At easter we commemorate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. His resurrection assures the resurrection of all who believe in him.
We have not witnessed Jesus’ resurrection, but we believe in those who did see Jesus’ empty tomb on the third day and then Jesus’ bodily appearance and speaking to them to prove his resurrection by their testament in the Bible.
Jesus said we will be blessed when by faith we believe in his resurrection.
John 20: 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
We are blessed because by faith we believe in Jesus’ resurrection after dying on the cross for our sins and like Jesus we who believe in him will also resurrect and be with him forever.
Paul preached that we must be firm in our faith in Jesus’ resurrection and our own resurrection and to refute those in church who do not believe in it.
1 Corinthians 15: 12 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? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.15 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. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Jesus’ gospel it is a message of eternal life with God after death for those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for their sins and rose from the grave receiving God’s forgiveness so not to sufferer spiritual death; eternal separation from God.

Jesus’ resurrection is proof of his victory over death and our victory over the sting of death giving us eternal life which comes by God’s grace through faith in his Son which we must fearfully hold on to and not abandon.

This is the fear that Paul had when he preached the gospel to persuade others to believe in what is unseen.

2 Corinthians 5: 11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.

Paul is not asking us to take pride in him but to take pride in the truth that he preached about Jesus and his salvation which is sown in our heart by our love for Jesus in what is unseen and not what can be seen.
2 Corinthians 5: 14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Believing Jesus died to give you eternal life transforms you to love Jesus with all you heart, no longer living for yourself but only for Jesus. You no longer see Jesus as the world those the way the Jews saw Jesus as their King who would save them from their enemy the Romans like God did for King David. When people want Jesus to fulfill their will and not God’s will they have a worldly view of Jesus. As a new creation in Christ, you perspective is like Jesus’ and your old earthly perspective is gone.

2 Corinthians 5: 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus died for the world’s sins to make a way for the world to be reconciled back to his Father. We are ambassadors of Jesus to share his gospel of reconciliation with those who are seeking God so that they can find their way back home to Him. Jesus message is one that reconciles and not one that condemns but one that saves through faith in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 6: 1 As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2 For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Ever since the world was redeemed by Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have been in the time of God’s favor of his forgiveness that gives eternal life by God’s grace through faith in his Son. Now is the time of God’s salvation.

Easter is a time to reaffirm our calling to be ambassadors of Jesus’ salvation to those who are seeking God by sharing a message of reconciliation of his forgives so that they can be with him and his love forever.

When you are reconciled with God, you are a new creation in Christ you love what he loves and separate yourself from what unbeliever’s love. You do not yoke yourself to unbelievers in the world.

2 Corinthians 6: 14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." 17 "Therefore come out from them and be
separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." 18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Not yoking yourself to unbelievers in this world is not separating or associating with them it’s not joining yourself in what they believe. Paul clarifies this in:

1 Corinthians 5: 9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

If we separated ourselves from unbelievers in this world, we no longer can be ambassadors for Christ and share a message of reconciliation with God.

Paul teaches that we must be able to judge those who say they are your brother or sister in Christ but act like an unbeliever they are the ones you should not associate with but point out their shortcoming so that they can repent and be reconciled back with God and be one with the body of Christ again.

Easter is a reminder to test yourself to see if you are a new creation in Christ and be reconciled back with God because you believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection and living to love him because your utmost desire is to be with him forever.

Be safe in Jesus, Ps. Glenn