“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” Psalm 32:1-2Happy Easter everyone! I hope y’all are enjoying this extra-long weekend; hanging out with family and friends, eating lots of food and candy, and binging on whatever you gave up for Lent ☺ Today really is a day to celebrate! Think about it, the significance of this very day is the reason why we no longer receive the consequences for our sins that we deserve. This day represents the gift of eternal life that God has given to us! But I know for many people this day also brings up a lot of questions about the basics of Christian faith. So, for anyone who hasn’t heard before, hear is just the basics of the gospel and what it means to serve a risen King.
Why do we even need a savior? Because as Romans 3:23 says “For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” No one on this Earth is free of sin. I know that some sins seem bigger than other, but this does not mean that because we only commit “little”” sins we deserve eternal life. None of us deserve this gift. All sins make us sinners and cut us off from our holy God therefore, leading us to death.
“Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Jesus Christ when he freed us from the penalty for our sins” (Romans 3:24) This truth right here is the reason for celebration today. Do y’all realize what we’re worth to God? One-third of the angels (Satan and his followers) fell away from God and yet God did nothing. But when the ENTIRE mankind rebelled against Him through sin, God pulled out all the stops to get us back.
“For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (Romans 3:25). When Jesus died on the cross for us, he experienced something that none of us will ever have to go through. The physical agony was horrible, but even worse was the period of spiritual separation from God, his Father. Jesus suffered this double death so that we would never have to experience eternal separation from God.
But the story doesn’t stop there; On the third day Jesus ROSE from the dead! His resurrection is the key to the Christian faith. Why? Because in rising from the dead, he kept his promise to us that he would do just that. Therefore, we can be confident that he will accomplish all he has promised. His bodily resurrection shows us that the living Christ, not a false prophet or imposter, is ruler of God’s eternal Kingdom. We can be certain of our own resurrection because Jesus was resurrected first. He conquered death for us!
So how do we receive this eternal gift? “If you declare with you mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10). It’s more than just good works, it’s more than just believing that God exists, it’s more than celebrating a holiday. We can not hear the message of the gospel and not be left with a decision to make; we can not act indifferent to these facts. The gospel is NOT relative. It doesn’t just pertain to Christians because we base our lives on it’s truth; it pertains to everyone whether or not they follow it. The truth is that Christ’s sacrifice was for ALL OF HUMANITY. God sent his son so that all who believe in him will have eternal life (John 3:16). He has laid this gift in front of us and it is in our hands whether or not we accept it. We have to make a conscious choice to either follow Christ or reject him.
God genuinely wants us all to come to him. That’s why he went to such great lengths to save us! If any of y’all have any questions about what this means or looks like or why it all even matters in the first place, please feel free to ask me. If anyone hasn’t accepted Christ in their hearts and wants to, I will always be willing to talk to you about it! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday : )
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH ME.” John 14:6
Currently Listening to: Death in His Grave by John Mark McMillan https://mail.ttu.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=fffc862cd0884dc5abc8a799b2197b7b&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fwatch%3fv%3dUJDguHJ34SE
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