The Cross, The Resurrection & The Holy Spirit‏

Hello Friends!

The following article is meant as an encouragement and a reminder to us as Christians of what an awesome God we serve – Praise the Lord!

The Cross, The Resurrection & The Holy Spirit

What sets Christianity apart from every other belief system or religion? For more than 2,000 years, the facts about Jesus Christ of Nazareth have been proclaimed on every continent and to people from every walk of life. When someone considers the Christian message, what exactly are they accepting or rejecting?

The Cross:

The instrument of torture upon which Jesus died – Is the most well-known symbol of Christianity. What could possibly explain a two millennia-long fixation on something so horrible? One clue is found in Jesus' final words in which He uttered as He died:

 

It is finished - John 19:30

That victorious declaration, spoken in the midst of what looked like humiliating defeat, tells us Jesus saw these events as an accomplishment. But how could a tragic end to Jesus' amazing teaching and miracle-working ministry be an accomplishment?

Jesus taught that He came to:

…seek and save the lost - Luke 19:10

And:

…to give His life as a ransom for many - Mark 10:45

On the Cross, a divine transaction took place. It was His life for our lives – a ransom paid to buy us back from our lost and sinful condition. That's why the day Jesus died is called "Good Friday," not "Tragic Friday." Jesus' death on the Cross completed the work God gave Him to do, because His mission was not just to teach us but to die for us. All that is left for us to do is to personally accept that wonderful, free gift for ourselves.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life - John 3:16

As grand as the accomplishment on the Cross was, the story doesn't end there... 

The Resurrection:

On the third day, the stone that covered the tomb was rolled away and Jesus came back from the dead. He was alive, never to die again! The power over sin and death had been defeated! The angel in Luke said to the startled disciples looking for Him at the tomb:

He is not here; He is risen! - Luke 24:6

The Resurrection declared Jesus as Victor over death – humanity's most unsolvable problem. By rising from the dead, Jesus showed that even death was no match to His power! Without the Resurrection, Jesus' life was unique but was just like every other human being. Faith in Him under those circumstances would be foolish – a criticism understood by both Christianity's adherents and detractors. In fact, it was the Apostle Paul just a few decades after this event who wrote:

If Christ is not raised, your faith is futile - 1 Corinthians 15:17

Yet if, in fact, the Resurrection did occur, Jesus' life and mission become the most powerful events this world has ever seen! Therefore, faith in Him makes sense. And if we fail to trust in Him – In light of what He did for us – disbelief seems foolish. The Resurrection assures us that power beyond human comprehension is available to the followers of Jesus Christ. Everything changes when we visit the foot of the Cross and stare in wonder at the open doorway to the tomb – He is risen!

The Holy Spirit:

And there's more! The power of the resurrected Jesus comes to us through the Holy Spirit. After His resurrection, Jesus told His followers that the same Holy Spirit who showed up at His baptism in the form of a dove would be in them: 

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you - Acts 1:8

God's desire is for every Christian to have access to His personal presence and power – through Jesus Christ. At Pentecost, 50 days after His resurrection, that's exactly what happened!

What does this powerful Person do in our lives today? Jesus was clear – the Holy Spirit comes on us so we can be His witnesses by being like Him. The character and power that Jesus had, we can have. His Spirit produces fruit in us, and the Apostle Paul describes exactly what that looks like:

...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - Galatians 5:22-23

In other words – the Christian life!

These characteristics demonstrate that God is at work in Jesus' followers through His Holy Spirit. And when His power produces these qualities – fruits – in our lives, the natural result is that unbelievers will sit up and take notice. If the fruit of the Spirit is the Christian life, the fruit of the Christian life is… more Christians. Hallelujah!

The Cross, the Resurrection and the Holy Spirit. These three Persons of the God-Head set Christianity apart from every other religion and cult group. Take any one of these Persons away and you don't have the whole story – or the whole Truth. Embrace them all and your life will never be the same. He will make you new from the moment you receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life: 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, what we do with Jesus determines what Jesus will do with us – for all eternity...

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late!  If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!   

Closing prayer thoughts:

Thank you Lord Jesus for dying on the cross for my sins. Thank you also Lord for the fact that You will keep Your promise to all who believe in You, repent of their sins and receive You as Lord and Savior of their lives. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is our ONLY eternal assurance of an eternal life with You in Heaven!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
Blessings on your studies and involvement in understanding and sharing the Truth!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

 

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