Christian Living

Essential Death, Burial, Resurrection

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
07/26/21
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scripture.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

For most, if not all, life is not fine and dandy. We are living a life that is filled with trials and tribulations. Some problems come into our lives that seem to come from nowhere and for no reason. True most are caused by ourselves, and others we are innocent of any wrongdoing. We have an assortment of reactions to these trials as they come upon us. We may search with a vengeance to find them guilty of bringing this trial into our lives. Or we may be honest and know that we have brought the trial to ourselves. But as a last resort, no matter the reason that we have determined, we may shout out to God, “why have you allowed this to happen to me?” let me first assure you that God does not allow or bring trials into your life but can and often does cause these trials to glorify His name through you. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) That thought leaves only two questions in my mind. Do you love the Lord, and are you living in His will for your life?

But for those who do not believe in God, do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, and are not following Him in the faith of His Word, they are those whose lives are stacked against them. The trials and tribulations of this life are the results of sin that entered into the world at man’s fall in the Garden of Eden so many years ago. The entrance of sin fractured the perfect harmony of God and His creation, and the world has suffered since and shall until it is cleansed by the judgment of His fire. The verse of Romans 8:28 is a verse of confidence and hope, but for those who cannot claim it, this fractured world is a scary and hopeless place.

For so many in this world who are deceived by the “father of lies,” Satan himself, they do not even know the way out of their desperation for something solid to place their hope in. A Pentecostal preacher once told me a truth that we are either just coming out of a storm in life or going into one. It is true, and there is no way to stop it, as we live in a fractured world by sin. We all deal with one trial after another, and we even cry out to the God we do not acknowledge wondering why He brings this upon us. He didn’t, God is love, and He loves His creation and has made provision for them by His love. “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16)

Those who go alone through life trials one after another find little of this world for lasting hope. At some point, they will realize that this world is in a hopeless spiral downward to final judgment. Disappointment after disappointment leads them to the conclusion there is no way out but death and destruction. But they are wrong, and there is a way, the way, as Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6). Jesus is the answer for all the trials of this world, as He is the bridge between this world and the greater world to come. It is then for us who know the truth to share this gospel, this good news of the saving power of Jesus Christ, to all who will listen and allow the seeds of His truth to be planted into their heart. It is the prayer of every Christian that God will prepare the hearts of men and women that they will receive that truth and find their only hope of life. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Jesus is God’s provision for humanity that He came into the world to pay the sin debt of humanity, which is death. He was crucified on a Roman cross paying that price and rose again on the third day, and is alive forever that we too can have everlasting life with Him. He now sits at the right hand of God and is our advocate who will claim us as we have claimed Him that we may be fully restored to a right relationship with God the Father. “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” (Romans 8:33-34) As it was in the beginning in the Garden of Eden and shall be in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The problem for man is that we fall way short of the standard of righteousness to be in the presence of God. “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) Our perfections do not come from us but through Jesus, who gives us His righteousness. Jesus’ sinless life lived as a man was the perfect sacrifice for our sins by His death on the cross as the Lamb of God. Thus He imputes His righteousness to us by our faith and obedience to His Word. It’s essential that He saves us by His forgiveness of our sins and by the righteousness that He gives us that we can stand before God. “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

It’s essential Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. If Christ had not risen, then the teaching of the Christian Church and our faith in His word would be empty and futile. By Adam, the first man came death through sin, and by Jesus came life through His resurrection. Jesus defeated Satan on the cross by defeating death by His risen life. We can have eternal life because He has the power to give life. (1 Corinthians 15:12-23)

Jesus rising from the dead is also essential in that because Jesus is alive forever and is interceding for us at the right hand of the Father. Therefore because of Jesus’ intercession, we can have justification. Jesus has the power to forgive us of our sins. More than that, he can justify us. To be forgiven implies that we have done something wrong. To be justified is to say that we are guilty of no wrongdoing. Through Jesus, we receive both forgiveness, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9), and we can be justified. “Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)

The gospel message is taught and will continue to be taught as His word will endure forever. “But the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:25) Somewhen hearing the Word of God will confess their brokenness in sin and repent from their evil ways. They will commit their lives to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And they will go off to share the joy and peace that has come into their lives. To others, the essential gospel message will seem like foolishness and may be offensive. But one must humble themselves and receive the gospel with the faith of a child. From there, they grow up to be like Christ. The trouble for many Christians today is that they know the Christian precepts but fail to know Jesus and pick up their cross and follow Him. They put on their proper morals and bathe in the proper religious rituals. They believe, but they do not act in faith and obedience to His word. I say belief without reaction to their belief is too shallow to be authentic.

To believe in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of one’s life should create a radical change in one’s life. They should no longer be the old sinful self-abiding in the world but become the new self-living through the Spirit of Jesus. It is the work that God has begun for those who love Him, and this is the good work that all things work towards. “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, March 6, 2018