Are You Denying Resurrection by Your Actions?
How are you practicing resurrection in your life?
Or are you denying resurrection by your actions?
Is Easter joy evident in your life?
Or was Easter only a passing holiday in your life?
It’s time to put the Good News of Jesus Christ in practice.
It’s time to live life on God’s terms.
But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s! (Romans 8: 9-11, MSG)
God is alive and present. God is powerful and mighty. God is amazing and loving. And he wants to live in us, walk with us, embrace us with his grace. What do we do? Still trying to manage on our own? Still focusing on ourselves? No way!
How can we then practice what we believe?
By murmuring constantly this prayer: “Jesus, be the center!”
By trusting God that by faith, through faith, he will deliver us.
By focusing on Christ, not on ourselves.
By allowing the Holy Spirit to embrace us and direct us.
So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it isn’t an obligation to ourselves to live our lives on the basis of selfishness. If you live on the basis of selfishness, you are going to die. But if you put to death the actions of the body with the Spirit, you will live. All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters. You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8: 12-15, CEB)
Being alive in Christ does not mean new rules and regulations. But it means we live our lives with Jesus, to Jesus, in Jesus. When we are focused on Christ and not on ourselves, new things start happening. When we live for Christ and not for ourselves, we will find ourselves in the process of serving Him.
No need to pretend. Because we are accepted as we are.
No need to prove ourselves. Because we are God’s own children.
No need to hide. Because we are loved as we are.
When we live in this freedom, we can love and serve others.
When we live life on God’s terms, we are truly blessed.
When we practice resurrection, we are fully alive.
Today, tomorrow, and forever.
Gracious God,
Your love is more than we can imagine.
Your grace is more than we need.
We thank you and we praise you!
Your freedom is so liberating.
Your peace is so inviting.
We thank you and we praise you!
Your joy is so contagious.
Your hope is so everlasting.
We thank you and we praise you!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Q4U: Are you denying resurrection by your actions?
Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you practice resurrection each and every day of your life!
Giving thanks today for
#271 freedom in Christ
#272 courage to step out of fear
#273 the resurrection power in our lives
#274 The Active Spirit of God
#275 God’s steadfastness
#276 life on God’s terms is what is best for us
#277 invitation to live with Jesus, to Jesus, in Jesus.
#278 being accepted by grace into God’s family
#279 breathing space
#280 grace upon grace upon grace
Image courtesy of Radikal Arts. Linking up today with
5 thoughts on “Are You Denying Resurrection by Your Actions?”
Thanks for the encouragement, Mari-Anna! In my experience, especially in relationships, asking Jesus to “be the center” isn’t enough: for me, it’s like asking God to do all the work to position Himself in the center of my life or my relationships without really being willing to fully submit myself or my will to His. I’ve found that praying “Not my will but Yours be done” is a much more powerful way for me to pray because it requires that I actually submit my entire will to God’s: you don’t want to pray a prayer like that unless you’re actually willing to accept whatever God’s will really is. What has your experience been with praying “Jesus, be the center” vs. “Not my will but Yours be done”?
Such a great question, Sara! Thank you for digging deeper! I hope I am doing justice for your question by just giving you a quick answer. Also, I’d love to hear what other readers think!
But I think these prayers are not mutually exclusive. We need them both. Maybe we first need to focus on God and keep him in the center of our lives before we can move on to completely surrender? As long as we keep on praying we are doing well. We need God. He will help.
What do you think? Does this answer your question? What does others think? Chime in, folks!
BLESSINGS to you, Sara, as you continue on your faith journey. And healing grace!
Hi, Mari-Anna, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think it does answer my question, though I’d be curious to hear what others think too.
Thank you for the blessings and healing grace! May God continue to fill you up and encourage you as you reach out to others in His name!
How about making the press this option available which allows other so share an excerpt of your article with a link?
I look into that option. Thanks for your suggestion. God bless you!