Do you believe in the resurrection? Do you believe in eternal life? Or do you believe this life is all there is? How does your belief affect how you go about life? How does it affect the daily decisions you make?
We all believe in one or the other. We either believe there is eternal life, or we believe this life is all there is. Whether we consciously recognize it or not, it affects our decisions and how we go about this life.
The unfortunate reality I have witnessed is far too many of those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ say they believe in eternal life, but their life doesn’t reflect it. The head (or mouth) says one thing, but the heart hasn’t fully accepted it. It hasn’t made a difference in our life. We haven’t internalized the truth of eternal life and allowed it to change our lives.
Now, I must admit, it has taken me studying God’s Word to gain a better understanding and for it to take root in me. Still, I have my moments of selfishness and chastise myself when I catch myself acting that way. I tell myself to stop and I pray to God to continue changing me to eliminate those moments of selfishness in the future.
The apostles certainly believed. It turned them into passionate missionaries. They had a firm grasp on what it meant to gain eternal life with God. They had seen the risen Christ in physical form. They took on the mission Jesus gave them to go make disciples. They understood His desire to save every person in the world.
When we understand there is only one great choice for us to make in this life, our perspective will change. It doesn’t mean we cannot have fun; it does mean we take advantage of every opportunity to tell others about Jesus. We look for them, recognize them, and step into them. The good news is this, we don’t have to go it alone. We’ll speak more on that later this week.
I pray we all internalize the truth of eternal life. I pray we believe Jesus was raised from the dead and we will be too. I pray each one of us will look for opportunities to share the gospel. Believe in the resurrection. Internalize the truth of eternal life. Allow the truth to change your life. Look for opportunities to share with others. Know God is always with you.
Acts 2:24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Marty Pressey 