Matthew 28: 5-6
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
When the women got to the tomb that Easter morning, they were not expecting to encounter the life-changing power of God. And yet there it was, plain for them to see. Jesus, who they had all seen die, was no longer in his grave. And angels proclaimed his resurrection!
Such amazing power! To conquer death! Imagine what those women felt that morning! To go from the depths of sorrow to the heights of such amazement and joy!
Now here's the thing. Paul tells us in Romans 8: 10-11 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Most people look at these verses on the surface and simply think they mean we'll be raised to new life someday, just like Jesus was. And that's true.
But I think there's more to it. Right before, Paul spent several verses talking about how we need to conquer our flesh, our sin nature. He spoke of how living for the flesh is death, but living for the spirit is life. And then come the verses about the power of Christ living in us to give us life!
The power of Christ living in us not only gives us power over physical death, but also power over the death that sin brings. God gives us the strength to conquer sin! And when we choose to avail ourselves of that power, oh the wonders life on this earth will have to offer us!
Paul finishes out this chapter with the fact that we can be more than conquerors.
Let us conquer then!
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