Blue Letter Bible

Just as the resurrection had an essential role in our starting out with God (in justification), it also plays an irreplaceable part in our going on with God (in sanctification). In the new covenant of grace, the resurrection is involved from start to finish in the Christian life. Our Scripture meditation is from one of the great prayers in all of the Bible. This portion begins by asking God to give us spiritual insight: "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened." What... the Lord addresses in this prayer determines whether a believer will live by godly power or by human weakness. God desires to give us heavenly insight on this vital matter. Then, He intends for this spiritual enlightenment to lead us into a personal walk concerning this reality: "that you may know." The issue of this prayer is to become a part of our daily experience. Enjoy the full daily reading here: http://blb.sc/003wbj

These truth-packed verses unfold the role of the resurrection as we started out with God through justification, when He declared us righteous in Christ. In this initial work of the Lord on our behalf, we were "buried with Him in baptism." Here, baptism is referring to our identification with Christ. When we first believed on the Lord Jesus, we were joined to Him, made one with Him, identified with Him. "We have been united together in the likeness of His death" (Romans 6:5). ...From God's perspective, we who trusted in Jesus Christ died on the cross with Him and were buried in the tomb with Him. Water baptism bears testimony to this truth. Identification with Christ makes this our spiritual history before God. In God's sight, our old life was crucified and buried. Through faith in Christ and our identification with Him, we were also raised from the tomb with Jesus. "In which [that is, by identification] you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." Just as His death became our death through identification, so also His resurrection became our resurrection. "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection" (Romans 6:5). In God's sight, we were raised to a new life in Christ. "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism [that is, by identification] into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Enjoy the full daily reading here: http://blb.sc/003wJx

One of BLB’s most popular translations, the New American Standard Bible (NASB), was updated in 2020 and is now available on BLB’s website and apps as NASB20. The 1995 version is still available, and is called NASB95. The Lockman Foundation has also graciously offered BLB users the ability to download the NASB20 and NASB95 for free on our Apple and Android apps. We wish to thank them for their partnership and generous provision of free NASB downloads for BLB’s app users. To learn more about the NASB 2020, visit the "More Information About NASB 2020" article from NASB’s publisher, Lockman Foundation: https://bit.ly/nasb2020

We have a myriad of reasons to bless our great God, to speak of Him with grateful praises. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Our heavenly Father has mercifully showered us with so many blessings that we rightly desire Him to be honored and blessed. "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You" (Psalm 86:5). Based on His great love, He sent His Son to pay for our debt of sin. Through faith in His n...ame, we have received forgiveness and new life. Day by day He is present with us and is working in and through our lives. How blessed we are! In the Scripture before us, God's merciful heart toward us is focused on a magnificent matter: "who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope." The Lord's mercy has provided a plan whereby He can righteously hold back the awful judgment that we rightly deserve. This plan of salvation offers new birth. God has "begotten us again." This could be rendered, "caused us to be born again." We all were begotten of our earthly parents, a birth that brings temporal human life. For all of us who believe in the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior, we have been given a new birth from God into everlasting spiritual life in Christ. This is one of the heavenly realities that relate to justification (being declared righteous in God's sight, and thereby able to begin a walk with God). Enjoy the full daily reading here: http://blb.sc/001hmp

It would be appropriate to again follow a pattern we have used previously, applying our present subject (the resurrection) both to our starting out with God (justification) and our going on with God (sanctification). The great value in doing such is to be repeatedly reminded that the grace of God that starts us out in this new life in Christ is the same grace that develops this life in Christ. When Jesus proclaimed the words of our present verses, He was standing at the tomb ...of Lazarus. Martha, one of the sisters, was interacting with Him. She had hoped that Jesus would have arrived earlier, knowing He could have prevented this death. "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:21). Even now, with her brother in the tomb, she realizes He could yet intervene. "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You" (verse 22). Jesus comforts her by assuring that Lazarus will be resurrected. "Your brother will rise again" (verse 23). Martha assumes that Jesus is referring to the final resurrection of the saints. "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day" (verse 24). Enjoy the full daily reading here: http://blb.sc/001hmo

The resurrection of Jesus Christ brings spiritual victory over sin and death to all who believe in Him. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." As we allow the Lord to be our guide through each day, He "leads us in triumph in Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:14). When this process is unfolding, an effective Christian life is developing, by the grace of God at work in us. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast." It is the will of God that... our lives be marked by steadfastness (constancy and stability). Paul rejoiced concerning fellow believers who manifested such attributes: "rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ" (Colossians 2:5). He later added that they were to be "rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith" (verse 7). Enjoy the full daily reading here: http://blb.sc/003uYX