He is Risen. Our Vulnerabilities are Defeated.

For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. —Romans 14: 7-9 (NIV)

This verse stood out to me as I was searching for a topic today for Easter. Paul’s message for the Romans here was relating to looking down on others in faith because of their eating choices.

One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? —Romans 14:2-4 (NIV)

Christ died and rose for the living and the dead. He died for “the one who eats everything” and “the one who does not.” The routine faster and the one that makes meals for the whole week on a Saturday afternoon. The verse I opened with reminds us to focus on the resurrection for all, as unworthy as we are through sin. There are two truths: that everyone will die, (James 4:14, Romans 5:12, Isaiah 26:19) and everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23). These are two vulnerabilities. If you’re taking notes, write them down. Death and sin.

I want to highlight verse 8 in Romans 14: So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. No matter how you slice it, you don’t own your life. Your life is on a lease, ticking away until the next destination: eternity. This eternity is with or without the Lord. This is something that will upset people that believe it’s “their life, their rules.”

In the words of my pastor: Unity is not an accident, it is always on purpose.

Unity is not I versus the Lord. Unity is not I versus the Christian that never fasted a day in their life. Unity is the privilege to be loved by the living God, whose price was to die a criminal’s death in our places.

Let’s flip to Romans chapter 4. It discusses how death is inevitable, and uses the analogy that our bodies are jars of clay. Like clay, the pressures of life stretch us thin, many times, but not to the point that we are beyond shaping. In verse 10, we can hope for renewed life through the resurrection.

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. —Romans 4:10-12 (NIV)

In conclusion, Easter is a day to reflect that Christ was nailed to a cross for you. Faith in that event is not just a passing day to feel good, it’s your saving grace. Never forget that your life belongs to Christ, who was publicly executed for nothing in return: your debt is paid. Life on earth is finite, but the resurrection is turning a jar of clay into a purpose worthy of life anew. So, pursue holiness, grow in discernment, and train in humility.