Monday, April 13, 2015 6:30:08 AM
From the Pastor's Heart - April 2015
Jesus was the ultimate Lamb of God who died for sins once for all time.
Have you lost the wonder of Jesus’ resurrection? Each Easter, we read Bible passages describing it, sing songs extolling it, and hear sermons explaining it. After repeatedly hearing this message, the familiarity can cause us to become complacent, seeing it as just another of the many stories about Jesus. But this was the most important event in history. If Jesus were not raised, then we would have to concede that the power of God is no match for death. Where, then, would our hope be? We’d all die in our sins and suffer eternal separation from God:
"and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins." ~ 1 Corinthians 15:17
That’s why I’d like you to really think about the unparalleled impact of Christ’s resurrection. What was it like for His followers? How did it affect the world physically, religiously, and culturally? I believe the biblical account in Matthew 28:1-8 can help us see this marvelous event with fresh eyes:
"Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples."
One fact often overlooked is the earthquake that physically shook the world when Jesus came to life. What’s interesting is that the earth had been shaken just a few days before, when He died:
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil (curtain) of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split." ~ Matthew 27:50-51
But the ground wasn’t the only thing upset that day. It was also the beginning of a religious and cultural earthquake that affected the entire ancient world, the aftershocks of which we’re still feeling in our own time. Neither the Jewish leaders nor the Roman rulers could explain what happened to the man they’d crucified who was no longer in the tomb. When the temple veil was torn at the time of Jesus’ death, God signified that no further sacrifices were needed because Jesus was the ultimate Lamb of God who died for sins once for all time:
"Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He (Christ Jesus), having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God," ~ Hebrews 10:11-12
After Christ ascended to heaven, leaving His disciples to spread the news of His death and resurrection, many of the Jews believed in Him, along with a large number of priests:
"The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith." ~ Acts 6:7
But this radical new religion of Christianity didn’t stay contained within Israel. Before long, the apostles spread the message of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire. At one point, they were even accused of turning the world upside down with their message:
"When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also;" ~ Acts 17:6
As amazing as all this is, the resurrection’s impact has reached beyond the cultural and religious realms all the way into countless individual hearts. Now at the moment of salvation, we probably don’t understand the magnitude of all that transpired when Jesus rose from the dead. I remember when I accepted Christ as my Savior at the age of 12; all I knew was that He’d forgiven my sins. Yet that decision changed my destiny forever — both in this life and for eternity.
• The resurrection, which happened so long ago, is still shaping our lives today.
The first impact comes when we believe the testimony of the Word of God and ask the Lord to forgive our sins. You see, without Jesus’ death and resurrection, we’d have no hope of forgiveness. God can’t simply forgo the just penalty for our sins. But Jesus took upon Himself the punishment we deserved when He suffered and died on the cross. His resurrection was proof that the heavenly Father was satisfied with His payment for the sins of mankind:
"He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification." ~ Romans 4:25
Without Christ’s death and resurrection, there’d be no basis for receiving forgiveness and no hope of heaven.
• Second, we are also given new life in Christ Jesus.
The apostle Paul says our old self was crucified with Him, and we have been raised to walk in newness of 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. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with (made powerless), so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;" ~ Romans 6:4-6
This means we can choose to abstain from the old sinful practices that once held us captive. The key to this new life is found in surrender. When we let Christ rule in our lives, He lives through us, accomplishing His will and displaying His character within us.
• Third, we receive the Holy Spirit, who empowers us.
There’s no way we can live the Christian life in our own strength. But at the moment of salvation, we are given God’s Spirit to manifest the life of Christ in us. Just imagine, the Spirit who raised Jesus to life is dwelling inside us, enabling us to become who He desires us to be and to achieve whatever God wants us to do:
"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 because of His Spirit who dwells in you." ~ Romans 8:11
As we yield to Him, He produces His fruit within us:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." ~ Galatians 5:22-23
Furthermore, He’s given us spiritual gifts to help us serve Him and accomplish His will:
"But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." ~ 1 Corinthians 12:7
• Finally, because of Christ’s resurrection, we have become a part of a great missionary movement.
Every believer has been called to share the message of the risen Savior with an unbelieving world, whether personally or through a church or mission organization:
"but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” ~ Acts 1:8
We each have a testimony to share, and God has placed us in our homes, workplaces, and cities to be His witnesses. The gospel we share is the only message with the power to change someone’s eternal destiny.
Never underestimate how the Lord may want to use you. Today is a good time to surrender your life fully to Christ. Let Him fill you afresh with His Spirit, making your witness like a shining light that points others to Christ.
Prayerfully yours,
Charles F. Stanley
P.S. My prayer is that you and your family will have a blessed Easter celebration as you let the wonder of the resurrection fill your hearts. May any burdens you carry be lifted and your hope renewed as you walk in newness of life, knowing that Jesus has conquered death for us and has promised that we, too, will be raised to life.
http://intouch.org/get-involved/from-the-pastors-heart
Jesus was the ultimate Lamb of God who died for sins once for all time.
Have you lost the wonder of Jesus’ resurrection? Each Easter, we read Bible passages describing it, sing songs extolling it, and hear sermons explaining it. After repeatedly hearing this message, the familiarity can cause us to become complacent, seeing it as just another of the many stories about Jesus. But this was the most important event in history. If Jesus were not raised, then we would have to concede that the power of God is no match for death. Where, then, would our hope be? We’d all die in our sins and suffer eternal separation from God:
"and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins." ~ 1 Corinthians 15:17
That’s why I’d like you to really think about the unparalleled impact of Christ’s resurrection. What was it like for His followers? How did it affect the world physically, religiously, and culturally? I believe the biblical account in Matthew 28:1-8 can help us see this marvelous event with fresh eyes:
"Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples."
One fact often overlooked is the earthquake that physically shook the world when Jesus came to life. What’s interesting is that the earth had been shaken just a few days before, when He died:
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil (curtain) of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split." ~ Matthew 27:50-51
But the ground wasn’t the only thing upset that day. It was also the beginning of a religious and cultural earthquake that affected the entire ancient world, the aftershocks of which we’re still feeling in our own time. Neither the Jewish leaders nor the Roman rulers could explain what happened to the man they’d crucified who was no longer in the tomb. When the temple veil was torn at the time of Jesus’ death, God signified that no further sacrifices were needed because Jesus was the ultimate Lamb of God who died for sins once for all time:
"Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He (Christ Jesus), having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God," ~ Hebrews 10:11-12
After Christ ascended to heaven, leaving His disciples to spread the news of His death and resurrection, many of the Jews believed in Him, along with a large number of priests:
"The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith." ~ Acts 6:7
But this radical new religion of Christianity didn’t stay contained within Israel. Before long, the apostles spread the message of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire. At one point, they were even accused of turning the world upside down with their message:
"When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also;" ~ Acts 17:6
As amazing as all this is, the resurrection’s impact has reached beyond the cultural and religious realms all the way into countless individual hearts. Now at the moment of salvation, we probably don’t understand the magnitude of all that transpired when Jesus rose from the dead. I remember when I accepted Christ as my Savior at the age of 12; all I knew was that He’d forgiven my sins. Yet that decision changed my destiny forever — both in this life and for eternity.
• The resurrection, which happened so long ago, is still shaping our lives today.
The first impact comes when we believe the testimony of the Word of God and ask the Lord to forgive our sins. You see, without Jesus’ death and resurrection, we’d have no hope of forgiveness. God can’t simply forgo the just penalty for our sins. But Jesus took upon Himself the punishment we deserved when He suffered and died on the cross. His resurrection was proof that the heavenly Father was satisfied with His payment for the sins of mankind:
"He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification." ~ Romans 4:25
Without Christ’s death and resurrection, there’d be no basis for receiving forgiveness and no hope of heaven.
• Second, we are also given new life in Christ Jesus.
The apostle Paul says our old self was crucified with Him, and we have been raised to walk in newness of 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. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with (made powerless), so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;" ~ Romans 6:4-6
This means we can choose to abstain from the old sinful practices that once held us captive. The key to this new life is found in surrender. When we let Christ rule in our lives, He lives through us, accomplishing His will and displaying His character within us.
• Third, we receive the Holy Spirit, who empowers us.
There’s no way we can live the Christian life in our own strength. But at the moment of salvation, we are given God’s Spirit to manifest the life of Christ in us. Just imagine, the Spirit who raised Jesus to life is dwelling inside us, enabling us to become who He desires us to be and to achieve whatever God wants us to do:
"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 because of His Spirit who dwells in you." ~ Romans 8:11
As we yield to Him, He produces His fruit within us:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." ~ Galatians 5:22-23
Furthermore, He’s given us spiritual gifts to help us serve Him and accomplish His will:
"But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." ~ 1 Corinthians 12:7
• Finally, because of Christ’s resurrection, we have become a part of a great missionary movement.
Every believer has been called to share the message of the risen Savior with an unbelieving world, whether personally or through a church or mission organization:
"but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” ~ Acts 1:8
We each have a testimony to share, and God has placed us in our homes, workplaces, and cities to be His witnesses. The gospel we share is the only message with the power to change someone’s eternal destiny.
Never underestimate how the Lord may want to use you. Today is a good time to surrender your life fully to Christ. Let Him fill you afresh with His Spirit, making your witness like a shining light that points others to Christ.
Prayerfully yours,
Charles F. Stanley
P.S. My prayer is that you and your family will have a blessed Easter celebration as you let the wonder of the resurrection fill your hearts. May any burdens you carry be lifted and your hope renewed as you walk in newness of life, knowing that Jesus has conquered death for us and has promised that we, too, will be raised to life.
http://intouch.org/get-involved/from-the-pastors-heart
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