He Walks with Me: Enjoying the Abiding Presence of God by Warren W. Wiersbe

Author:Warren W. Wiersbe [Wiersbe, Warren W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: David C. Cook
Published: 2016-05-31T17:00:00+00:00

A New Creation: The Church

When Jesus spoke to Martha about her brother’s resurrection, she affirmed her faith in that Jewish doctrine: “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24; see also Acts 23:8). But Jesus had quite something else in mind and replied, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). He moved resurrection out of a statement of faith and into a person, and out of the future and into the present. He did not nullify the doctrine of future resurrection, but He did tell her (and us) that His resurrection power is available to His people today.

As important as doctrine is, it isn’t enough for us simply to affirm what we believe. We must realize that Bible doctrine is incarnated in the Son of God and that He through the Spirit makes each doctrine real and active in our lives. “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30 NASB). Christianity is not just another religion with a statement of faith. Christianity is Christ!

Of the many pictures of salvation found in Scripture, resurrection is one of the most important and encouraging. “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). Unsaved people aren’t simply “sick” because of their sins; they are “dead in … transgressions and sins.… But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:1, 4–6). Hallelujah!

We don’t know how many people Jesus raised from the dead, but three of these miracles are recorded in the Gospels. He raised a twelve-year-old girl who had just died (Luke 8:40–56), a young man who had been dead probably a day (7:11–17), and Lazarus, an older man who had been dead four days (John 11:38–44). If I were to ask you which of these persons was the most dead, you would think I had lost my mind, because there are no degrees of death, only of physical decay. Millions of refined, religious people live in our world who, like the little girl, give no evidence of decay, but are still spiritually dead. Others like the young man give more indication of decay, and some, like Lazarus, are quite decayed and everybody knows it. But all of them are dead!

In each instance, it was the command of His Word that restored life to these people, the same Word that today raises sinners from spiritual death when they believe in Jesus (John 5:24; Heb. 4:12; 1 Pet. 1:23–25). And after they had received new life, they all gave evidence that they were indeed alive.

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