Unshakeable

In his devotional book Abundant Living, E. Stanley Jones writes the following words about the fear of death:

Many go through life spoiling it through fear of death. But why should a Christian be afraid of death? To be afraid of that larger life is a species of atheism. Doubt of the future means doubt of the present. It means that the Master, who went down through death and came up and said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me…shall never die,” is not dependable for the ultimate things, and therefore not dependable for the immediate things. As the little bird on a twig of the tree, when the storm is about to twist it off its perch, might say, “All right; twist me off – I have another alternative – I have wings,” so we can say to Death, “Twist me off my earthly perch – I have another alternative – I have immortality…God.” Nothing can shake that.

Jones refers to John 11.25, in which Jesus declares, “"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (NIV). Meeting with Martha after the death of her brother Lazarus, Jesus follows His declaration with a question to her: “Do you believe this?” This is the same question Jesus’ asks today as we approach Easter and the celebration of His resurrection from the dead.

The Apostle Paul certainly believed it. In 1 Corinthians 15.12-22 (NIV), he writes:

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

It’s little wonder, then, that Paul had a faith that nothing could shake. In Romans 8.37-39 (NIV), he writes:

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Unshakeable. That’s the word that describes the salvation God provided once and for all through the cross and resurrection of His Son Jesus. That’s the kind of faith we can express as we celebrate Easter. That’s the kind of peace we can experience every day, even in the face of death.

Unshakeable. Jesus is Alive!

Do you believe this?