The Risen Lord part 1
It's hard to understand (much less explain) how important the cross was. The unimaginable gift of God--life Himself--dying for us... laying His life down FOR US. That, in and of itself, is a greater gift than we could ever, or had ever, expected. And that was only the first part of the plan. Jesus said, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again" (John 10:17). As vitally important as it was for Him to lay His life down... He did it so that He could take it back up. Dying for us and as us was the greatest show of love that a man could have. But it wasn't the whole plan. Becuase Jesus didn't just give His life FOR us... He gave His life TO us. He died so that we might die, and then He rose again so that we might rise again! So that we might experience His life as we partake of the Divine Nature! Look at 1 Corinthians 15:20, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." He is the risen Lord. And that's even more powerful when we understand that as He is, so are we in this world. He died--we died. He rose again--we rose again. Jesus is the truth about God... and the truth about us. Because God lives in us! So now we no longer have to struggle to get by. We no longer have to try to earn our bread by the sweat of our brow. Jesus sweated great drops of blood. His blood reversed the curse. His death brought forth life! But here's where it gets tricky. Because something being available to us doesn't mean we're experiencing it. You can be given a gift... but until you receive it you can't do anything with it. Colossians 3:1 says it like this, "If we then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." See... Jesus stands at the door (of our hearts) and knocks. But He doesn't force His way in. He made the Way of Grace. It's up to us to respond with the Walk of Faith. Notice what 1 Timothy 6:12 says, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." Fighting the good fight of FAITH isn't about "fighting" at all. It's about believing. It's about laying hold of eternal life. Receiving the gift we've been given. Apprehending what we've been apprehended of. It's not about US rising. It's not about getting knowledge of good and evil so that we can do good and stop doing evil. It's not about works and labor. It's about Jesus. HE rose again. HE gave us the measure of faith--by giving us something (love), someone (Himself) to believe in. He gave us the gift. And the gift is His life. His Spirit. The love receptor. That Spirit of truth that leads and guides us into all truth. The truth that Daddy loves us and has given all things into our hands. The truth that because HE rose, WE rose! Already. It's not something we need to do. It's something that is finished. And now we CAN seek those things which are above, because WE are above. All things are under our feet. HE is seated at the right hand of God... and as He is, so are we in this world. Dying freed us from the bondage of sin and death. Rising again equipped and empowered us to live the abundant, eternal, everlasting, Resurrection Life of God by letting Jesus live it in us, and through us, and as us!