Jesus Forever Alive (Part 2)
God has called us to be influencers and change agents for Christ, to share a better way of life with everyone we meet. That better life is becoming a Christian and experiencing peace, joy, and a relationship with the living Christ with whom we can express our everyday concerns without being rejected.
Christ died to re-establish relationship between God and man. The cross was our assurance that we are forgiven of our sins - past, present, and future. Christ’s death precisely accomplished that; He bore the weight of the world’s sin on Calvary, satisfying God’s justice. From the figure on the center cross came a triumphant cry in Greek: “Tetelestai!” This word, usually translated as “It is finished!” (John 19:30), had another meaning - an accounting term signifying “Paid in Full.”
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:25-26).
Jesus chose ordinary people like you and me to do His Kingdom work. You may feel unqualified to touch the lives of others with the Gospel of Christ, but Christ makes no mistakes about who He calls for service. Christ is our Qualifier. The qualifier was that death could not hold him. The resurrection speaks of a LIVING LORD. His resurrection was verifiable proof of all he claimed to be, proof that the Father accepted His sacrifice, and guarantees the redemption of our souls.
“If Christ is not risen your faith is vain, you are yet in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
Christ died to re-establish relationship between God and man. The cross was our assurance that we are forgiven of our sins - past, present, and future. Christ’s death precisely accomplished that; He bore the weight of the world’s sin on Calvary, satisfying God’s justice. From the figure on the center cross came a triumphant cry in Greek: “Tetelestai!” This word, usually translated as “It is finished!” (John 19:30), had another meaning - an accounting term signifying “Paid in Full.”
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:25-26).
Jesus chose ordinary people like you and me to do His Kingdom work. You may feel unqualified to touch the lives of others with the Gospel of Christ, but Christ makes no mistakes about who He calls for service. Christ is our Qualifier. The qualifier was that death could not hold him. The resurrection speaks of a LIVING LORD. His resurrection was verifiable proof of all he claimed to be, proof that the Father accepted His sacrifice, and guarantees the redemption of our souls.
“If Christ is not risen your faith is vain, you are yet in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).