DaySpring Daily Word of Inspiration: 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 – But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
Before we start today’s devotional, take a moment and reread the scripture above. This is a basic but fundamental truth that we have to understand if we’re going to be able to comprehend the work that Christ did on the cross for us. It is the essential of why sin and death came into this world (by disobedience to God) and how it we were restored back into a new life that was meant for us in the beginning (by obedience to God). Adam in his disobedience made sin and death come into the world. Jesus in his obedience paid the price for ALL sin; essentially taking all sin away from those who would accept His life as our sacrifice, but then He showcased the power given to Him by God to raise himself from the dead – being the first to ever do so (that is put on his incorruptible glorified body) – but more importantly establishing that all who accepted Christ forgiveness of their sins (having Him take their sins to the grave through His death on the cross and leaving them there) could be assured they (their spirit) would raise again to a new spiritual eternity with Him in heaven.
If you don’t know by now, that is a wonderful and extremely exciting thing!! Hope that was once lost because of man’s inability to carry out the tasks God set before us has been restored – if we accept the truth of God’s plan to bring mankind back into a real rich relationship with Him again! We are made alive in Christ because of our acceptance of His sacrifice for us. In our flesh we are and all have been cursed with the reality of death. There is no one you know that just keeps on living. In addition to that physical death, there is a spiritual death that also takes place when we are separated from the love, grace, and mercy of God. Since the reality of these deaths were before us all; dying and then not knowing what will happen to us once we’re dead, it created a fear. This was a fear of dying, a fear of trying, and even a fear our own futures. However, Jesus Christ, himself, took away the sting of death (and this always used to confuse me because I never truly understood). Basically and simply put, Jesus took away the fear of dying. As our faith and hope reside in Christ, we aren’t afraid any longer of dying or of what will become of us in the life-after. For those who live by the Word of God and faith in Jesus Christ securing our safety, washing away our sins, and completing the work of salvation, we actually welcome death; for it is the end of physical suffering and the graduation to life eternal with our Creator.
Have you noticed that when you’re dead in your way of living, you never feel like you’re going to come out of it or that things will never get better? Being alive in Christ, you won’t always feel great about situations and circumstances you encounter but you will have a different peace, a more prevalent joy, a greater contentment, and confidence that no matter what – things will be alright in the end. We don’t get this gift on our own; it comes from being saturated, dedicated, and obedient in lifestyles that exude Christ and his attributes at every waking moment of our lives. Are you alive today? Does your life reflect the power of Christ’s forgiveness and your acceptance of that great sacrifice or are you still in your Adam state of mind knowing you messed up and are scared because you don’t think God is willing to forgive your mistakes? I submit to you today, God has already made the provision. It is done! The problem isn’t Him making a move; the problem is us not making one in response to His!
Today, we pray that we don’t stay stuck in the bondage of our sins and the trick of the enemy making us believe that there isn’t any hope for our lives as we deal with our sins. Today we want you to know that there is hope and the work has been accomplished and completed in and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His ascension into the heavens placed him back with the Father. If we truly accept, live by and walk in obedience to the teachings and commands of Christ, as He lives in us, we are already in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-7; please read it – twice!) – forgiven of our sins and on our way to experience what it truly means to be alive! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!