Our faith in the risen Savior has a past, present, and future importance.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to our faith. Paul reminds us, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17 ESV).
But Christ is risen from the dead, the culmination of God’s work of salvation. The apostle links the resurrection with our salvation, “who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25).
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is our confidence of forgiveness of sins. This is the meaning of baptism, being buried with Christ and raised to a new life.
This new life in Christ is also empowered by our Lord’s resurrection. Paul describes his aspirations of growing in Christ with the resurrection: “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10).
Our faith in the risen Savior has a past, present, and future importance, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
Looking back, we remember there was a Sunday morning in the first century when the Lord’s tomb was found empty-not a legend nor a fable but a historical resurrection. They empty tomb is the best-attested event of the first-century church.
Looking back in our own lives, Christians can remember how in baptism, we were raised with Christ and received justification-the forgiveness of our sins. There was a point of time when the resurrection of Jesus was applied to our lives.
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