Six Things the Resurrection Means
Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,
NOW… what does the Resurrection of Jesus mean to me?
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is a demonstration of the Power of God.
- The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the fundamental Redemptive Force of the Gospel
- The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the foundation of for every believer’s future…. It is hope, assurance, confidence, and rest that our Eternal Life is secure
- Paul states that if there be no Resurrection from the dead we are “of all men, the most miserable….”
1Cor 15:19 if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
We all, as Evangelicals, know that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. We have the confirmation of the Word and the witness in our spirit… The fact that we are here in this place this morning attests to the FACT that Jesus Christ is Risen and Alive.
But… what relevance is His Resurrection to me this morning? What does His Victorious emergence from the tomb mean to me and for me? The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is more than a nice Easter Story. The full significance of the Reality of this Miracle of all Miracles can never be fully comprehended by our limited human abilities to know and understand. We have said over and over that the Magnitude of the Passion of Jesus Christ must produce a Redemption equally as great. The “unbelievable” result of the Suffering, the Torture, the Humiliation and the Disgraceful Death of Jesus… and Ultimately His Resurrection… is that He did it for ME. It WAS and IS all about ME. I know we consider God’s Great Gift a Gift to the World… but the relevance of the Redemptive Work of Jesus Christ is that He DID IT FOR ME.
Unless we are able to “personalize” what Jesus did, then, what He did is of “none effect” for me. It’s like this awesome miracle of the Grace of God will profit me nothing. If I happened to be the ONLY human alive on this planet… still God would have sent Jesus to die for me.
Our attempt is not to PROVE the FACT of the Resurrection. That goes without question. Since we KNOW Jesus Rose from the Dead…. What does it mean for me? What does it do for me? How can it change my life?
What is the relevance of the Resurrection for today? Not 2000 years ago, but now, today… in the year 2021. The Miracle of the Ages must have a modern day application. It must speak to my needs and it must have some positive affect on who I am, what I do and where I am headed…. It must have MEANING to ME TODAY.
The RESURRECTION of JESUS CHRIST is RELEVANT. It has PROFOUND MEANING for me today. Now. Where I live. For my life. Do you understand that Believers are at this very moment IN POSSESSION of RESURRECTION LIFE? That the “Same Spirit that raised Jesus from the grave dwells in us?” (Romans 8:11). Wow! What Power! What Promise! What Hope! What Victory! God has DONE all this is necessary or that will ever be necessary for us to REIGN in LIFE. Not struggle. Not strive. Not suffer through. Not tolerate. Not stay stuck. But to LIVE in RESURRECTION LIFE NOW. Before we die and go to heaven.
Now, since we KNOW Jesus Rose from the Dead….What does It do for me? How can It change my life? How does It relate to my needs? What does It mean for me?
1. The RESURRECTION Proves that My sins are forgiven and forgotten.
Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
God does not remember them. God does not see them. They are forever gone. They no longer exist. I am guilty of discrediting the Redemptive Work of Jesus if I still carry the burden of my sin. Jesus became my Sin in order that I might be Delivered from my sin.
The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Bible says that there is none righteous… no not one. That means that every human being ever born was born with a sentence of Death. For the Bible also says that the wages of sin is death. Unless this curse of death can be removed, there is no hope for the human race. But the Bible says that Jesus was made a curse for us that we might be redeemed from it.
Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ provided our deliverance from the sentence of death. We are now exonerated. Pardoned. The case against us has been thrown out. There is no judgment against us and no punishment required. It has all been paid for by Jesus. My sins are forgiven. My debt has been paid. I am not guilty. God is not displeased with me. I have been reconciled to Him. I am now a member of His Family. I will never die.
2. The RESURRECTION means that I have been made Righteous.
Not only have I been Forgiven, I have also been made righteous. Jesus became what I was in order that I can be Who His is…. Righteous.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
I now have right standing with God. My Righteousness is the same Righteousness that God has. God has elevated the real me to the place of perfection. I am no longer a “sinner” I am a Son. I am no longer a “slave” I am a Son. I am no longer in bondage to sin, I am free. God has brought me into His Own Family. He has made me an Heir of God and a Joint Heir of Jesus Christ. God has imputed His Own Nature into me and now I am as Righteous as Jesus is. God has elevated me (the Real Me) to the place of perfection.
I have been REGENERATED (re-gened)… my genetic signature has been re-written. The old sin-cursed, Adamic, death-doomed ME has become a partaker of the Divine Nature of God.
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
My RELATIONSHIP with God has no connection with my works or deeds. I am not made righteous by what I do. I am made righteous by what I believe. I have a PERFECT RELATIONSHIP with my Father NO MATTER what I do. My DEEDS have NOTHING to do with my RELATIONSHIP with God. (What I do can and will effect my FELLOWSHIP with God, but not my RELATIONSHIP to God.)
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
3. The RESURRECTION means that I am no longer under Condemnation.
The Bible declares that there is therefore NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus… This means I am not guilty. I have been exonerated. I am under the Full Pardon afforded me by the Shed Blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus took my Guilt and gave me His Innocence.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
If I live in condemnation and guilt it is my heart that condemns me, not God. And God is greater than my heart. God is NEVER displeased with me…simply because He can never be displeased with Jesus… And Jesus is Who He sees when He looks on me. Condemnation and guilt are the results of my own unbelief. If I really BELIEVE what Jesus has accomplished, I will never be held captive by condemnation and guilt.
“How do you plead?” NOT GUILTY!!
4. The RESURRECTION means that I am Exempt from the Wrath and Judgment
of God.
The Passion (Suffering) of Jesus has delivered me from the wrath and judgment of God. God’s wrath and judgment on sin was poured out on Jesus. Because God made Him to be sin, I am no longer guilty and therefore exempt from God’s judgment and wrath. God is not mad with me. God is not mad at you. God is not looking at my failures, my weaknesses, my sins… God is not out to punish me for my wrongs. God is no longer my Judge. God is not going to cut me off. I am fully “accepted” in the same Family with God.
Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Jesus became my sin and as a result became the victim of God’s wrath… in my place.
5. The RESURRECTIONS means that I have favor with God.
I am at this moment living in the ABSOLUTE FAVOR of God. And will eternally be there in spite of what I do. My actions CAN NEVER alter this fact. My FAVOR with God is as ETERNAL as the GRACE of God is eternal.
The same NT word is used both for GRACE and for FAVOR. (Charis) I have to do ABSOULTELY NOTHING to get favor from God. I ALREADY have and live in HIS FAVOR. I am no longer under the Law but under GRACE. GOD’S FAVOR toward me is not related to what I do, how I live, or where I am. I can no more get out of God’s Favor than I can Undo the Work of Christ or the Word of God.
6. The RESURRECTION means that I can LIVE FOREVER.
1John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
Now, let’s get personal. I am wondering, where are you as far as God is concerned? How relevant is His Resurrection to you? As far as you are concerned, did Jesus suffer and die and arise from the dead in vain? What will you do with Jesus? Now, having seen what He has done for you and me… What will you do with Him? The most important question you will ever answer is this… what will you do with Jesus?
The options we have:
1. Believe and Receive Him as Savior and Lord and LIVE
2. Reject Him and refuse Him and DIE
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Acts 16:31 …Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved…
dickbraswell 
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