Our theme for this month: “Being a virtuous person”
Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB)
Our thought for today: “Easter means new life”
As I write this it is Saturday, the day before Easter, 2018. Easter Sunday – Resurrection Sunday – reminds us that Jesus defeated death and arose from the grave, just as He said He would. The resurrection is the ultimate miracle and it proves beyond all doubt that He is God and that He has power over life and death. And since He was able to defeat death and arise from the grave (just as He said He would), that makes everything else He said true too.
So based on the fact of the resurrection, it only makes sense that we would place our faith in Him for the forgiveness of our sins and that we would become His disciples. But Jesus didn’t come back from the dead just so He could be admired, worshiped, and studied. He died and rose again so that through Him we can have new life. Not only did He get a resurrection life, but so do we.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul wrote about that new life. There he explained that when a person places their faith in the risen Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, that person becomes a new creation in the eyes of God. In John 3:3 Jesus Himself described it as being “born again”. You were already alive physically, but in the moment of salvation you experience a rebirth and you are born spiritually. Your spirit literally comes alive. In Ephesians chapter two the Apostle Paul described our previous spiritual condition as being “dead in our transgressions and sins.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 describes the moment in which the dead spirit is “born again” into new life. That’s what the resurrection of Jesus made possible for us.
That new life begins in the very moment you place your faith in Christ and it extends into eternity. It is a new life and that should result in a new way of living. The old life is gone, a new life has been birthed and is now beginning to grow and develop. Paul said, “The old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”
Tomorrow, Easter Sunday, we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the new life we have because of His resurrection. We invite you to join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church. At 9:00 we will enjoy an Easter breakfast buffet while the children have an Easter egg hunt. At 10:00 we will move to the sanctuary for our resurrection celebration service. It’s going to be a great time and we would love to have you with us. Come and celebrate His resurrection and your new life.
Oak Hill Baptist Church