Resurrection Day

"In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!" (Luke 24:5,6 NIV)

With those words, all mankind was forever changed. Jesus was alive, not dead. He has risen! What a glorious announcement, at a dark time.

What's so important about Jesus' resurrection? It is the way to eternal life. "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9 NIV) The emphatic will, not should, or might, but WILL be saved.
Confess that Jesus is Lord. What is a lord? A lord is one who holds dominion over someone or something. A lord is one who is ,in essence, the boss. If you say that Jesus is your Lord, you will do what He commands. If you do not do what He commands, is he truly your Lord? He is to have all authority over you. That is a tough order in today's democratic society, where we can do what we want to do, and not worry about the consequences. But I tell you this, if Jesus is your Lord, you will do what He commands. If you do not do what He commands, is he truly your Lord? "If you love me, you will obey what I command. . . If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey by teaching. These words you hear not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." (John 14:15,23-24 NIV)
Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. With this belief comes knowledge. You will absolutely know without question that God raised Jesus from the dead. There will be know doubts running amok in your heart. By knowing that God has the power over death, you know that He will raise you also from death, to spend eternity with Him. "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Rom 10:10 NIV)
Your heart is important when dealing with sin. Most sins start out in the thoughts of the person. Hatred, lust, coveting, etc. these sins start out in the heart. Therefore, it is also your heart that is made pure in thought. It is your heart that justifies your beliefs. Talk to any person and you will find their hearts passions, for it is the driving force behind their motives and their actions. Therefore, do you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, or are you just going through the motions. Going to church, singing the hymns, shaking hands, giving your tithes and offerings, only to live sinfully in the world, forgetting (or not even acknowledging) Sunday.
Salvation can be summed up in a three step ABC process. Admit. Believe. Confess.
Admit that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Believe that Jesus died on the cross, and was raised back to life by God. Confess that Jesus is Lord. You will be saved. Now the hard part. LIVE IT!! Obey the commands of Jesus.
What I like best about the this account is the question that was posed to the women. 'Why do you look for the living among the dead?' Jesus is not dead. It is not a Christians responsibility to prove the Jesus lived 2000 years ago. It is a Christians responsibility to show the Jesus is alive today.
Have a blessed Easter
Daniel G Vandenburg
ps Listen to Newsong's "Arise My Love"