"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...." (1 Peter 1:3, NASB)
Here it is. What one translation says, "....He has given us new birth into a living hope..," is only possible, "....through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." No, "resurrection," no, "New Birth"; no, "resurrection," no, "....living hope." All humanity would be, "dead," in our sins.
The resurrection of Jesus, indeed, the resurrection of anyone makes no sense to the self-centered. His self is what explains life to him/her. The self-centered may claim some sort of "scientific approach" to life, or "reasoning." No matter. It all leads to the same death. My acceptance of the historic fact of Jesus' Resurrection is my very life.
What is so pathetic in the self-centered (my new definition for those who reject Jesus Christ) is that more people attested to seeing Jesus after His Resurrection than the number of witnesses to those "great events" in history which humanity accepts without question. No one alive ever saw George Washington. We only have writings, "eye witness" accounts, and paintings which testify that there ever was a George Washington. Get it?
I have, "New Birth," today, and a glorious, "Living Hope," today because I accept and believe in the eye witnesses' account of, "the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." And, because I do, I live in the joy, victory and peace of, "Because I live, you shall live also."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I only live, "because...you...live..." Amen.
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Please pray for Sarah. I took her to the ER around 03:30 this morning. There is something wrong with her right knee, and she can't put any weight on it. I guess some would say we are "under attack."
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
