Easter Encouragement

What an incredible Savior we celebrate at Easter!

Jesus came to live the perfect life none of us could live. He came to die the death that all of us deserved. He conquered our sin, death, hell, and the grave on our behalf. Today we celebrate that He rose from the grave in total triumph over His enemies and our enemies!

Imagine the hopelessness we would have if He had not come to save us. If He didn’t love us enough to leave His glory behind in heaven to come to earth.

We can do nothing to earn salvation or earn heaven. Jesus did ALL the work for us!

On our own, our best efforts at being good look like “filthy, bloody menstrual rags” in God’s sight (Isaiah 64:6).

But Jesus’ life is total perfection. And He offers us a Great Exchange because of His great love for us:

• Our sinfulness and exorbitant debt to God for His sinless perfection.
• Our helplessness for His strength.
• Our shame and exile for His intimate relationship with God, the Father.
• Our punishment and death for His eternal life.

It is the most incredible love in all the universe that God offers to each of us through Jesus if only we will accept Him.

Today is the day to make things right with God. We are not guaranteed another day. May we all seek the Lord while He may be found!

In Him, we can have a brand new life!

What Do We Need to Do to Be Right with God and to be saved?

1. We simply acknowledge our inability to please God on our own and admit our sinfulness and helplessness to earn heaven and fellowship with the one holy God of the universe. “No one is righteous, no not one” (Rom. 3:10). “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Rom. 3:23).
2. We humbly turn from our sin and admit that our sin is wrong and offensive in God’s sight. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
3. We receive the gift of salvation Jesus offers to us by faith. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).
4. We begin to follow Jesus as our Savior and Lord of our lives from this moment on. “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9).

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

We humbly step down off the throne of our lives and invite Jesus to be in charge from now on. He, alone, deserves our worship, faith, trust, and full obedience.

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

He alone can provide the purpose, identity, security, love, belonging, peace, joy, and fulfillment we all desire. Nothing else can satisfy the longing of our souls.

Other people and things in this life may disappoint us, but He is always faithful.

Then we let Him cleanse us and heal us. We receive His truth from the Bible. We receive His Holy Spirit to guide us. We allow Him to empower us to live lives that please God.

• In Christ, we die to our old self, our old sinful nature, and this world.
• In Christ, we have forgiveness for all of our sins! We can be right with God and have peace with Him and with ourselves!
• In Christ, we are raised to new life with a new nature, His nature!
• In Christ, we have victory!
• In Christ, we are seated in the heavenly realms!

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

We know that “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). When we die, we don’t have to be afraid because we know He will receive us into paradise if we belong to Him and His blood covers our sins. And we don’t have to be afraid to live here in this world, either!

He heals us. He heals marriages and families. He raises spiritually dead people to new life by the same power that raised Jesus from the grave on Easter Sunday!

We can be fearless because God’s “perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18). We can look forward to being part of God’s kingdom and family, enjoying the most incredible fellowship with Christ and those who love Him for all eternity in heaven together.

He is our hope no matter what may happen in this world. We keep our eyes on Him and trust Him to lead us as our Good Shepherd. He will provide for us and care for us as we leave everything behind to follow Him.

Happy Easter!
He Is RISEN! ????

???? For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

If you know the Lord and His goodness already, please share His love, truth, and salvation with others so that as many people as possible can join us in heaven to celebrate Jesus.

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If you want to make things right with God today and need some help, please comment and let me know!

If you want to share praises to God for what He has done for you or encouragement to others, you are welcome to share!

RESOURCES

What Is Lordship Salvation? by www.gotquestions.org

Look Upward to Jesus

Look Inward to let Jesus cleanse and heal you

Look Outward At Others in Divine New Ways

Look Forward to all that Jesus will do in your life here for His glory and to eternal life with Him forever!