Eternal Promise of the Resurrection and our Spiritual Relationhip with our Creator

Paul made a statement about the real meaning of the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15.

Verses 3-4:
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day .

Verses 12-19
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.

Jesus didn't heal Lazarus before his death because Jesue wanted to "raise" Lazarus from death. If Christ raised Lazarus from the dead by saying, "Lazarus, come forth," I KNOW and assured that when Jesus returns that I will come be gathered by Him to be with Him forever. That's MY hope. When Jesus said, "I am the resurrection, and the life" (Jn. 11:25). He was stating that He not only heals but able to raise people from death. God's promise is eternal because Christ is the mediator of the covenant, that we receive the promised eternal inheritance. With that promise, as a Christian, I always thank God continually for my guarantee of my spiritual security and freedom in Christ. Christ is the mediator of the new covenant, that we receive the promised eternal inheritance.

We need to understand that this New Covenant is sealed in the blood of Jesus, Who is our Savior and Mediator, brought us together with His Grace and Mercy that we have great spiritual and eternal freedom. The Old Testament priests, sacrifices, and sanctuary are superseded by the mediation of Jesus, the crucified, risen, and reigning God-man (Heb. 1-10), in whom believers now find their identity as the seed of Abraham and the people of God (Gal. 3:29; 1 Pet. 2:4-10). Hebrews 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

The REAL mystery is less of me and more of God, that my spiritual life deepens and I am strengthened in the knowledge of His grace. Knowledge of the mystery is having the reality of an experience of knowing God personally and consciously. Jesus Christ Himself is the deeper life, and as I plunge on into the knowledge of Christ and His love. Christ through His death and resurrection, every legal hindrance has been met and satisfied.

What we may need (or want) often will not fit with God's will. In In Ephesians 1:11, "He works all things according to the purpose of His own will." 'Providence" means God’s faithful, moment-by-moment control over everything He has made to ensure that everything He has created are going according to His will. He is active in every detail of it. He’s active at every moment. He doesn’t stand back and let things happen because He decides to intervene if something or someone is not going according to His will. He governs the world moment-by-moment through providence, so that everything that happens, every detail of our life occurs by God's divine providence or by God’s express permission. He is in control of everything. Even the bad things that happen to us are circumscribed by a loving providence and God promises to use them all for our ultimate good. There is a verse in the Bible that God promises that there won’t be anything so bad happen to us that we’re not able to bear it. God does everything--He governs everything.” God doesn’t just sit back and wait until He wants to act and then do it through a miracle.” God constantly intervenes in our lives through providence.

As Christians, we are to do God's will, NOT our will. Remember, when we became saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit, Satan began his spiritual war against Christians so that they can fail so others won't become Christians. Christians are always engaged in a spiritual warfare whether you accept it or not. This is why God is placing us in HIS WILL.

God's GRACE is so powerful.

The point of the resurrection of Lazarus. Its not about Faith but rather about God's character. God alone gives life. When Christ gave life to Lazarus, He proved beyond doubt that He was God. After four days when Jesus finally arrived where Lazarus lived. People wondered why Jesus had been able to heal a blind beggar (Jn.9) but not Lazarus, whom He knew personally. Through this example, I have learned to trust God by accepting His purpose and His timing in three areas:
God's will
God's power
God's timing

God knows what He's doing, and He knows when to do it. It's easy to be discouraged in doubt for many to say, "God, things have gone too far; You're not going to be able to do anything about it now because I want this YESTERDAY!" We often want to run ahead of God because He doesn't seem to be working fast enough for us. John 11:40 says, "Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is absolute proof that He has power over physical death.

When Martha, the sister of Lazarus said to Jesus: "Lord, by this time he stinketh; for he hath been dead four days." She sounded like the rest of us by saying "Oh, forget it; it can't be done!" even though she believes in the "resurrection" that Jesus taught earlier. However, she didn't realized that Jesus was about to resurrect her brother NOW. The seriousness of the problem was just too much for her and her thoughts were on the corpse (even though Jesus said Lazarus was sleeping). Martha knew the process of decomposition was accompanied by an odor but that was NOT the issue for Jesus.

Jesus is proclaiming His power and that God created everything for His glory. That's why Jesus said, "I want you to see in this the glory of God and Myself. I'm not nearly so concerned about what you think of Lazarus as I am about what you think of Me."

Equally, Jesus has the power to heal, even the dead (who appear to be sleeping). In physical sense, when Jesus said "sleep" which means in our term: DEATH. This kind of death God can resurrects easily and resurrection is as easy as physical healing for HIM. In spiritual sense, when Jesus said "death" which usually means eternal death.

Jesus will provide everything you need. Jesus is all we need. Have faith and God will provide according to His Will. Even after you lost your job, your house and even your family (as Job did). Even after you died (as Lazarus did). God will provide all of our needs according to HIS WILL. Ephesians 1:11 In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will. Ephesians 1:9 And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Our spiritual outlook is to be on God and trust that God's glory that will be revealed. We have to remind ourselves that if we frequently relive our reasons for discouragements, we will lose our positive spiritual direction. We need to focus in following God today and tomorrow. We just press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

In each of our situations as we start a new life after the resurrection (Lazarus), or new family (Job) new career, new home and letting go of the past that which no longer serves our own growth and begin rebuilding our life a new foundation.

We are so temporal in our focus and forget God's eternal promises. The spiritual knowledge is received by faith. This knowledge consists of data given by divine revelation and received by the believing mind without proof that by faith, I trust based on God's Character and God's great faiths in the Biible. Today, I see that women typically are better disciplined in their prayers than men. Therefore, in Mary and Martha's HEARTS, they knew and God saw their hearts before they pray. God knows everyone's hearts BEFORE we pray. Martha and Mary both knew in their hearts that Jesus loved Lazarus and assumed that He would save him from death because of that love (John 11:3). Martha and Mary knew that Jesus was able to heal Lazarus. Martha believed that Jesus could ask and receive anything from the Father while Mary believed that Jesus could have saved Lazarus from death. Regardless how they believe, THEY BELIEVED.