Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise

This morning I want to remind you of a glorious simple truth. It is the foundation of all truly Christian hope. It is the very centre of the gospel. Merely to announce that we are sinners and one has died for us is not enough. It never has been. No matter how accurate your doctrine of the atonement is, or how clear your view of Scripture, until you have made resurrection the very bedrock on which your life is built you are not living the truly Christian life.

Romans 10:9 makes it very plain. To be a Christian is to grasp two truths: the Lordship of Christ, and the fact of his resurrection. How we should let these words ring out from our lips in private and in public proclamation!

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

O how I wish that the Church global could fully grasp the wonder of these words from the Bible.  How tragic it is that we neglect such a wonderful truth.

The past few weeks have led to circumstances in my extended family that again remind me of the frailty of life.  How wonderful it was then this morning to be freshly impacted with the following life-imparting, hope-giving words.  Let them be your meditation today:

“Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.  You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!  (Isaiah 26:19)