Category: What do you think?

The resurrection of Jesus is a promise and a preview of what is coming for all who believe

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

After spending time in 1 Corinthians 15 explaining what would be lost if Jesus had not been raised, Paul shifts to the joy of what is actually true, and he describes the resurrection of Christ using the image of first fruits. In the Old Testament, a worshipper would bring a portion of their crop to God as an offering, and that portion represented the whole harvest still to come. In the same way, the resurrection of Jesus is not just a win for him alone. It is a promise of more.

For everyone who has put their faith in Christ, the resurrection of Jesus is a pledge that they too will be raised. This is not simply a vague hope of some kind of existence after death. It is the promise of a physical, conscious, and glorious resurrection, one that brings us into the likeness of Jesus himself. That is not wishful thinking; it is the sure and certain word of God to every believer who has ever wondered what comes next.

 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our lowly condition into conformity with His glorious body, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Philippians 3:20-21

God means exactly what he says, and his word should be taken seriously in every area of life

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

One of the real problems in the lives of many people today is the tendency to read what God says in scripture and quietly assume that it might not fully apply to them. That is a form of pride and rebellion, even when it does not feel that way, and it leads people to treat God’s word as a set of suggestions rather than the words of the Creator of the universe.

God is full of love, joy, peace, and blessing, and he genuinely wants those things for every person. At the same time, when he says not to do something, he means it completely and without exception. He does not make idle statements, he does not play games, and he will not overlook what he has clearly forbidden. Taking God at his word in every part of life is not a burden; it is actually the path to everything he has promised.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

Matthew 24:35

Our deepest hopes are not met in this life alone, but in eternity with Jesus

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

People are naturally wired to look forward to things, and yet even the best moments in life have a way of not quite living up to what we imagined beforehand. Newlyweds eventually find their feet back on the ground, those who retire can find themselves wrestling with boredom, and even someone who has lived a genuinely good life may reach the end of it wondering if this is really as good as it gets. Paul addresses this honestly in 1 Corinthians 15:19, saying that if our hope in Christ only covers this present life, then we are people to be pitied above all others.

But that is not the kind of hope Jesus offers. He does not simply make our days on earth a little more manageable or meaningful, though he does that too. He promises that life continues beyond death, and that the hopes and longings we carry through this life will find their true fulfilment in eternity. Our expectations are not wrong; they are just too small for this world. The best that awaits every believer is not behind them. It is still ahead, in the life to come.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Romans 8:18

You can come to Christ right now and receive forgiveness, freedom, and a life with purpose

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

If you have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, the gift of eternal life and the freedom that comes with being forgiven are available to you right now, today. The guilt you carry, the longing to feel clean and whole, and the desire for a life with genuine peace and purpose are all things God can address the moment you turn to him.

You can speak to him honestly and ask him to forgive your sins and take over the direction of your life. A simple prayer of surrender, telling Jesus that you are giving him the rest of your life and asking him to make you the person he wants you to be, is something he will absolutely respond to. He does not turn away anyone who comes to him with a sincere heart, and the life that follows is one he will guide and shape with both faithfulness and care.

Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out.

John 6:37

Salvation is a free gift of God’s grace that no one can earn or buy

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

There is nothing you can do to purchase your salvation, and nothing in your own effort or goodness that could ever settle the debt your sin has created before God. The entire message of scripture on this point is consistent and clear: we are saved by God’s grace alone, which means it is completely unearned and entirely undeserved.

The greatest expression of that grace was God sending his Son Jesus Christ into the world to die in our place at Calvary, shedding his blood so that our sins could be forgiven. Because of what Christ did there, God can now pour out his grace on those who believe, since the full debt of sin has already been paid. Nothing else and no one else can clear that debt. Only the righteousness of Christ and his sacrifice make it possible for any person to stand forgiven before God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9