Christianity is Christ.
It is centered in a historical
person who lived, died and rose from the dead. This
truth is the most important fact in history. It is
essential because it demands a lifesaving response
in faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10).
What does the resurrection of
Jesus Christ accomplish for us?
Because Christ rose from the
dead all who are united to Him by faith are secure
in their own resurrection and eternal life beyond
the grave. Before He died on the cross, Jesus
promised His disciples that He was going to prepare
a place for us. “In My Father’s house are many
dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have
told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again,
and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there
you may be also” (John 14:2-3). Because Jesus rose
from the dead just as He said He would do, we know
His promise is true for every believer. He is now
preparing a place for us in heaven to be with His
Father.
We know this is true because
the resurrection proves that Jesus Christ is God.
His resurrection proves that He is equal to God and
that God would raise Him from the dead three days
after He died. The resurrection was God’s way of
authenticating Jesus’ claim to deity. The
resurrection of Jesus is the Father’s seal on the
Son’s claims. Jesus was “declared with power to be
the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead”
(Rom. 1:4). Jesus demonstrated God’s perfect love
for us by dying on the cross and rising again (John
3:14-16).
Moreover, the resurrection
proves that God has justified the believing sinner
by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus “was delivered over
to death for our sins and was raised to life for our
justification” (Rom. 4:25). Jesus gave His life as a
ransom for us. He was the sinless One who died for
sinners. Because He rose from the dead we know that
God is true to His divine will to save sinners. The
resurrection proves that Jesus was our sinless
substitute who made atonement for our sins and God
has justified us by faith in Christ.
The resurrection of Christ also
proves that the believer enjoys a vital union with
his Savior (Galatians 2:20). R. A. Torrey explains:
“When Jesus died, He died as my representative, and
I died in Him; when He rose, He rose as my
representative, and I rose in Him; when He ascended
as my representative and I ascended in Him, and
today I am seated in Christ with God in the
heavenlies. I look at the cross of Christ, and I
know that atonement has been made for my sins; I
look at the open sepulcher and the risen and
ascended Lord, and I know the atonement has been
accepted. There no longer remains a single sin on
me, no matter how many or how great my sins have
been” (The Bible and It’s Christ, p. 108).
The resurrection of Jesus
Christ gives us a settled assurance and perfect
security of eternal life (John 6:37-40, 44, 54-56;
10:18, 27-30). Because Christ lives, we too, shall
live with Him for all eternity.
We serve a living Savior who died on our
behalf and rose again.
Because Christ rose from the
dead the Holy Spirit now abides in the heart of
every believer (John 16:7-16). The resurrection
assures us that we have a supernatural victory over
sin in our daily lives. Because of our union with
the living Christ, He gives us Himself to live His
life through us. We have supernatural power
available to us to live the Christian life.
“Therefore we have been buried with Him through
baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised
from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we
too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). The
living Christ makes Himself available to us by
faith. Victory in the Christian life is assured
because He rose from the dead and gives us His
resurrection power.
In His resurrection body Jesus
Christ lives, seated at the right hand of the Father
where He intercedes for you and me right now (Heb.
7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1).
One day the same risen Lord
Jesus will return to gather us in that same
resurrected body and we will have resurrected bodies
just like His! (1 John 3:2-3; 1 Thessalonians
4:14-18)
Because Christ is alive today
He offers this same resurrection hope to all who
will call upon His name to receive eternal life. Do
you know Him in His resurrection power?
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
Anyone is free to use this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold under any circumstances whatsoever without the author's written consent.
Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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