Because of the Resurrection

-

Scripture
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 

Observation

Paul was radically transformed by the vision he had of the resurrected Christ  on the Damascus Road.  He understood that Jesus had reached out to him by grace. The combination of grace and resurrection power had made him the man he was. “I am what I am” was the way in which he now described himself, as a person who was a partaker of the divine nature. Because of the resurrection he was a new man and his gratitude for this transformation would define the way in which he lived his life. 

The grace that he received did not mean that he would be inactive, but exactly the opposite. He felt so unworthy of this grace that he wanted to give back to Christ. He certainly never thought that he could or should be considered to the disciples and was humbled to be privileged to serve Jesus in this way. Now, he wanted the Corinthian Christians to know that they too could live in the grace of God which reaches out to them from the cross and the empty tomb. Because of the resurrection, Jesus could transform their lives as well. 

Application

Paul’s life was defined by the resurrection in so many ways and he was grateful. If we were to examine our own lives the resurrection should be the defining moment. Only because of the resurrection of Christ “I am what I am.” In other words, it is our relationship with the resurrected Christ that gives us our identity. We become truly human when we are in Christ because humanity was created to be in relationship with God. When we use the excuse, “I’m only human” we get it wrong. Maybe the excuse ought to be, “I’m only a fallen human.”  When we are truly human then we can declare with Paul, “I am what I am” because we are now completely new in the resurrected Lord.

Along with Paul I believe that we are challenged to live a life of gratitude because of the resurrection. Paul worked incredibly hard for the kingdom, and we are called to live in this way as well. Because of the resurrection we desire to share with others what Christ has done for us. Because of resurrection power Paul was effective in his ministry. We are not to work on our own, but within the power of God’s Holy Spirit. 

Because of the resurrection everything in our lives is changed. I become who I am because I am in Christ. Resurrection power spurs us on to participate in kingdom business and we give all that we have, working harder, because we have been graciously saved. The resurrection changes everything and should be the defining moment in all our lives. 

Prayer

Lord, I am so grateful to be living on this side of the cross. Please, help me not take it for granted and live wholeheartedly for you every day. Amen.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a ti...
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her ...
Read more

On Grief and A Flute Player

-
Scripture: Matt. 9:23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, Matt. 9:24 he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Matt. 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matt. 9:26 And the report of this spread throughout that district. Observation: This is a simple story which we have heard or read numerous times. Jesus heals the little girl and the people rejoice. But at the moment in which he arrives at the home he encounters the professional mourners. These are the flute players, the ones who have come to make a great noise about the child’s death. It is the flute player that testifies to the fact that she is truly dead. Also, flutes were generally employed when it came to the death of a child. The whole community would therefore understand that it is a child who has died in this home. The flute player is doing the job they have ...
Read more