Happy Easter

Just like King David. David messed up big time but God told us through the Bible that David was truly after God’s heart. We all are sinners and had our share of mistakes. My life is just a series of trying to make up my mind. Every Christian has a past, and every sinner has a future. I have more trouble with myself than I have with anyone else around me. I cannot succeed if I don’t believe in myself. What I think of myself, that is what determines (or indicates) my fate. At times, I fail to grasp the extent to which God identifies me with Jesus, His beloved Son with whom He is well pleased, I do not know that, in Christ, it is impossible for me to displease or disappoint God. The Law promises life to those who keep the Law. The Gospel promises life to those who have transgressed the Law. The promise of the Gospel is an unconditional promise of pure grace.

Justification cannot be separated from sanctification. We are declared righteous in justification, and then the process of making us righteous begins to function in this sinful world. This is a life long relationship with Christ until we go into heaven. God has given us the grace to sanctify us. In sanctification, God has to deal with us on the death side as well as on the life side in a way that sanctified means “to be separated from sin”. In Second Corinthians 5:21 states that God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Keep in mind that Paul doesn’t at all infer that we will automatically be renewed because we have to actively renew our minds to it. I need to understand that I will not try to put up a daily fight against sin because, there are times, I do not truly understand the nature of sin (or try to). According to Peter, God “has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3).

I am repeating my previous post. 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).

Since Christ's resurrection is central to the Christian faith, mention of His resurrection occurs in literally thousands of songs and hymns. "Messiah" is George Frideric Handel's best known work. "Messiah" was designed and selected from the New and Old Testaments of the Bible based on a libretto by Charles Jennens. Handel might never have written "Messiah" had Jennens not sent him a letter a compilation of scriptures which focused on the Christ of God. Handel felt deeply moved in his spirit and began to write. Within seven days he had completed part one of "Messiah," which concerned Jesus' birth that is often played during Christmas. He wrote the redemption part in another nine days and then, in less than one week, Handel completed the resurrection and future reign of Christ portion including the "Hallelujah Chorus" which is often played during Easter. Anyway, this is one of my favorites songs and after 250+ years, Messiah still holds its extraordinary grip on musician and audience member alike.

Handel's Messiah

Christianity's concept of the Messiah ("the anointed one"). In Christianity, the Messiah is Jesus. The work is a presentation of Jesus' life and its significance according to Christian doctrine.