“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” (John 11:25-27 KJV).
These passages remind that those whose faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ will be raised from the dead in a glorified body and live forever. The power of resurrection gives a promise to all who believe in the Son of God and who are reborn in spirit that they will have victory over death. Their spirits will return to God when their earth suit (their body) will wear away and return to dust (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Then they will rise again in a new glorified body to live eternally with God in the last days.
Martha's knowledge of eternal life was abstract and distant. We, too, may have the same view of it. And the Lord shows her and all of us that it can be a clear real-time personal experience, as we rest in an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. He is very close to us in the now. The Lord corrects her idea that victory over death is a future expectation, and instead shows her that it's a present reality. We are to live by His grace through faith!
The Lord's promise that those who believe in him will live even after they die, is the manifest provision of His grace. Grace means that God loves, forgives, saves and blesses us because of Christ's finished work on the cross, not because of who we are or what we do. He profoundly declared, hanging on the cross, with His last breath: "It is finished." (John 18:30). We receive and live justified by His grace through faith alone. The risen Lord's post resurrection revelation of His true gospel through Apostle Paul says: “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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