Resurrection: Our True Hope
by Bill Blair on 11/04/09 at 11:29 am
I am afraid that most do not quite grasp the significance of resurrection in our day. I think if you asked, most people see Heaven as the believer’s immediate destination after death, but that is NOT what our hope is based on. As believes, we don’t look forward to a disembodied existence in the spiritual realm but a day when we shall walk as real people, in a real world, and worship our King Jesus in his flesh forever. Our hope is not found in a long walk down a dark tunnel to a bright light, but to rise from the grave with renewed bodies in a renewed world.
Because Jesus died on the cross, our sins are forgiven. Because Jesus got up and walked out of the tomb we have a hope in a renewed existence in that renewed world.
You want to know something else cool? God has begun this process of renewal right now. Scripture says that for those who love God all things life are working for good with the purpose of transforming you into the likeness of Christ (Rom 8:28-29). Into the likeness of Christ is what you will become at the resurrection, but the process has begun today.
What will this renewed state be like?
In a word, freedom. Freedom from the oppression of sin in our lives. Freedom from anxiety, depression, addiction, fear, hurt, and pain. Freedom from sickness, despair, and above all freedom from death. To pick up on a theme from Martin Luther King, it will be at that point when all believers will truly join hands and say “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
If you are a believer, freedom begins now. Our growth begins now. Our renewal begins now. Maybe you feel enslaved to some sin, maybe you struggle with fear, or maybe you struggle with the depression. Because of the resurrection, you know that one day all of those things will pass when Jesus wipes away all of our tears. But I say to you, because of the resurrection you can begin that renewal today.
Because our hope is in a real world with real bodies we know that we can be transformed today. Because of this, we have become free today. Consider the words of Paul:
“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:20-23)
This hope is real, but such hope only comes to those who believe and have trusted in the the truth that Jesus really died for forgiveness of sin and really rose from the grave defeating sin and death.
Do you believe?
For more information on the resurrection I give you a couple sources I read just before writing this:
1 — Mark Driscoll writes of the reality of the resurrection based on the work N. T. Wright has done on the subject here.
2 — Russel Moore writes “The Empty Tomb and the Emptied Urn” in Christianity Today here. (Both HT: Trevin Wax)
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