We are Easter People!

“Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make bad people good; He came into this world to make dead people live.” Lee Strobel

Though they’re fun and nothing wrong with them, Easter isn’t about bunnies, colored eggs, baby chicks, Easter Egg Hunts, new clothes, dressing up or family get-togethers. It’s not about Easter lilies or even going to church. Most importantly, Easter is not for one Sunday a year.

  For a born-again Christian, a Christ-follower – Easter is every day. It doesn’t begin with life, it begins with death – Jesus’ death and then for those who commit their lives to Him, our death – death to self. Easter is living out Jesus’ new life within us every day. Christians are to be the 365 days a week, 24/7 Easter people. It’s not temporary; it’s transformational.

  As everyone who saw Jesus post-resurrection knew that things had powerfully, wonderfully and eternally changed, everyone who sees us should recognize that we too have been powerfully, wonderfully and eternally changed by Christ living in us.

  Easter people continue to daily live out the Easter message. They not only know what the Jesus story says, they know what it means. Christ was resurrected from the dead so we can have eternal life in heaven and resurrection life now. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” What does it mean to live out the resurrection life?

  It means surrender…of everything. That’s what we’re commanded to do in Romans 12:1-2. In a military sense, surrender means defeat, but for a follower of Jesus, it means victory over whatever hinders our Christian life. It means that we ask God to search our hearts and reveal areas that we’ve kept for ourselves, then as He brings something to mind, we surrender it to Him. It’s a lifelong process, yet begins with a major surrender. Full surrender is an ongoing opening of the closets and cabinets of our lives and inviting the Lord to clean out whatever He wants because if Jesus is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.

  An unsurrendered Christian is miserable. They have a broken relationship with their Lord and are often easy to spot. They may say the right words but their lives deny Christ’s Lordship, reeking with hypocrisy. Surrender transforms our attitude, worldview, conversations, relationships, management of time, money and talents…everything. It’s  only as we give Christ the absolute control of our lives, that we experience the fulfillment, purpose, and satisfaction that He wants to give us and that we all long for.

  It means seeking Him. The Lord promises us in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.” Can you imagine going to work and doing your own thing, just because it seems like the right thing to do? This is obvious. To do a good job and please your employer, you must first get instructions. The Bible is our “instruction book.” It’s our Love Letter from our Heavenly Father. We’ll never learn how to live unless we’re faithfully in the “instruction book.”

  The surrendered life means listening (reading His Word) before you talk (pray). When we realize how much Jesus loves us, we want to listen to what He says to us. It’s the only way we can pray intelligently. Unless we study His “instruction manual,” we don’t know how to pray.  

  Seeking Him means worshipping together with other believers and faithfully being under the teaching of God’s Word. It’s prioritizing Body Life and community. God uses His family to help us grow spiritually. It’s not just “Jesus and me” or “Jesus and my immediate family.”  

  The more that we seek Him, the more He reveals Himself to us. Be warned though. The more we seek Him, the more we realize how ignorant we are. A seeking Christian is humble because he/she has an ongoing awareness of how little they know and how far they have to go and grow. We’re designed for a relationship with God and each other. Seeking Him is vital for us to move forward in that relationship.

  It means serving Him. The most miserable people are those for whom life is a continuous selfie, those who continually think, talk about and serve themselves. Jesus saved us so that we can serve Him by serving others.

  As there is no such thing as a non-functioning member of the human body, there’s not to be a non-functioning member of the body of Christ. But we’re not “volunteers.” Jesus bought us from the slave market of sin and we belong to Him. Service is not optional. You don’t volunteer for Jesus’ army; you’ve been drafted! If someone doesn’t want to serve the Lord, then it may be because He’s not their Lord. The aim of service is to bring glory to the One who loved you and gave His life for you. It’s vital that we pray for the supernatural filling of the Holy Spirit, so that we can most effectively serve through His power and not our own.

  It means sharing Him. Can you imagine someone discovering the vaccine for the Coronavirus but never telling anyone? It would be criminal. Those who are born-again have the cure for this world’s worst malady – sin. To not share what Jesus has done for you is beyond wrong. The only hope for everyone you meet and this world is the cross and salvation. It’s a free gift that most don’t know has already been purchased for them. Easter people freely share how others can be Easter people.  

  And think of all the other things we share without hesitation; favorite sports teams, political party, hobbies, etc. We even share our favorite movies and music. Yet, we hesitate to share the One who forgave us for an unpayable debt and will freely forgive anyone who comes to Him. Why? We hesitate to share because someone might think we’re a fanatic, yet we’re willing to be a “fanatic” for nearly everything else.

  Heaven is forever. Heavenly transformation of new life in Christ is for the here and now. It’s what this world desperately needs. It’s wrong to be a “Secret Service Christian.” We’re commanded to share the hope that has been given to us every opportunity we have (1 Peter 3:15).

  What joy those first believers had when they realized that Jesus was alive! It transformed them! As Easter People, it must transform us!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.