(This is an excerpt from my book The Divine Chase)[i]
Nothing really matters except for or without the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If a mere man dies for another, it is the greatest act of courage and selflessness in the human condition. But it is that and that alone. If a man dies on a cross and is guilty of nothing, he has not died for anyone, and it is just a tragedy. But if a man claims to be God incarnate and is dying for the whole world, his death has meaning only if his claims are true. The vicariousness of his death would be in doubt except if he had the power to demonstrate that he is, in fact, God. He would have to be the Creator. He would have to prove that by demonstrating his power over life and death. He would have to be resurrected. It is the linchpin. The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate act of pursuit of his people. He became a man (fully man and fully God) who died in our place, rose, and ascended and yet lives and intercedes for those he pursues.
Paul puts it like this,
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty. Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified against God that he raised Christ from the dead, when in reality he did not raise him, if indeed the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless; you are still in your sins. Furthermore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone (1 Cor. 15:14–19).
The resurrection is everything to everyone. Paul is talking to the believer. And it is foremost to the believer, for the believer is the steward of the gospel in this world. The followers of Christ have upon their shoulders the weight of the Great Commission, yet empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is both the burden and the joy of the believer to navigate the world with this treasure. But the follower of Jesus who has failed to understand or embrace the power of the resurrection has failed to comprehend the gospel at all. It is neither myth nor legend. It is not an afterthought to give credence to the message. It is not the magical imaginings of a child or the archaic superstition of discredited cults of the past to be relegated to the garbage heap of history because of its capacity to embarrass certain liberal theological elitists.
It is the actual, literal historical resurrection of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of the living God, Creator of the universe. It is the premise and foundation of the believing life.
It is everything.
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[i] This article is an excerpt of my book The Divine Chase: Responding to a Pursuing God, by Ben Bounds. Westbow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, Bloomington, IN, 2017, 103—104.
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We can come to know Christ through confession of our sins and repentance (turning away from sin). Let me encourage you to do this by talking to God through prayer. Here is an idea of how you might do that:
"Dear God, I believe your son Jesus Christ died in my place on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day following his death. I confess my sins, all of them, to you now with a humble heart. I repent of those sins and ask you to empower me with your Holy Spirit in overcoming further sin. Amen”
If you prayed this or a similar prayer committing your life to Christ and becoming one of his followers, let me encourage you to find a good, Bible-believing church.
Begin talking to God in prayer and reading the Bible daily. A good way to begin to read the Bible is to start with the Book of John in the New Testament.
Feel very free in connecting with me if you need any further help in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. You can do this via the above email or Facebook page or this web page.
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Mercy Road Ministries was founded and now led by Ben Bounds. Ben has pastored churches across Texas for over thirty years and is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He holds a BA in Pastoral Ministry and Biblical Studies from Southwestern Assemblies of God College and did graduate theological studies at the BMA Theological Seminary.
Ben's first book, The Divine Chase: Responding to a Pursuing God, was released on 12.08.2017 through Westbow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. It is available in paperback and hardback through your preferred bookseller (Mardels, Barnes and Noble, etc.) and paperback, hardback as well as ebook through online book retailers (www.christianbook.com, www.cokesbury.com, www.amazon.com, www.booksamillion.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, etc.).
Ben is the host of Staying in Bounds, an on-air Bible devotional broadcast multiple times daily on KWJV 103.7 FM Weslaco, TX which can also be heard worldwide online at www.kwjvthestar.com. Ben and his wife, Linda, together have four adult children and nine grandchildren. They live in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Ben can be contacted for preaching engagements at benbounds695@gmail.com or 903.441.3279. Ben can also be contacted via his website @ www.benbounds.com, which is also his blog and contains more information about his ministry.
Follow Ben @ https://www.facebook.com/mercyroadministries/ and this website www.benbounds.com.
©2024 by Ben Bounds. All rights reserved.
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