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It is exciting as we are in the Easter season. Lent is in full swing; we have preparations as we begin to celebrate and remember the great gift God gave – His Son Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) To be a Christ Follower means that we not only believe in “Him,” but our eternal life begins the very second, we believe. How can I say that? Because what God says, is true.

I am not talking about knowing about God. A lot of people know about God. However, when you are a Christ Follower you do that – you follow his ways, and you do what he wants you to do. Otherwise, you are knowing about God, but not a true follower. “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:6) In fact, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take-up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)

How can we follow Christ? Because he lives within us and helps us. “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:9-11).

Once we believe then he “dwells within in us.” Our bodies are full of the Spirit of God. As we celebrate Easter, we are celebrating the One who saved us for all time – for all eternity. This week let our hearts cry out with profound thankfulness and gratitude. Phil Wickham’s “House of the Lord” is with great celebration. “We were the beggars and now we’re royalty. We were the prisoners and now we’re running free. We are forgiven, accepted redeemed by his grace. Let the house of the lord sing praise.” Our house is the “us.” We are the house of the Lord. “There’s joy in the house of the lord. There’s joy in the house of the lord today and we won’t be quiet. We shout out your praise. There’s joy in the house of the lord our god is surely in this place.”

Yvette Perrin can be reached at theword2yvette@gmail.com.