RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Friday, March 30th . 
Pastor Chris

WHY THE RESURRECTION IS IMPORTANT .

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).

When Jesus died on the cross, He didn't take the place of "Christians," but the place of sinners. He came as man's substitute. The whole world has been saved from the punishment of sin, but God's interest wasn't just to save man from the punishment of sin, but to save man from the life and nature of sin.

The death of Jesus Christ settled the charges against us, but it didn't make us one with God or reconcile us to God! It didn't bring us into friendship or relationship with God. It didn't give us eternal life, until we took the very next step as revealed in Romans 10:9-10. It says anyone who confesses the Lordship of Jesus, and believes that God raised Him from the dead shall be saved.

Our individual confession of His Lordship, and belief in His resurrection, "activated" our salvation; it gave us eternal life, and brought us into oneness with God. We were awakened to the fatherhood of God, to the recreation of our spirit; to the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and the efficacy of the Word of God.

Now, Jesus Christ isn't only the Lord of your life, but also One in whom you've found rich and deep fellowship: "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3). This is what God always wanted with man: fellowship! Jesus made it a reality. Now, we've been made associates of the God-kind; we've become God's dwelling place. All these were made possible, not by His death, but by His resurrection.

PRAYER

Dear Father, thank you for the vicarious death of Jesus, the glorious works of salvation, and the inextricable oneness and sweet fellowship you've ushered me into, as a result of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I declare that I'm righteous, victorious, excellent and full of glory, living the supernatural life, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

Ephesians 2:1
And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;
:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
  5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
:6 And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:

Romans 6:4
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:
:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING

1-Year Bible Reading Plan:
Luke 8:22-39,
Joshua 5-6

2-Year Bible Reading Plan:
Romans 4:11-25,
Psalm 102