“People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.”
“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.
Acts 2:22-24, 32-33 New Living Translation (NLT)
We live, move and have our being because God created us to do so. We die because God has numbered our days on this planet. But God isn't quite finished. Although we would like to maintain some semblance of control of the length of this gift of life, we don't. That may be why some don't believe in God. There are those who dismiss the miracle of birth and who attempt to embrace and accept a finality in death. However, let's face it: no one really wants to die, especially if they are living well in this world. Jesus came to defeat death and He did. The grave could not hold Him. He got up to finish God's plan of salvation.
Believing in the resurrection of Jesus and who He is, presents us with the alternative God has planned for His children. Through belief in Christ, we are promised everlasting life. God raised Him from the dead and exalted Him with full authority to pour the Holy Spirit upon those who accept Him as Lord and Savior. We no more asked for God's mercy as Jesus Christ gave His life for us when we were destined to die in our sin, than we asked to be born into this world.
Everything that happens is a part of God's plan. God takes even the bad things He allows to happen and uses them for our good and His glory. Through Christ, God has turned death into a transition to eternal life with Him. When Jesus was crucified, He died for our sin. God raised Him from the dead and gave us all another chance to live with Him forever and He sent the Holy Spirit as a guide to help those who believe progress to His Kingdom. God is at work and He never sleeps. We can rest in His care.
From one person God made all nations who live on earth, and he decided when and where every nation would be.
God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn’t far from any of us, and he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are. “We are his children,” just as some of your poets have said. Acts 17:26-28 CEV
Comments