My Personal Thoughts of First Day of the Week and Spiritual Renewal

For Christians, the fear of death is canceled in the hope of bodily resurrection. During Easter, we are to think of what Christ did during His life on earth and what He has and currently been doing over the years. What practical significance does Easter have for us? "Much in every way!" (Romans 3:2). Jesus "through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4). Jesus "was raised to life for our justification" (Romans 4:25). That we are not obligated to live in bondage to days and times and seasons (Colossians 2:16-17; Romans 14:4-10; 2 Corinthians 3:5-18) since Christ arose from the dead on the first day, Christians all over the world have the opportunity to set the first day as the Christian's voluntary Sabbath day.

This happened on the first day, which is Sunday, seven (7) weeks after Jesus resurrection. (See Lev. 23:16, 50 days after the Passover Ceremonies, the day after the 7th Sabbath which is 7 weeks). The primary work of Christ in redemption is to justify, sanctify and glorify. Justify means to declare righteous before God, sanctify means to make holy, and glorify means in effect to remake the entire personality after the image of Christ.

New Covenant is sealed in the blood of Jesus, Who is our Savior and Mediator, brought us together with His Grace and Mercy that we have great spiritual and eternal freedom. The Old Testament priests, sacrifices, and sanctuary are superseded by the mediation of Jesus, the crucified, risen, and reigning God-man (Heb. 1-10), in whom believers now find their identity as the seed of Abraham and the people of God (Gal. 3:29; 1 Pet. 2:4-10). Hebrews 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

Easter reminds me this: During Jesus' ministry, Jesus spoke of His coming death. "Destroy this temple," Jesus said, referring to His body, "and I will raise it again in three days." Jesus also declared that the Father would raise Him up on the third day. In Romans 1 we read that the Spirit of God declared Jesus to be the Son of God with power "by his resurrection from the dead." Hebrews 9:14 tells us that Father, Son and Holy Spirit all had a part. The Father received the offering of the Son through the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, who is God, the blameless and sinless Son, offered as the Lamb of God, without spot and without blemish. The redemptive price was paid by the Son to the Father through the Spirit. Christ through His death and resurrection, every legal hindrance has been met and satisfied. There is nothing that can keep me from assurance except my own faith. Its not about thinking our way into salvation or to reason our way into salvation. The only way to get in is to believe Him with my heart which is sealed by the Holy Spirit.

The Book of Hebrews explains that Jesus is the mediator, the executor, of The New Covenant (The New Testament). The word mediator comes from the verb "to mediate" which means a mediator is one who stands between two parties or two factions needing to be reconciled eternally.

On the first day of every week.......(First Corinthians 16:2). It was on the first day of the week that Christ arose and so the first day, Sunday, came to be designated as the Lord's Day. On that day the early Christians gathered to worship (Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:10) as do we, and in doing so we celebrate Christ's resurrection. Easter (The Resurrection) is celebrated every Sunday. The meaning of the resurrection must be rediscovered by each believing Christians till our Lord returns to earth again.

It is my personal relationship to God that really matters that takes priority over everything else regardless what happens. Christianity is able to make a real affirmation because we affirm that it is possible to be in personal relationship to the personal God who is there and who is the author of our faith. All else but God is dependent, but being in the image of God, we can be in personal relationship to that which is ultimate and full of blessings. We are made in the image of God, has a purpose, to be in relationship to God, who is always there. Sometimes we forget our purpose and we forget who we are and what life means. Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it. The best-informed Christian is not necessarily the wisest.

I am not a perfect Christian but I am a forgiven Christian who is still learning. I know that progressing in my sanctification and my spiritual growth and it only happens as I live in the environment of the truth and respond to that truth, and obey that truth, and avoid anything that diminishes my understanding of that truth or perverts that truth. I often question myself about my own spiritual issues and motives. The more I know about God, the more ready I am to believe Him for everything, because I know Him. I can choose to serve God as I see fit in my heart, mind and soul however God may change my decision as He directs me to another direction. God's providence in my life were my "wake-up calls" as well as making me a better Christian. I realized that when I am trying to understand why He is doing this, my life is more peaceful and more enjoyable. In Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”