Springtime is so exciting! We purchase seeds in a package which have a picture of what they will look like when they grow. God has imprinted a unique identity in each seed and helps them grow into the plant he designed them to be.

In faith, we take these seeds, bury them in the ground and water them, believing that from these tiny seeds, plants bearing flowers, or vegetables or fruit will come out of the ground.
This points to the hope of the resurrection – when God once again creates something new perfectly suited for inheriting the kingdom of God. As the first of the harvest of those who belong to God, Jesus died for our sins, was buried and then was raised on the third day. 
Jesus, clothed in the dazzling radiance of God’s splendor, crowned with glorious honor, the exact expression of God’s true nature invites you and me to place our faith in him! For it was by God’s grace that Jesus experienced death’s bitterness on behalf of everyone. Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life. 

This perishable body that we have today will be raised as a glorious body. We are weak sinful people, who are offered forgiveness, holiness and righteousness, through the death and resurrection of Christ so that we can be with him in heaven. In heaven we will not sin or encounter sin. In heaven we won’t be weak or crippled emotionally or physically. In Heaven God will bless us with a new body that he creates for us, a perfect body, a righteous body. 
If we continue faithful to the gospel, we can have confidence that God will raise our human, natural bodies as spiritual bodies. We will still be known; we will still have our personalities and unique identities. Better than that … we shall bear the image of God. Then we shall live once again the way God intended for us to live. We will work, rest, eat, create and love undisturbed by the frustrations we experience today. 

We will inherit the Kingdom of God – God will do a powerful miracle! We will be changed from flesh and blood into imperishable, from mortal to immortality so that we can inherit the Kingdom of God. Death will be defeated. 

Death still stings – grief is real – but we don’t grieve like those who have no hope. We have hope because we know that nothing entrusted to the God of creation and resurrection can be lost forever, even in death. Death has been swallowed up with victory – because Jesus has conquered death. 

So, stand firm, don’t forget the resurrection, don’t give it up. Don’t let the everyday things of life, the everyday mistakes or the sinfulness that you encounter or the sins that you do move you. Don’t let them stop you from being who you are in Christ. In faith embrace the fullness of God’s promise. Give yourself to the work of God. When you fall pick yourself up, dust yourself off, go to God like a little child and ask his forgiveness and then carry on. You are more than your mistakes and sins because Jesus died for you. 

So then, we must cling in faith to all we know to be true. For we have a magnificent King-Priest, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who rose into the heavenly realm for us, and now sympathizes with us in our frailty. He understands humanity, for as a Man, our magnificent King-Priest was tempted in every way just as we are, and conquered sin. So now we come freely and boldly to where love is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness. (Heb 4:14-16 Passion Translation) 

Death isn’t the end, just the beginning. Therefore, stand firm – let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of God because you know your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Walk in the life and hope God has given you. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith. Live a life worthy of Jesus who gave you eternal life. And when you mess up, ask his forgiveness, embrace the hope he offers you, and press on.