Let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding (Rom 14:19).
Jesus laid down his body so that the Body of Christ might be built up. The church is more than just an instrument to preach the good news to the world. We literally become the incarnation of the risen Lord in the world.
We must think of ourselves as New Covenant people because Jesus is risen.
What does that mean? It means we repent and turn to the Father who forgives us by the sacrifice of the Son and fills us with his Holy Spirit.
I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more (Heb 8, Jer 31).
On the night he was betrayed, recorded in John 15, Jesus beautifully lays this out for us: If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Ezekiel looked ahead and prophesied concerning this new covenant: I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God (11:19-20).
In his letter to the Romans, this is precisely why the Apostle Paul says: For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:3-4).
Let’s be clear in our thinking. Jesus understood the word law, hebraically. It is God’s torah, his teaching and instruction, given so we can live life to the fullest. His Torah is not weak; we are. His Torah is not a curse, but it will condemn you in your sins because it is holy. That is the curse.
Jesus took that condemnation upon himself at the cross. His Resurrection proclaims that he fulfilled the righteous requirements of God’s torah so that we may walk by the Spirit: For the whole torah is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Because our sins are forgiven, we must be quick to confess our sins and eager to forgive others theirs. In the words of the little boy who was learning the Lord’s Prayer in his Sunday school class: “Forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.”
Can anybody relate to this? Let us be quick to confess our trash because God is faithful to forgive. But at the same time, let us be eager to forgive others for their offenses against us. We must imitate our Father. To do otherwise is to block his presence and to be removed from his blessing.
Jesus’ Resurrection reminds us that creation is good.
Creation is good; therefore, redemption involves, among other things, the restoring in us of the image of God’s Son and the restoration of the heavens and the earth to their newness as God intended. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it […] the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Rom 8:20-21).
The world has become mortal, perishable. It is subject to and will be consumed in the fire of judgment. But out of that purging flame it will arise in a glorious newness—a new heaven and a new earth. Part of our future hope is the restoration of creation according to the intent of our great Creator.
Salvation is not meant to take us out of the world but to remake us in the world, which leads to the transformation of this world.
You may say, “Dwight, you are repeating yourself.” Absolutely! I cannot emphasize enough the need to get this deep into our hearts and minds. Heaven forbid we should celebrate the Resurrection but once a year. That which has happened (past) gives us assurance about what will happen (future) and has incredible implications for that which is happening now (present).
Let us arise and build because Messiah has risen.
I love King David’s heart expressed in 1 Chronicles 22: Here shall be the house of the LORD God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel.
He invites everyone, including resident aliens sojourning among them, to contribute to the building of God’s house. In verse 5, he continues, the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it.
Do you ever prepare yourselves to assemble as the church? Do you engage in any preparation to come and worship? If you want the house to be exceedingly magnificent, we all have to contribute, make preparations for it, David says.
Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed, he says to Solomon, the one God chose to carry on his father’s work. So that you may succeed in building the house of the LORD your God.
I believe that is the word of the Lord for you today. In view of the Resurrection, be strong, be courageous. The Lord is with you.
Notice what David says in verse 19: Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God.
Dear friends, when you work for the sake of the Messiah, your labor is not in vain. Not everyone will know everything you have done. But I am here to tell you that your work to build up the Body of Christ is not in vain.
A mustard seed effort can move a boulder in the Kingdom.
It might be a little bit here and a little bit there, but it all adds up. Your Father is more concerned with your availability than your ability. And he wants you to know your labor is not in vain, so arise and build.
I do not know about you, but the Resurrection changes my whole view of the meaning of my life. Solomon had grown old and disheartened because of his profligacy, so he declared life meaningless.
Excuse me, it is not vanity if you labor for the Lord.
What you do right now matters. In fact, it counts forever. A formidable truth, yes. That is why the great apostle exhorts to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. But the completion of his thought is why we need to persevere, take courage, and be faithful, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Phil. 2:13).
My dear brothers and sisters, because Messiah is risen, let us arise and build with thanksgiving and joy!
