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What Does Easter Mean in Your Life?
The Apostle Paul teaches us that the
Resurrection of Jesus Christ, celebrated at Easter,
is the foundational truth on which Christian faith,
and life is based: "If Christ had not been raised
from death, then we have nothing to preach, and you
have nothing to believe" ( 1Cor 15:14 ).
But the majority of Christians, sad
to say, are satisfied to believe in the truth of our
Christian faith, but are not interested as to how this
truth is related to their lives.
The majority of Christians go through
their dutiful attendance at Sunday service, but do not
find any relevance to what they hear at Sunday Eucharist
that could be applied to their lives for the rest of
the week.
Only an authentic Christian ( may their
tribe increase ) understands that salvation is not a
simple matter of only confessing with their lips that
Jesus is Lord, and believing that God the Father raised
Jesus from the dead.
Only an authentic Christian will understand
that believing in the resurrection of Jesus is to believe
in certain truths that are crucial in our Christian
life.
Believing in the resurrection of Jesus
is to believe that, no matter what happens to us, God
the Father is in full control of our lives, just as
he was in full control of Jesus' life, while he was
on earth.
Believing in the resurrection of Jesus
is to believe that the forces of life will ultimately
prevail over the "culture of death" that surrounds
us.
Believing in the resurrection of Jesus
encourages us not to be overcome by the evil in this
world, but leads us to hope, and this hope strengthens
us in our spiritual warfare against the forces of evil:
"The world will make you suffer. But be brave!
I have defeated the world" ( Jn 16:33 ).
Believing in the resurrection of Jesus
is to believe that the fullness of life, which we all
seek, will only be gained by resisting and rejecting
the present destructive culture of egoism - built on
the principles of self-glorification, self-pleasure,
self-profit, and self-power: "If anyone wants to
come with me," he told them, "he must forget
self, carry his cross, and follow me ...." ( Mk
8:34-37 ).
Believing in the resurrection of Jesus
is to believe that death is not the last word in our
dreary lives, but a doorway to abundant, everlasting
life. Only atheists regard death as the ultimate absurdity.
Is it surprising, therefore, that so many give themselves
over to a life of pleasure, profit and power? They live
for today, enjoying life to the fullest, for they see
nothing after death.
If ever we need to strengthen our faith
in the resurrection and the significance of the risen
Jesus in our lives, it is today. Only our resurrection
faith will empower us to withstand the forces of evil
in the society we live in, to promote the culture of
life, and to emerge victorious no matter what the attacks
of the powers of darkness ( 2Cor 4:8-11 ).
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