Do you know what is the purpose of Easter? The purpose of the resurrection of Jesus is to set you free. God arranged this for you. Christ died and was resurrected for you. So you could be truly free from your transgressions and live in God’s grace.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Gal.1:3-5, NRSV, emphasis added,*)

The purpose of Easter (and the gospel) is indeed to set you free. This is something that is done supernaturally for you. Salvation is God’s gift for you. There is no way you can ever earn it. It is all done for you. And it is finished. You can’t add anything on it. Or to take anything from it. It is completed.

Don’t let anyone take this freedom from you. Don’t let anyone make you a slave again. Everything has been done; it is finished. In order to keep from adding anything to the grace of God, hold these freedom sessions with God where you are reminded that your part of salvation is just to receive the free gift of God’s grace.

If Christmas is acknowledged as “God WITH you”, Easter is best described “God FOR you” (and Pentecost could be described “God IN you”).

But, yes, you are not just freed from slavery but you are also freed to something. You are freed to live in God’s presence. And when you do it day after day, the Holy Spirit creates new things in you and through you.

God has a plan for you. But it all happens by God’s amazing grace, not by your own effort. You are a spiritual human being not a spiritual human doing. Just be in God’s presence all the days of your life and he will produce spiritual fruit in your life.

 

Gracious God,
It is so astonishing that you’ve done everything FOR us.
All is done, we can just receive grace upon grace.
Yes, we so want to be yours.
We want to be free.
Take our transgressions,
take all our burdens
and forgive us.
Pour out grace upon grace
and make us free.
Teach us what it is to live in grace,
how to bask in your presence
all the days of our lives.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Do you know how to BE in God’s presence?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you embrace freedom in Christ!

* [As you might have noticed, I enjoy reading the Bible in different translations and love comparing them. I have started linking the Bible verses to Biblegateway.com so you can easily read (and compare) them in the different versions I’ve used while preparing each post.]

Image courtesy of Alyssa Kellert, design Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Unite the Bloggersphere , Three Word Wednesday and #tellhisstory.