Does God Seem Far Away?عينة

THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION

Even though Jesus went to the Cross and paid the ultimate price for our sin it wouldn’t have meant anything if He hadn’t risen from the grave.

We are alive because He is alive! This life we now live by faith—as close to God as we want to be—could never have happened if Jesus stayed in the tomb. He would be dead, and we would still be dead in our sin. But He has risen! Our sin was great, but His sacrifice was greater.

The resurrection proved, once and for all, that Jesus was who He said He was. And because He rose from the dead, you and I have also been raised! Because He is alive, we also can live in the light and love of the Father God.

The resurrection is the most significant event in history. Here’s what it proves:

1. That Jesus was the Son of God. By rising from the dead, Jesus fulfilled the prophecies and proved His deity (Romans 1:4).

2. That Jesus had the authority and power to break the bonds of sin, to forgive and bestow eternal life on anyone who accepts salvation through Him (1 Corinthians 15:17).

3. That you and I serve a living God. The leader of every other religion in the world is dead. But our Savior isn’t dead; He’s alive! (Ephesians 1:20, Revelation 1:17-18) 

4. That death is not the end of human existence. When our human bodies die, it’s just the beginning of our life in Him! His triumph over death is God’s promise that we too shall be raised (Romans 6:9, Ephesians 2:6). 

5. That Satan is defeated! (Colossians 2:15, 1 John 3:8) When Jesus died, Satan thought he had dealt the final blow to God’s plan of redemption by killing the Savior. But Jesus didn’t stay dead! He rose from the grave and shattered the power of sin and death forever. You don’t ever need to fear Satan again. 

He is risen! And because He is, so are you. You are seated next to Him at the right hand of God. You’re not far away from Him -- you’re free to be as close to Him as you want to be.

Was this plan helpful to you? It was adapted from my book “Closer Than You Ever Imagined: Experiencing the Deep Relationship With God You Always Wanted.” You can read the first part here.