- The Apostles Creed
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The following is an excerpt provided by the Village Church.
“The resurrection truly makes the Christian faith unique. Throughout history, many people have died for their beliefs—willingly and even eagerly giving their lives for their faith, refusing to compromise their convictions because they were certain the reward for faithfulness was greater than any suffering they endured. The difference between Jesus and any guru, prophet, teacher, leader, or hero is that He was the only Son of God and didn’t stay dead. Jesus not only suffered and died but also rose from His burial place, left the tomb empty, and appeared before hundreds of eyewitnesses.
The resurrection of Jesus is not only miraculous but also evidence that He alone has authority over life and death and the ability to forgive sin. Because Christ isn’t dead, we can be confident that all our sins have been forgiven.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. – 1 Corinthians 15:3-11
One of the great but overlooked promises of the Christian faith is the fact that eternal life isn’t just a spiritual reality; it’s a physical reality. Believers in Christ can look forward to their resurrections and renewed bodies. (Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:2)
Jesus promises us a resurrection like His: renewed, eternal bodies free from weakness, suffering, and death. What areas of your life are you most looking forward to Christ bringing new life? When we look at the words of the Apostles’ Creed, we embrace the difficult reality of death and the promise of resurrection. In the words “He descended to the dead, the third day He rose again from the dead” we gain an eternal perspective.”
In Christ,
Pastor Phil