I am glad to be able to announce that for just the next seven days you can get Raised With Christ: How The Resurrection Changes Everything for a massive 86% off the asking price in both the USA and UK. This is for kindle only, the paperback and hardback are still available at the same price if you prefer to have a physical book. All I ask in return for this special offer is that you consider writing a review for this book, and any other Christian book you read.
If you have Kindle Unlimited this book remains free to you.
Available on Amazon: https://mybook.to/raisedwithchrist
Today, I wanted to read the first portion of Chapter One for you to get a bit of an idea what it is about.
Chapter One
REDISCOVERING THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL
God . . . made us alive together with Christ . . . and raised us up with him.
EPHESIANS 2:5–6
This chapter begins our journey to uncover the personal, historical, and theological implications of Jesus’ triumph over death. We will learn in all the following chapters how only Christ’s resurrection can offer hope, transformation, and purpose to all who will believe. We will discover why the resurrection is central to the Christian message and how it can ignite a renewed passion for sharing the gospel. We will explore the transformative power of Christ’s resurrection and its profound implications for believers today. Why is the resurrection so often overlooked when it has such a vital role in shaping Christian faith and mission?
This book is about the resurrection of Jesus and its effects on us today. If, like me, you have wondered why Christians often seem to talk more about the events of Good Friday than Easter Sunday, this book is for you.
Although we talk about the death of Jesus often, for some reason we have tended to only mention the resurrection at Easter time. Christians sometimes even say Jesus died to save us without mentioning that He also rose for our salvation. It’s time to redress the balance a bit and talk more about Jesus’ death and resurrection.
For Christians all over the world, every Sunday is Resurrection Sunday. We meet each week, among other things, to celebrate the glorious, wondrous fact that Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection really did change everything. It changed the cross from a tragedy into a triumph, and it changed the Roman Empire into a Christian state. This was the most powerful divine event in the history of creation, and it ushered in a new age of the Holy Spirit’s activity and power in saving and transforming lives.
When considering if Christianity is true, it all boils down to whether Jesus rose from the dead. The lives of Christians today demonstrate that the resurrection is still changing people. The resurrection changes fear into love and despair into joy.
It takes Jesus’ resurrection to raise the spiritually dead, so they become alive to God. The resurrection wipes away guilty condemnation, replacing it with a celebration of forgiveness and freedom. The resurrection can remove anxiety and replace it with a hope that goes beyond the grave.
Resurrection power can change our sinful hearts, so they want to follow the Lord Jesus. The power of the resurrection is relentlessly killing sin in every true Christian. Because we neglect to emphasize this truth, many Christians have a meager expectation of the extent to which we can today experience resurrection life and victory over sin. The resurrection is far from being something we only benefit from in the future!
John MacArthur[1] explained:
The Resurrection is the ground of our assurance, it is the basis for all our future hopes, and it is the source of power in our daily lives here and now. It gives us courage in the midst of persecution, comfort in the midst of trials, and hope in the midst of this world’s darkness.[2]
Read more and listen to the audio book version of the introduction
Introduction to Raised With Christ Audio Book
In today’s episode I share the audiobook version of my book Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything this is available along with a paperback and hardback and of course kindle on Amazon: https://mybook.to/raisedwithchrist
Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus? Are you neglecting its implications?
I had preached about the cross many times, but I was shocked to discover that the Apostles instead emphasized the resurrection. None of the sermons I had heard or preached fully explained the meaning and implications of this miracle. Join me on my journey and discover:
References
[1] Radio preacher, pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and the leader of Grace to You ministries; see http://gty.org
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[2] John MacArthur’s Preface, in Gerard Chrispin, The Resurrection: The Unopened Gift (Epsom, UK: Day One, 2002), 6.
