[ ] 4/20/2014 #1055
OUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
I Corinthians 15:20-22
1) THE DEATH OF CHRIST PAID A DEBT YOU AND I COULD NEVER PAY.
a) Magnitude of our debt.
Only the death of Christ could pay the enormous debt of our sin. No man could die and pay his own sin debt because all men are sinners as Romans 3:10, 23 clearly states: "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Only our holy and righteous God and Creator could do that for us.
The wages of sin is death. That is why a person who dies in his sin has to spend eternity in hell. He can never pay his debt of sin. The lake of fire is described in Revelation 20:14-15 as the "second death."
b) Method of Paying of our debt.
The death penalty earned by the sins of mankind had to be paid to make it possible for God's forgiveness.Jesus paid the debt of our sin. He redeemed us with His precious blood." (1 Pet. 1:19)
2) THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST IMPARTS A LIFE YOU AND I CAN RECEIVE.
Everyone faces the sentence of death because of his sin. (Rom. 6:23, 5:12) What we need is a new life. Jesus gives new life to everyone who receives Him as his Savior.
a) New Life is a priceless gift.
Salvation is a priceless gift. Jesus gave of Himself. The blood that He shed on Calvary is by far of more value than all the silver and gold on earth.Jesus came to this earth to give to all who call upon His name the gift of eternal life.
b) New life is received by faith.
The new life is received when a sinner repents and turns to Jesus in faith. Jesus described this new life as being "born again" or being "born from above."(John 3:3, 5)Eternal life is having the person of Christ as your Lord and Savior. (1 John 5:12) Jesus is our life. (Col. 3:4)
Ephesians 2:8-9 states that man does not work for or earn his salvation because it is the gift of God.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
You receive Jesus Christ by faith (John 3:36) and you experience a new life.
c) New life includes forgiveness of sin.
The moment we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, we become a child of God. (John 1:12) Our sins are forgiven. We confess our sins, not to keep our salvation, but to stay in fellowship with the Lord. (1 John 1:9)
d) New life consists of everlasting life.
In Christ, we have everlasting life. We will enjoy all the Father has prepared for those who belong to Him. Those who don't know Christ will live eternally too, but they will be suffering in the fires of hell.
The believer who dies in Christ goes immediately into the presence of Christ. Death for the believer is a door way into eternal life.
Eternal life means more than the length of life. The devil will live forever. Eternal life for the believer is the quality of life that is beyond our earthly comprehension.
e) New life provides a new body.
We will have new spiritual bodies that will be changed from perishable to imperishable. (1 Cor. 15:50-54; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-2).
Our bodies will be fashioned like the glorious body of Jesus. (Phil. 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2)
f) New life promises a new home in heaven.
Jesus told His disciples He would go and prepare a place for them in heaven. Thankfully, this promise is for all the believers in Christ. (John 14:1-2)
1. Reunion in heaven.
We will be reunited with our loved ones who have gone on before us. Heaven will be a place
of love, joy, and eternal peace. In heaven, there will be no more separation from those we love.
2. Rewards in heaven.
Heaven will be a place where we will be rewarded for our labor for the Lord here on earth.
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:58)
3) THE EMPTY TOMB IS A REMINDER OF OUR VICTORY IN CHRIST.
ILLUSTRATION:He was 9 years old--in a Sunday school class of 8-year-olds. Eight-year-olds can be cruel. The third-graders did not welcome Philip to their group. Not just because he was older. He was "different."
He suffered from Down's syndrome and its obvious manifestations: facial characteristics, slow responses, etc.
One Sunday after Easter, the Sunday school teacher gathered some of those plastic eggs that pull apart in the middle--the kind in which some ladies' pantyhose are packaged.
The Sunday school teacher gave one of these plastic eggs to each child. On that beautiful spring day each child was to go outdoors and discover for himself some symbol of "new life" and place that symbolic seed or leaf or whatever inside the egg.
They would then open their eggs one by one, and each youngster would explain how his find was a symbol of "new life."
So…The youngsters gathered around on the appointed day and put their eggs on a table, and the teacher began to open them. One child had found a flower. All the children "oohed" and "aahed" at the lovely symbol of new life. In another was a butterfly. "Beautiful," the girls said.
Another egg was opened to reveal a rock. Some of the children laughed. "That's crazy!" one said. "How's a rock supposed to be like a "new life?" Immediately a little boy spoke up and said, "That's mine. I knew everybody would get flowers and leaves and butterflies and all that stuff, so I got a rock to be different." Everyone laughed.
The teacher opened the last one, and there was nothing inside. "That's not fair," someone said. "That's stupid," said another. The teacher felt a tug on his shirt. It was Philip. Looking up he said, "It's mine. I did do it. It's empty. I have new life because the tomb is empty." The class fell silent.
From that day on Philip became part of the group. They welcomed him. Whatever had made him different was never mentioned again.
Philip's family had known he would not live a long life; just too many things were wrong with the tiny body. That summer, overcome with infection, Philip died.
On the day of his funeral nine 8-year-old boys and girls confronted the reality of death and marched up to the altar--not with flowers. Nine children with their Sunday school teacher placed on the casket of their friend their gift of love--an empty egg.
Brethren, that young child knew that since the tomb was empty -- that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead -- he had a new life. Likewise, through His resurrection, we too may have a new life in Christ.
4) THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST PROVIDES ASSURANCE OF HIS RETURN.
"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11)
ILLUSTRATION:At a gathering of editors of major newspapers in the United States, a competition was held to write the greatest possible headline. The winning headline, chosen by the editors, was simply, "Jesus Has Returned!" That is the biggest news this world could ever receive!
Jesus is seated at the Father's right hand. At some moment in the future, Jesus will come for His Bride, the church. The risen Lord will carry His Bride to His heavenly home. We are looking for that blessed appearing of our Lord. He is alive and well. We may hear the voice of the risen Lord in all His glory calling us to our eternal home.
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thess. 4:16-17
CONCLUSION:Jesus’ resurrection forever changed the way death is viewed. In Christ Jesus, death is defeated and the resurrection is the shout of victory. Do you have a new life in Christ?