defilement.
We see the earnestness of a risen life.
Paul emphasizes how to live out a risen life. We are to seek those things which are above. We are to set our affection on things above, and not things on the earth. Our main ambition and affection is for the things of God. We delight in heavenly things. We live for the eternal and not the temporal. The Bible says, “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” When our affection is on things above, we seek to please the Lord. We desire to be in church. We desire to be in the presence of the Lord. We want to advance God’s kingdom here on earth.
We see the expectation of a risen life.
There is a future resurrection of our bodies. On that day, this mortal shall put on immortal. That which is corruptible shall put on incorruptible. The sting of death will be gone. The sorrow of death will be no more. We look forward to spending eternity with our Lord. To be risen with Christ describes not only Christ working in us to do His will on earth, but also Christ calling us up into His presence at the Rapture.
It was Easter Sunday, 1973. Uganda groaned under the terror of Idi Amin. Still fresh in young Pastor Kefa Sempangi’s memory was a face burned beyond recognition, the sight of soldiers cruelly beating a man, and the horrible sound of boots crushing bones—all for the crime of being a Christian. But on Easter of 1973, Pastor Sempangi bravely and openly preached on the risen Lord in his town’s football stadium to over 7,000 people. After the service, five of Idi Amin’s Secret Police followed Sempangi back to his church and closed the door behind them. Five rifles pointed at Sempangi’s face. “We are going to kill you for disobeying Amin’s orders,” said the captain. “If you have something to say, say it before you die.” Sempangi, thinking of his beautiful wife and lovely little girl, began to shake. But the risen Lord living in his heart gave him the courage to speak. “Do what you must,” he said. “The Word of God says that in Christ I am already dead, and that my real life is hidden with Him in God. It is not my life that is in danger, but yours. I am alive in the risen Lord, but you are still dead in your sins. May He spare you from eternal destruction.”
The leader looked at Sempangi for a long time. Then he lowered his gun and said, “Will you pray for us?” Sempangi did, and those five officers were converted through the witness of Sempangi’s bravery. They also became his protectors rather than his aggressors. [31 Days of Miracles, Daniel Sathiaraj]
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above”!
Have an empowered God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 2 Kings 1-3