We are, of course, alive physically
both before and after our salvation, but the metaphor is so powerful because it
points to deep truths about how life-changing salvation is for us. Death was
released into the world through the disobedience of Eve and Adam in the early
days following creation. Death continues to increase in power and destruction
as each person chooses disobedience over faithfulness. One way to look at life
is that it is being overtaken by death. But God’s grace is life giving: when
you receive new life in Jesus Christ everything about your life changes. Grace
teaches you to love – to love God, to love others and to love life itself! Listen to John – who was taught to love by
Jesus: We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each
other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. (1 John 3:14 NIV) Once
love replaces fear in your life as the driving force, you are fully living the
resurrection life!
Once you begin living the
resurrection life, you immediately notice that everything in the environment
around you looks different. While there is a part of you that still sees all
the same old people, places and stuff, the “God-alive” part of you sees with
heaven’s view. Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will would be done on earth
as it is in heaven. Paul tells us that we have been seated “in the heavenly
realms with Christ.” Once you start looking at people, places and stuff through
the eyes of God everything looks different. You see the potential, not the
lack. You see the good planted into the entire creation by the Creator who
constantly said “It is good!” Once you can see the good you can live in such a
way to increase the good, both in yourself and in everyone and everything
around you. That is why Jesus was so attractive to people – he “went around
doing good” and it brought out the goodness in people around him. Those who are
resurrected live like that!
God is a loving and patient creator.
He created us to be his partners in creation. When we choose disobedience and
death, we are helping to destroy creation. When we choose resurrection and
life, we are helping to restore creation. No one is neutral in the creative
process – we are either helping or harming what God is doing in the world. Paul
gives us this advice: Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an
instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have
been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an
instrument of righteousness. (Romans 6:13 NIV) The choice before us all is
crystal clear: death or life, fear or love, instruments of wickedness or
instruments of righteousness. Choose wisely because your choice will have a
great impact on yourself and all those around you. Choose life!
- Kenny Payne
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