Do You Have the Proof of the Resurrection? Acts 17:30-31

“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved… Romans 10:9

When Apostle Paul found himself in the city of Athens, he was exceedingly provoked by the city’s rampant idolatry and paganism. He could see that the Athenians desired to know the true and living God, but they sought truth in the darkness of their own ignorance. Stirring with conviction, Paul proclaimed that Jesus was the “unknown god” they sought to worship, and His resurrection was the ultimate proof that He was the Christ whom God had appointed to be the coming Judge, Savior, and Lord of all.

It is not a far-fetched idea to liken modern day Americans with the ancient Athenians. Millennials can often be dismissed as progressively secular and worldly, but it is apparent that a desperate desire for spiritual truth and peace moves this current generation to seek them through philosophy, knowledge, or New Age ideas. (Acts 17:22) Paul’s message to the Athenians is the same message the world needs today- God is now declaring all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world through Jesus Christ, whom He has raised from the dead as proof to the world that Jesus is the true and living God.

No miracle compares to Jesus’ bodily resurrection. In it, God’s supreme power is displayed, and this power- the Holy Spirit- dwells within those who are united to Christ by faith. The resurrection is the proof of who God declares Jesus to be, and it is the proof of our salvation in Christ. Many have been historically crucified, but only One was raised from the dead. Do you believe in Him? Paul writes, if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. What does it mean to confess? Paul wrote these words in a day when Christianity was despised in the world. It was a great cost to publicly confess Jesus as Lord. Doing so endangered all your possessions, and even your life. Christians expected to be hated for the sake of Jesus. In America today, our faith is not tested with the kind of persecution the early church faced. It is all the more reason to seriously consider and examine the genuineness of your faith. Before God, secret faith equates to no faith.

We confess Jesus as Lord. He is the image of the invisible God, through whom all things were made, and who is exalted above every name to receive worship, honor and glory forever. (Col 1:16-18, Jn 1:1-4; Phil 2:8-11) To confess Jesus as Lord is to say He is in charge of everything you possess, including your very life. When hard situations arise, who leads- you, or Jesus? To confess Jesus as Lord is to entrust all things to Christ. He has the complete right to do as He pleases with His supreme authority over all creation. Not only do we confess Him as Lord, but we believe in Jesus’ resurrection in our heart. Believing without the power to live out and obey is not truly believing- it is merely acknowledging. Genuine belief comes with understanding and obedience. It renders your body to live according to what you believe. It is not just of the mind, but in your heart- your emotions, intellect, will, and conscience. Your heart is who you are- therefore, when you truly believe in the resurrection of Jesus and love Him in your heart, you are ready to die for His sake.

We believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. By this we are saved. It is the gospel. Without the resurrection, the crucifixion is meaningless. When the resurrection is not at the center of faith, there is no life, no power, and no hope. We must all seriously consider our salvation. How long have you believed? How long have you stalled in spiritual growth? Do you believe in your heart that Jesus was raised from the dead? If Jesus’ resurrection is not working in you, your faith may be in vain. (1Cor 15:14-17) The early church believers were able to withstand- more than that, rejoice- through Nero’s brutal persecution because Jesus Christ was alive in their hearts. (1Pet 1:8) Apostle Paul was overwhelmingly compelled to convince men that Jesus was alive, not because he simply knew, but because he experienced Jesus’ presence daily. (Acts 25:19; 23:11) We must repent of our unbelief in the resurrection. We too, can meet the living Jesus everyday through Scripture and the Holy Spirit. Let us continually meditate on the resurrection of Jesus Christ until it is the controlling belief in our lives. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. (Rom 14:9)