Photo by MohamedNohasi on Unsplash
It began with a question. The question became an intrigue, which turned into a journey.
The resurrection life.
Thus far, we have observed 12 things about it that help us decide if we want it.
- The Messiah has come, and his name is Jesus.
- You no longer live under a “low-lying black cloud” of oppression and depression.
- Resurrection life does not come from adherence to the law code.
- God the Holy Spirit works to bring you into a resurrection life by developing a close personal relationship with God—as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- If God has taken up residence in your life, it is a life-altering experience.
- Just because the Spirit of God lives within you, there is still a battle with your sinful nature.
- The resurrected life is not a self-help but one of choosing to follow God.
- The resurrected life is not a sedentary life.
- The resurrection life is not a timid, grave-tending life.
- The resurrected life is a father/child relationship life.
- A resurrection gives you an unbelievable inheritance.
- The resurrection life is a place of honor in God’s kingdom.
The Apostle Paul brings an exciting conclusion to the matter.
“The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next.
Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in
until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.
All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs.
These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance.
That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us.
But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.
He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God.
That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.
After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.”
Romans 8:19-30 The Message
Did you have any idea that you were pregnant? The debate about men (the male in the human species) beginning pregnant is humorous.
According to the Apostle Paul’s writings, YES, men can be pregnant—but not according to what the world thinks.
Not only are Christ-followers pregnant, but the world and nature itself are pregnant. Are you aware that several earthquakes have recently hit the East Coast of the United States? New York is the latest.
The apostle says the globally difficult times of pain—human and nature—are signs of a coming birth.
I have never thought of it that way.
This is where my question began.
Since the start of 2024, I have felt heaviness, almost like mourning.
God the Holy Spirit directed me to this passage of scripture.
The question turned into intrigue as I began studying this portion of the Apostle Paul’s writing.
The intrigue turned into the journey you are reading.
There is no question that humanity is at the end, as the Bible describes it. I cannot put it on a timeline, but my sense is that we are past the midway point and perhaps close to the end.
Here is why I say that.
It is a departure from the resurrection story, but necessary to bring you a fuller understanding of how it is connected.
In the New Testament book of Matthew, Jesus describes the end of the age (humanity as we understand it) and his return to earth.
He speaks of the increase in earthquakes, famines, and wars but says they are routine history.
“When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end.”
Matthew 24:6 The Message
Jesus then says something that captures my attention.
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.”
Matthew 24:9 New International Version
It is understood that Jesus is talking about his followers. Some translations even say, “Because you carry my name,” The Message.
Therefore, I am not disputing who Jesus is referring to.
Have you noticed the increase in anti-Semitism in 2024?
It is difficult to go one day without news of anti-Semitic demonstrations on college campuses, federal buildings, and major highways.
The adversary, the devil, hates humanity because we are made in the image and likeness of God. His hatred for the Jewish race knows no bounds because they bring the Messiah. Jesus is the Messiah, and the devil knows that.
So, is it possible the increase in anti-Semitism is related to Jesus’ statement of being hated by all nations?
I believe it is. This is not to say Christians are not being persecuted. I regularly receive stories outlining all types of Christian persecution.
But this is the first time in my life that anti-Semitism has been this pronounced in America.
My disclaimer is that this is not a new doctrine; it is simply an observation prompted by an inner witness in my heart.
How does this relate to the resurrected life?
The Apostle Paul says that the resurrected life is for Christ-followers.
Christ-followers have surrendered their will, way, and wonderings to God.
They are the ones experiencing the uncomfortableness of being (spiritually) pregnant.
The apostle says, “The created world can hardly wait for what’s coming next.”
He then says, “The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs.”
This portion of scripture explains why I feel the way I feel. It helps me understand that the spirit of God within me is aware that something is coming.
This is important to understand.
Religious people will not be aware of this because they are locked into “doing” religious duties and are not mindful of promptings from God, the Holy Spirit.
This isn’t a judgment; it is a spiritual fact of life.
“But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.”
I confess that this portion of the apostle’s teaching is more theory than reality. I take joy in faith because the present (temporal) reality isn’t very happy.
However, I know it is for a season, which helps me endure the challenge.
He (Paul) adds, “Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along.”
This is a fundamental difference between religion and relationship. In a close personal relationship, the Christ-follower senses the presence of God the Holy Spirit.
The apostle continues, “That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. God knew what he was doing from the very beginning.”
The phrase “every detail in our lives of love for God” refers to a close personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
The “being” in love with God matters more than “doing” good things for him.
“God knew what he was doing from the very beginning.”
He walked and talked with Adam (then Adam and Eve) in the garden. He sat with them, instructed them, laughed with them, and loved them.
His desire is no different for you today, and the story of Jesus makes it possible for you to walk, talk, laugh, and love with God.
I went deeper than I like in writing because words alone cannot fully express the message’s intent.
A close personal relationship with the Godhead provides you a living hope. It is a living anticipation full of expectation of something good happening.
A close personal relationship with the Godhead is a journey. I invite you to follow along. As I learn, I will pass it along so you, too, can learn. I hope that as you learn, you can pass it along so that I (and others) might learn.
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