by Precarious Yates
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
What a wonderful truth that Jesus is alive! He became sin so that we could become righteous, but that wasn’t the end. We get to spend eternity with Him! This is the message of Easter. Yet the idea of eternity in heaven seems to slip away all too quickly when we get caught up in the day to day of this life.
If this year has shown us anything, it’s shown us how tenuous this life is. And if this life is all there is, then we of all people should be pitied, as Paul told the Corinthian church in 1 Cor. 15. Sometimes we do live as if this life is all there is. So how do we carry the hope of Easter in our hearts beyond Resurrection Sunday?
First, meditate on the goodness of the Lord and all He has done. Jesus says in John 17:3 that eternal life is to know the Father and to know Jesus, whom He sent. We can start that eternity right now! In the same way that a baby in the womb gets to know her or his mother’s heartbeat and voice, when we are born of heaven, we can learn God’s heartbeat and His voice—today!
Next, we can meditate on heaven and what heaven will be like. The other day, I told my kids that while they were playing Minecraft, why don’t they ask God to build with them so they can meditate on heaven. They were surprised by this concept, but they had asked about the mansions in heaven, and I suggested they ask God to help them design the kind of mansion that they would live in while in heaven. Since this game is a major social outlet for kids, especially while there is still social distancing, they now had a way to share about the goodness of God with friends while they played. I believe the Holy Spirit gave this idea!
Next, a wonderful way to live with eternity in mind is to walk in love as Christ loved us (see Ephesians 5:1-2). When we live a life of love, we live vulnerable. Sometimes when we love, it involves picking up our cross. I believe that if Jesus was not convinced that the Father would raise Him from the dead, He wouldn’t have picked the cross. Jesus tells us to pick up our cross with that same kind of confidence—that we will live again. There will be resurrection. There will be an eternity in the light of His love. In view of this, and with full assurance of eternity in Him, we can, like the Apostle Paul, be convinced that the sufferings of this age are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (see Rom. 8)!
So strengthen yourself in the Lord and in His promises for you! Carry that promise of eternity in your heart long after the Hallelujahs of Easter Sunday morning services.
~ Precarious Yates
About the Author:
Precarious Yates has lived in 8 different states of the Union and 3 different countries, but currently lives in Texas with her husband, her daughter and their big dogs. When she’s not writing, she enjoys music, teaching, playing on jungle gyms, praying and reading. She holds a Masters in the art of making tea and coffee and a PhD in Slinky® disentangling.
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