As we live our lives we should be
mindful of how we have been given a life to live. We who are saved
were once dead men and women, but now live because of Jesus Christ.
We all were dead at one time, and it is the miraculous love and grace
of God our Father, through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ that we
now live.
When you read through the scriptures
you see that we are born nto a sin nature, a nature of death ,
Romans 5:12-14 [12] Therefore, just as
through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and
thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-- [13] (For until
the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no
law. [14] Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over
those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the
transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
We were born to die because of this,
and die we do daily our bodies and minds are dying because of the sin
of mankind from the beginning , our bodies suffer the consequences of
this sin.
That is not the end of the story
though, because God had a plan, a story to be written that included
you and me, our story that is each of us who call Him Father.
Romans 5:1-21 [1] Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, [2] through whom also we have access by faith into this grace
in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [3] And
not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that
tribulation produces perseverance; [4] and perseverance, character;
and character, hope. [5] Now hope does not disappoint, because the
love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who
was given to us. [6] For when we were still without strength, in due
time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare
to die. [8] But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Much more then,
having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through Him. [10] For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to
God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled,
we shall be saved by His life. [11] And not only that, but we also
rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have
now received the reconciliation. [12] Therefore, just as through one
man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death
spread to all men, because all sinned-- [13] (For until the law sin
was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. [14]
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who
had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of
Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. [15] But the free gift is
not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much
more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus
Christ, abounded to many. [16] And the gift is not like that which
came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one
offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from
many offenses resulted in justification. [17] For if by the one man's
offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in
life through the One, Jesus Christ.) [18] Therefore, as through one
man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation,
even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all
men, resulting in justification of life. [19] For as by one man's
disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience
many will be made righteous. [20] Moreover the law entered that the
offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much
more, [21] so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign
through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God our Father loved us so much that He
could not us live this life alone without Him, because He knew we
would surely die in our sins, so He extended His hands of grace and
reached down into the grave and as He called out our names,
individually and said come forth He set us free from the bondage of
sin and death, we see the perfect picture of this in the Gospel of
John, it is a picture of the Victory Christ had over death, before He
went to the Cross to suffer our punishment. When you read this put
your name in the place of Lazarus.
John 11:1-45 [1] Now a certain man was
sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. [2]
It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped
His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. [3] Therefore
the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love
is sick." [4] When Jesus heard that, He said, "This
sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of
God may be glorified through it." [5] Now Jesus loved Martha and
her sister and Lazarus. [6] So, when He heard that he was sick, He
stayed two more days in the place where He was. [7] Then after this
He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." [8]
The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to
stone You, and are You going there again?" [9] Jesus answered,
"Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the
day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
[10] "But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the
light is not in him." [11] These things He said, and after that
He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may
wake him up." [12] Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he
sleeps he will get well." [13] However, Jesus spoke of his
death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in
sleep. [14] Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.
[15] "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that
you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." [16] Then
Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let
us also go, that we may die with Him." [17] So when Jesus came,
He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. [18] Now
Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. [19] And many of
the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them
concerning their brother. [20] Then Martha, as soon as she heard that
Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the
house. [21] Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been
here, my brother would not have died. [22] "But even now I know
that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." [23] Jesus
said to her, "Your brother will rise again." [24] Martha
said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection
at the last day." [25] Jesus said to her, "I am the
resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die,
he shall live. [26] "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall
never die. Do you believe this?" [27] She said to Him, "Yes,
Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to
come into the world." [28] And when she had said these things,
she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The
Teacher has come and is calling for you." [29] As soon as she
heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. [30] Now Jesus had not
yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.
[31] Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting
her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed
her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." [32]
Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at
His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother
would not have died." [33] Therefore, when Jesus saw her
weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the
spirit and was troubled. [34] And He said, "Where have you laid
him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." [35]
Jesus wept. [36] Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"
[37] And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the
eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" [38]
Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a
cave, and a stone lay against it. [39] Jesus said, "Take away
the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him,
"Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four
days." [40] Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that
if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" [41] Then
they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.
And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that
You have heard Me. [42] "And I know that You always hear Me, but
because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may
believe that You sent Me." [43] Now when He had said these
things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"
[44] And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with
graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to
them, "Loose him, and let him go." [45] Then many of the
Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did,
believed in Him.
That is a picture of who we are, how we
are dying but do not have to die, our bodies may die but our souls
will live and we will be resurrected in the end to reign with Christ,
that is the hope of Glory, Christ in me and you.
Today I implore you if your wrapped in
your grave clothes, listen to the voice of Jesus Christ calling out
your name, hear Him as He calls you to come forth, be free from the
bondage of Sin and Death, live the life your called to live, for Him,
through Him, in Him.
And if your already free from the
bondage of Sin and Death, start spreading the gospel message, do you
think that Lazarus had a story to tell, do you think that people came
to Christ because of what Jesus did for him?
His story is your story, you where dead
on your way to hell, and Jesus came to your grave and called your
name, and said come forth. You have the ability to share that with
all those around you today, you were once dead but now you live, that
is a story worth telling, and today there are literally billions of
people who need to hear this truth. You do not need to be a Pastor or
Theologian to share the gospel, just share your story someone
somewhere needs to know you live because Christ lives in you.
God is the creator of life Romans 1:20-21
Why we need salvation- the fact of our sin Romans 3:23
Mans inability Romans 3:10
The penalty of sin Romans 6:23a
Gods plan of salvation Romans 5:8
Gods promise of eternal life Romans 6:23
Mans responsibility Romans 10:9-10, 10:13
Final stop on the roman road to salvation...results of salvation Romans 8:1, 5:1
Colossians 3:17 [17] And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
In Christ
brian
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