In this last post of the 3 Ways to Focus on Renewal series, I see the wonder of Christ’s redemption. It changes the life of anyone who chooses to live for Him.

But my flawed and fickle nature wants to live for itself.

It seeks to rise to whatever makes me look better. It searches for reasons for life to make sense. However,

Easter shows us a lot can happen in 3 minutes or 3 days.

Minutes before Christ’s arrest, he prayed and prepared for what was to come. A disciple would betray Him, another would deny Him and all the disciples would run away.

They each had a growing tension of whether to exalt their agenda or submit to His.

They battled between fading into anonymity after Christ’s death (known as Good Friday) or rising to reach others, even if it meant martyrdom, after His resurrection.

I’ve grown familiar with their battle.

Anonymity has the appeal of not being seen as a threat or not being seen at all.

It feels like the safe bet.

On the other hand, martyrdom requires sacrificing your life for the sake of a cause.

Such a display of loyalty comes at the highest price. It gets the attention of anyone impressed by the sacrifice and from those opposed to the cause.

With the exception of Judas, whose tensions drove him to take his life, the remaining disciples decided to rise. (see Acts 1:1-15)

I’m glad they did.

They show us how frightened, discouraged or confused souls can turn into fearless and focused carriers of the Gospel message.

They pressed through grief, persecution and their own misgivings, knowing God had a larger purpose.

They placed their hope in Christ’s redemption because

Good Friday gets its name because of the good will God bestowed upon humanity.

His sinless Son gave His life for our sins (the wrongs we’ve done and the right things we didn’t do).

He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. – 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NLT

Because Christ was raised for us, what will we rise to next?

We can move from regret over past mistakes to repentance over unconfessed sin.

We can rise to greater levels of faith or step up to the next level of obeying God.

Choosing to trust Him is beyond a safe bet.

The forgiveness and eternal life He offers is a sure thing. (see John 3:16)

Three days after His death and burial, Christ rose from the dead. The previously frightened band of followers see Him alive again and they are forever changed to change the world.

Through faith in Christ, so are we. Our world consists of the people we encounter, the places we dwell and the perspective we bring to any situation.

As a Christ follower,

At any moment, I can resurrect my self-guided tendencies or live in the power of His resurrection. (see Ephesians 1:18-20)

My walk is far from perfect. It’s a work in progress. But the more I yield to His power in me, the more His grace and truth shines.

They are the perfect reflection of Him and the best reason to have hope for the heart and joy to the soul.

If you'd like to receive God's love and forgiveness through Christ, here's a suggested prayer:

Dear God, Thank You for loving me and saving me by Your grace in Jesus Christ. I'm sorry for my sins. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Lord, who died and was raised for me. I want to live for Him by His power. In Jesus's name. Amen.