WEBVTT 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:04.040 I want to turn with me to the book of Romans, 00:00:04.219 --> 00:00:09.359 to the seventh chapter, and the fourth verse. 00:00:14.779 --> 00:00:16.899 The Lord willing, next week we will go on to 00:00:16.899 --> 00:00:20.879 the next paragraph in Romans. I have been teased 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:22.960 somewhat by those who have noticed that I have 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:26.140 stayed in the first part of Romans 7 for three 00:00:26.140 --> 00:00:28.339 weeks now, digging a little deeper. And they 00:00:28.339 --> 00:00:29.699 say, what's the matter? Don't you know what you're 00:00:29.699 --> 00:00:31.179 going to say when you get to the rest of it? 00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:34.240 Well, I've been finding out the last few weeks. 00:00:36.700 --> 00:00:39.280 And I'm looking forward to going on to the next 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:41.259 paragraph and the one after that because they're 00:00:41.259 --> 00:00:43.520 so relevant and meaningful to the Christian life. 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:47.619 But this morning is the day of the resurrection. 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:51.460 We celebrate that. And in verse 4, there is a 00:00:51.460 --> 00:00:55.320 sentence I'd like for us to think about in relation 00:00:55.320 --> 00:01:00.810 to the resurrection. It says, to die to the law 00:01:00.810 --> 00:01:04.030 through the body of Christ, that you might be 00:01:04.030 --> 00:01:08.310 joined to another, to him who was raised from 00:01:08.310 --> 00:01:13.670 the dead, that we might bear fruit for God. The 00:01:13.670 --> 00:01:16.390 sentence I'm interested in, I'm readjusting the 00:01:16.390 --> 00:01:18.530 words a little bit to make the right sentence, 00:01:18.689 --> 00:01:23.590 is this, you have been joined to him who was 00:01:23.590 --> 00:01:29.170 raised from the dead. Biblical Christianity is 00:01:29.170 --> 00:01:32.430 unique in several respects, and I say it that 00:01:32.430 --> 00:01:35.250 way, that is, calling it biblical Christianity, 00:01:35.329 --> 00:01:38.689 because there is some Christianity today that's 00:01:38.689 --> 00:01:41.549 not biblical. It's under the general umbrella 00:01:41.549 --> 00:01:44.069 of Christendom, but it does not coincide with 00:01:44.069 --> 00:01:47.530 what the Bible has to teach. But biblical Christianity 00:01:47.530 --> 00:01:50.549 is unique in several respects. I'd like to suggest 00:01:50.549 --> 00:01:53.150 four of them. First, it's truthful regarding 00:01:53.150 --> 00:01:58.239 man's state. The Bible teaches us that we are 00:01:58.239 --> 00:02:05.239 sinners and that we are basically wicked and 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:11.699 totally depraved. Having said that, it of course 00:02:11.699 --> 00:02:15.060 reminds us of how worthy, unworthy we are of 00:02:15.060 --> 00:02:20.680 salvation. And yet how worthy, how worth we are 00:02:20.680 --> 00:02:26.180 rather. We are because God has given His Son 00:02:26.180 --> 00:02:30.620 for us. So we are unworthy of salvation, but 00:02:30.620 --> 00:02:33.300 we are filled with great worth as far as God 00:02:33.300 --> 00:02:36.800 is concerned. So the Bible is honest with us 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:40.120 about man's true state, that we're sinners who 00:02:40.120 --> 00:02:43.120 are unworthy, but worth a great deal to God. 00:02:43.340 --> 00:02:46.909 Biblical Christianity teaches that. It's unique 00:02:46.909 --> 00:02:49.870 in a second way because it talks about a personal 00:02:49.870 --> 00:02:53.789 relationship with God by faith. Other religions 00:02:53.789 --> 00:02:56.770 cannot do that. They talk about faith perhaps, 00:02:56.889 --> 00:03:00.750 but only in conjunction with works that involve 00:03:00.750 --> 00:03:04.169 ritual and good deeds and effort on the part 00:03:04.169 --> 00:03:07.409 of the individual. The biblical Christianity 00:03:07.409 --> 00:03:09.830 is unique in that it talks about a relationship 00:03:09.830 --> 00:03:15.599 with God established simply on faith. A third 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:17.960 way in which biblical Christianity is unique 00:03:17.960 --> 00:03:22.460 is that it claims to be a God -initiated and 00:03:22.460 --> 00:03:26.680 God -centered religion. Every other religion 00:03:26.680 --> 00:03:31.319 in the world is man -created and basically man 00:03:31.319 --> 00:03:44.580 -centered, but not so with our faith. is that 00:03:44.580 --> 00:03:49.500 essential to its truth is the literal historical 00:03:49.500 --> 00:03:53.219 resurrection of its founder, if I may use that 00:03:53.219 --> 00:03:56.599 term. No other religion in the world can boast 00:03:56.599 --> 00:04:00.259 of that. Indeed, rather they boast, in many cases, 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:04.560 in the elaborate tombs of their founders. But 00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:07.919 we rather boast in an empty tomb and a living 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:11.939 Savior. This Jesus of whom we talk is not a myth. 00:04:13.610 --> 00:04:16.509 Nor is he an historical person who is irrelevant 00:04:16.509 --> 00:04:21.149 to the 20th century. Indeed, he is the most relevant, 00:04:21.430 --> 00:04:25.009 the most significant person in every century 00:04:25.009 --> 00:04:29.110 and generation. He is timeless and changeless. 00:04:29.509 --> 00:04:33.050 As Griffith Thomas said, he is the greatest influence 00:04:33.050 --> 00:04:39.220 in the world today. And as George Bancroft said, 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:42.339 I find the name of Jesus Christ written on the 00:04:42.339 --> 00:04:48.800 top of every page of modern history. This Jesus 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:51.480 stands as the Savior of all who will come to 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:55.040 him in repentance and faith, and as the judge 00:04:55.040 --> 00:05:00.160 of all who reject or ignore him. But perhaps 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:03.000 the most wonderful and eternally significant 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:08.459 truth of all is that This Jesus loves you and 00:05:08.459 --> 00:05:13.399 me. And he has proved that love by what he has 00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:19.259 done for us. We find out in our text today what 00:05:19.259 --> 00:05:23.579 he has done for us. There are three works suggested 00:05:23.579 --> 00:05:27.199 here which demonstrate his incredible love for 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:32.680 every person. I'm thinking of certain words that 00:05:32.680 --> 00:05:35.120 give us these clues. For example, first, the 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:39.180 word dead. Him who was raised from the dead. 00:05:39.980 --> 00:05:42.920 And so the first work is his work in relation 00:05:42.920 --> 00:05:49.100 to sin. He died. The second work that he did 00:05:49.100 --> 00:05:54.339 for you and for me is in that verb phrase, who 00:05:54.339 --> 00:05:59.800 was raised from the dead. This is his work in 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:03.360 relation to salvation. He was raised from the 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:07.519 dead. And the third work that he did for you 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:11.939 and for me, who have trusted him, is that he 00:06:11.939 --> 00:06:17.040 joined us to himself. That is his work in relation 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:20.759 to the saved. I'd like to follow those three 00:06:20.759 --> 00:06:25.100 works through this morning with some elaborating 00:06:25.100 --> 00:06:29.089 comments. First, the work of our Lord Jesus Christ 00:06:29.089 --> 00:06:33.689 in relation to sin. Again, I say it is suggested 00:06:33.689 --> 00:06:40.610 by that word, dead. That Jesus Christ died is 00:06:40.610 --> 00:06:44.810 not questioned by reasonable people. There are 00:06:44.810 --> 00:06:50.329 those who espouse theories that Jesus did not 00:06:50.329 --> 00:06:54.629 actually die on the cross. But in fact, those 00:06:54.629 --> 00:06:58.949 who were responsible to see that he died, did 00:06:58.949 --> 00:07:03.329 so. Turn with me to John chapter 19 for a moment, 00:07:03.370 --> 00:07:11.689 as we read beginning in verse 30. When Jesus 00:07:11.689 --> 00:07:16.050 therefore had received the sour wine, he said, 00:07:16.110 --> 00:07:20.889 It is finished. And he bowed his head and gave 00:07:20.889 --> 00:07:25.740 up his spirit. I want you to notice that Jesus 00:07:25.740 --> 00:07:28.899 Christ died in a unique way. He chose the moment 00:07:28.899 --> 00:07:32.560 of his death. He said, this is the moment I will 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:37.120 die. It is finished. My work is complete. And 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:40.680 he dismissed his spirit as an act of his will. 00:07:41.160 --> 00:07:45.060 He chose the moment of his death. Now it goes 00:07:45.060 --> 00:07:47.240 on to say, the Jews therefore, because it was 00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:50.160 the day of preparation, So that the body should 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:52.360 not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for that 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:56.000 Sabbath was a high day, ask Pilate that their 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:58.579 legs might be broken and that they might be taken 00:07:58.579 --> 00:08:01.339 away. The breaking of the legs of one who was 00:08:01.339 --> 00:08:05.540 crucified hastened the death. In order for one 00:08:05.540 --> 00:08:08.259 who was crucified to catch his breath, he had 00:08:08.259 --> 00:08:12.360 to be constantly moving on the cross. He would 00:08:12.360 --> 00:08:17.970 raise himself up in order to exhale. And then 00:08:17.970 --> 00:08:21.250 he would, because of the severe pain, have to 00:08:21.250 --> 00:08:24.990 slump again. And then again he would have to 00:08:24.990 --> 00:08:28.810 raise himself up in order to exhale. It was a 00:08:28.810 --> 00:08:32.889 terribly tortuous death. And if they wished to 00:08:32.889 --> 00:08:36.049 hasten it, they broke the legs so that the person 00:08:36.049 --> 00:08:39.610 would actually suffocate, be unable to breathe. 00:08:39.710 --> 00:08:41.750 So that was the thought here. Break their legs 00:08:41.750 --> 00:08:44.009 so that we can get their bodies off of the crosses 00:08:44.009 --> 00:08:49.259 before... The Sabbath begins. The soldiers therefore 00:08:49.259 --> 00:08:52.179 came and broke the legs of the first man and 00:08:52.179 --> 00:08:54.399 of the other man who was crucified with him. 00:08:54.620 --> 00:08:57.419 But coming to Jesus when they saw that he was 00:08:57.419 --> 00:09:01.720 already dead they did not break his legs. But 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:04.799 one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:08.139 and immediately there came out blood and water. 00:09:08.979 --> 00:09:11.759 And he who has seen has borne witness, and his 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:14.000 witness is true, and he knows that he is telling 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:18.659 the truth, so that you also may believe. We don't 00:09:18.659 --> 00:09:21.220 have time to go into the medical background of 00:09:21.220 --> 00:09:23.159 the coming out of the blood of water, but that 00:09:23.159 --> 00:09:27.460 too indicated death. And so there is no question 00:09:27.460 --> 00:09:30.659 in the minds of reasonable people that Jesus 00:09:30.659 --> 00:09:33.620 Christ actually died. And not only did he die, 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:38.850 but he died in the prescribed manner. prophesied 00:09:38.850 --> 00:09:42.830 by the prophets. In Psalm 22, David pictures 00:09:42.830 --> 00:09:45.929 the death of the Messiah in such a way as can 00:09:45.929 --> 00:09:50.429 only be fulfilled by crucifixion. And then in 00:09:50.429 --> 00:09:52.490 his death, according to the Old Testament law, 00:09:52.549 --> 00:09:54.990 his blood had to be shed. It was not sufficient 00:09:54.990 --> 00:09:58.389 that he be stoned to death or killed in some 00:09:58.389 --> 00:10:00.850 other manner than that his blood had to be shed. 00:10:01.789 --> 00:10:04.509 In Hebrews 9, it says, without the shedding of 00:10:04.509 --> 00:10:08.409 blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. And so 00:10:08.409 --> 00:10:11.269 in his death, he had to die in such a way that 00:10:11.269 --> 00:10:13.809 his body would be literally drained of its blood. 00:10:15.429 --> 00:10:17.889 And that, of course, was accomplished thoroughly 00:10:17.889 --> 00:10:22.269 by the method of crucifixion. And so he died. 00:10:23.370 --> 00:10:25.870 Our study in the book of Romans has given us 00:10:25.870 --> 00:10:30.429 insight as to the meaning of his death. We have 00:10:30.429 --> 00:10:33.269 been studying about the law of God in the Old 00:10:33.269 --> 00:10:35.690 Testament, which establishes his righteousness. 00:10:36.649 --> 00:10:40.649 and witnesses to it. The law sets a standard 00:10:40.649 --> 00:10:45.149 of perfect moral righteousness for man. The problem 00:10:45.149 --> 00:10:47.830 is that man cannot live up to that standard, 00:10:47.970 --> 00:10:53.250 and the law cannot empower him to. It only tells 00:10:53.250 --> 00:10:57.629 him what the standard is. The reason that God 00:10:57.629 --> 00:11:01.129 gave that law was so that we might see how far 00:11:01.129 --> 00:11:06.299 short we are of perfect righteousness. The purpose 00:11:06.299 --> 00:11:08.740 of the law is not to save us, it's to bring us 00:11:08.740 --> 00:11:13.620 to the Savior. God prescribed death in the law 00:11:13.620 --> 00:11:17.220 for those who could not keep it. But then, in 00:11:17.220 --> 00:11:21.500 a marvelous act of grace, He provided His Son, 00:11:21.659 --> 00:11:27.320 Jesus Christ, to pay that price of death. I ask 00:11:27.320 --> 00:11:29.940 you to turn to Romans chapter 3, just to look 00:11:29.940 --> 00:11:36.649 at one verse in the way of review. After speaking 00:11:36.649 --> 00:11:42.549 about our sin and the fact that we are all under 00:11:42.549 --> 00:11:45.669 the law and that through the law comes the knowledge 00:11:45.669 --> 00:11:50.009 of sin, personal sin. And by the way, we'll get 00:11:50.009 --> 00:11:53.809 into that some more next week in our text. But 00:11:53.809 --> 00:11:56.549 he goes on to say in verse 25 regarding Christ 00:11:56.549 --> 00:12:02.620 Jesus, whom God displayed publicly. Romans 3 00:12:02.620 --> 00:12:07.700 .25, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation 00:12:07.700 --> 00:12:13.740 in his blood through faith. The word propitiation 00:12:13.740 --> 00:12:18.580 means satisfaction. In other words, God's offense 00:12:18.580 --> 00:12:24.620 because of my sin and your sin was satisfied 00:12:24.620 --> 00:12:31.059 by the shedding of his blood. And so he is the 00:12:31.059 --> 00:12:34.139 propitiation or the satisfaction for our sins. 00:12:34.440 --> 00:12:37.279 And not for ours only, but for the sins of the 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:42.159 whole world. Through that bloody sacrifice, God 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:48.460 himself provided the one to pay the price for 00:12:48.460 --> 00:12:51.960 your sin and mine. His death is a demonstration, 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:55.809 my friend, of his love for you. In chapter 5 00:12:55.809 --> 00:12:57.950 of Romans, do you remember that verse that many 00:12:57.950 --> 00:13:01.110 of us have memorized? But God demonstrated his 00:13:01.110 --> 00:13:03.970 love for us in this, that while we were yet sinners, 00:13:04.149 --> 00:13:10.929 four words, what? Christ died for us. He died 00:13:10.929 --> 00:13:14.909 on our behalf. The minister asked one day, what 00:13:14.909 --> 00:13:21.110 work of man will there be in heaven? And immediately 00:13:21.110 --> 00:13:23.330 a man shot up his hand and said, There will be 00:13:23.330 --> 00:13:27.129 no work of man in heaven. And the minister said, 00:13:27.250 --> 00:13:31.289 Ah, yes, but there will. For throughout eternity 00:13:31.289 --> 00:13:34.190 to come, Jesus Christ will bear the prints of 00:13:34.190 --> 00:13:38.330 the nails in his hands and his feet. And that 00:13:38.330 --> 00:13:42.909 is the work of man. But being the work of man, 00:13:42.970 --> 00:13:47.009 yes, it is also the provision of God for our 00:13:47.009 --> 00:13:52.919 sin. And so his work in relation to sin is that 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:57.700 he died for sin. He died to sin, as we have also 00:13:57.700 --> 00:14:00.460 seen. But let's go on to the second work that 00:14:00.460 --> 00:14:02.240 we talked about, and you can follow it there 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:05.139 in your outline in the worship folder. It is 00:14:05.139 --> 00:14:10.460 this, his work in relation to salvation. You 00:14:10.460 --> 00:14:13.519 see, the sacrifice of his blood paid the price. 00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:19.960 But there could be no salvation without his resurrection 00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:23.799 as well. And that's why at the end of chapter 00:14:23.799 --> 00:14:28.279 4, the apostle says what he does. He who was 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:33.220 delivered up because of our transgressions and 00:14:33.220 --> 00:14:38.899 was raised because of our justification. He ties 00:14:38.899 --> 00:14:41.620 together Christ being delivered up as the sacrifice 00:14:41.620 --> 00:14:46.519 with his being raised. And he says both of these 00:14:46.519 --> 00:14:49.240 come together when it comes to our transgressions 00:14:49.240 --> 00:14:54.100 and our justification. Let me repeat. The sacrifice 00:14:54.100 --> 00:14:57.279 of Jesus Christ on the cross paid the price for 00:14:57.279 --> 00:15:00.779 our sin completely. But without his resurrection, 00:15:01.139 --> 00:15:06.659 there would be no salvation. Paul makes that 00:15:06.659 --> 00:15:09.159 clear, doesn't he, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, 00:15:09.460 --> 00:15:13.740 where in several verses, verses 14 to 17, He 00:15:13.740 --> 00:15:16.820 says, without the resurrection, there is no hope 00:15:16.820 --> 00:15:21.340 for us. We are of all men most miserable. Christ 00:15:21.340 --> 00:15:27.159 has died in vain without the resurrection. Now 00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:31.340 why is it that he had to be raised from the dead? 00:15:32.820 --> 00:15:35.720 Well, it was because it was part of God's plan. 00:15:36.519 --> 00:15:41.860 You see, he not only had to die on earth, but 00:15:41.860 --> 00:15:47.080 he had also to enter heaven to present himself 00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:52.019 before the Father, indicating the sacrifice had 00:15:52.019 --> 00:15:55.700 been made. You see, we needed a perfect sacrifice 00:15:55.700 --> 00:16:01.240 for our sin, but we also needed a perfect eternal 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:05.480 high priest who could perfectly sympathize with 00:16:05.480 --> 00:16:09.320 us before the Father. So we needed one who could 00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:12.720 sacrifice for us on earth, but who could stand 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:17.279 before God in heaven on our behalf. And so if 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:22.320 he had died only, then that work on the earth 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:24.600 would have been completed, but there would have 00:16:24.600 --> 00:16:28.059 been no one to go before the Father as our intercessor. 00:16:28.679 --> 00:16:32.899 There would be no salvation. And so the two are 00:16:32.899 --> 00:16:36.340 linked together. They cannot be separated. Of 00:16:36.340 --> 00:16:38.500 course, it was impossible for the grave to hold 00:16:38.500 --> 00:16:41.879 him. He broke up every funeral he ever attended. 00:16:43.379 --> 00:16:46.720 You see, death cannot exist where Jesus Christ 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:51.679 is. In fact, he gave himself to death, as we 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:55.600 noted earlier. Death did not claim him. He gave 00:16:55.600 --> 00:17:00.019 himself up unto death. And he said, I lay down 00:17:00.019 --> 00:17:03.799 my life and I take it up again. In other words, 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:06.619 he had a part in his own resurrection. He raised 00:17:06.619 --> 00:17:11.900 himself from the grasp of death. Now what of 00:17:11.900 --> 00:17:14.640 the resurrection? Let me suggest to you this 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:18.759 morning four assurances that you and I can gain 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:23.480 by his resurrection. The first assurance is this, 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:28.000 our justification. Now if you've been with us 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:29.839 in the study of Romans, you know that the word 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:32.599 justification means that we are declared righteous 00:17:32.599 --> 00:17:36.420 in the sight of God. It's a legal standing that 00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:40.920 we gain by faith. Because of the resurrection, 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:46.579 I can have assurance that I am justified. If 00:17:46.579 --> 00:17:49.079 he had not been raised from the dead, I would 00:17:49.079 --> 00:17:52.180 not have assurance that the price had been paid, 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:57.680 you see. But because he was raised from the dead 00:17:57.680 --> 00:18:00.880 and proved to be who he claimed to be, and because 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.319 he said it is finished and then rose from the 00:18:03.319 --> 00:18:06.099 dead after that to apply the price he had paid, 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:10.859 we can have assurance of our justification. God 00:18:10.859 --> 00:18:14.380 does not intend for us to crawl through this 00:18:14.380 --> 00:18:18.279 life not being assured that we're saved. Do you 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:23.220 have that assurance this morning yourself? After 00:18:23.220 --> 00:18:25.680 I was saved, I was not in a Bible teaching church, 00:18:25.740 --> 00:18:27.740 and I have shared this with some of you. I went 00:18:27.740 --> 00:18:31.359 through several years wondering if I was really 00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:36.000 saved. I was on a roller coaster ride up and 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:39.920 down, and I remember many times crying out for 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:44.380 Christ to save me. And then came the blessed 00:18:44.380 --> 00:18:47.839 day when for the first time I understood that 00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:51.259 I only had to ask Jesus Christ to save me once. 00:18:53.259 --> 00:18:56.119 And after that, I could have assurance of my 00:18:56.119 --> 00:19:01.420 justification. Maybe you're on that rollercoaster 00:19:01.420 --> 00:19:05.200 ride today, and what you need to do is to claim 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:09.500 your justification. Having received Jesus Christ 00:19:09.500 --> 00:19:13.119 as your Savior, now to believe that He will keep 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:16.559 His promise, that whosoever will call upon the 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:21.200 name of the Lord shall be saved. God wants you 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:23.160 to have that assurance. You may have it because 00:19:23.160 --> 00:19:26.660 of the resurrection. A second blessed assurance 00:19:26.660 --> 00:19:31.619 we may have is that of our sanctification. Look 00:19:31.619 --> 00:19:33.599 in chapter 6 of Romans for a moment and look 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:37.400 at verse 4. It says, Therefore we have been buried 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:40.880 with him through baptism into death, in order 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:43.339 that as Christ was raised from the dead through 00:19:43.339 --> 00:19:46.519 the glory of the Father, so we too might walk 00:19:46.519 --> 00:19:50.180 in newness of life. Do you know that because 00:19:50.180 --> 00:19:53.599 Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, you and 00:19:53.599 --> 00:20:00.180 I can be assured of victory over sin? God wants 00:20:00.180 --> 00:20:03.480 you to experience that victory. It is not the 00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:05.579 will of God for you to go through your life defeated 00:20:05.579 --> 00:20:10.279 by sin. If you choose to do that, you may experience 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:13.920 defeat. Or perhaps out of ignorance of what the 00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:16.819 Bible teaches, you may experience defeat. But 00:20:16.819 --> 00:20:20.599 that isn't what God has provided. Because Jesus 00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:23.000 Christ has been raised from the dead and you've 00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:26.759 been united with him, now you may walk in newness 00:20:26.759 --> 00:20:30.460 of life. You may have assurance about that. You 00:20:30.460 --> 00:20:33.559 may know today that God wants you to experience 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:37.660 consistent victory in your life. Not that we 00:20:37.660 --> 00:20:40.420 ever get to a point in this life that we are 00:20:40.420 --> 00:20:44.099 totally apart from sin. There is still that flesh 00:20:44.099 --> 00:20:46.019 in us, that humanness that we're going to be 00:20:46.019 --> 00:20:48.839 talking about in the next couple of weeks. We 00:20:48.839 --> 00:20:51.519 still struggle with the power of sin that resides 00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:55.319 within us. But, oh friend, God has provided for 00:20:55.319 --> 00:21:02.160 you and for me victory over sin. Are you experiencing 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:08.180 it? Or are you defeated by sin? Are you struggling 00:21:08.180 --> 00:21:11.720 with it and often experiencing the nosedive of 00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:15.440 falling into temptation? Well, then know this, 00:21:15.500 --> 00:21:17.700 that because Jesus rose from the dead, there 00:21:17.700 --> 00:21:23.440 is provided for you victory. And then a third 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:26.880 assurance that we may have is that of our own 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:32.019 resurrection. I'm getting older. Have you noticed 00:21:32.019 --> 00:21:35.400 that process in your own life? You don't when 00:21:35.400 --> 00:21:38.119 you're young. Youth is kind of a luxury, I guess. 00:21:39.099 --> 00:21:42.000 But as you get older, you begin to think about 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:43.619 the fact you're not going to be here forever. 00:21:45.400 --> 00:21:47.480 I think that's one of the reasons that so many 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:50.240 people face what is called a mid -life crisis. 00:21:52.059 --> 00:21:54.279 Because suddenly it dawns upon them that their 00:21:54.279 --> 00:21:57.640 dreams and aspirations in life are not going 00:21:57.640 --> 00:22:01.160 to be totally fulfilled. In fact, they may not 00:22:01.160 --> 00:22:07.079 even be mostly fulfilled. Death is going to claim 00:22:07.079 --> 00:22:10.259 every one of us unless Jesus comes in the rapture 00:22:10.259 --> 00:22:15.799 before that time. We cannot escape it. But my 00:22:15.799 --> 00:22:18.640 friend, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead, 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:23.259 we have the assurance, as Job said of old, that 00:22:23.259 --> 00:22:27.579 still in our flesh we shall see God. There is 00:22:27.579 --> 00:22:30.240 no question about the fact that our bodies, though 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:34.119 death may indeed claim them someday, That we 00:22:34.119 --> 00:22:38.859 will be resurrected from the grave. And in the 00:22:38.859 --> 00:22:40.859 meantime, of course, we go to be with Christ. 00:22:42.140 --> 00:22:46.660 Our soul does. But even this body will be raised 00:22:46.660 --> 00:22:49.119 from the dead. Not just like it is now, thank 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:52.440 God for that. But it's going to be raised a new 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:57.440 body. This body is like the caterpillar, whereas 00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:00.890 the new body will be like the butterfly. The 00:23:00.890 --> 00:23:03.390 Bible compares it to that transition. It's a 00:23:03.390 --> 00:23:06.930 metamorphosis that takes place. So that there 00:23:06.930 --> 00:23:11.150 is identity between the body I have now and the 00:23:11.150 --> 00:23:14.890 body I will have then. But they won't be identical 00:23:14.890 --> 00:23:19.769 either. There will be differences. Now because 00:23:19.769 --> 00:23:23.589 he lives, we too shall live in the resurrection. 00:23:25.069 --> 00:23:28.579 Death will not be able to keep you. It's impossible 00:23:28.579 --> 00:23:30.759 that death would keep you now if you belonged 00:23:30.759 --> 00:23:34.059 to Jesus Christ. There is no way your body will 00:23:34.059 --> 00:23:38.839 stay in the grave. It will come forth when he 00:23:38.839 --> 00:23:44.700 shouts and the trumpet sounds. And then a fourth 00:23:44.700 --> 00:23:48.700 assurance that we may have is our representation. 00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:51.980 I didn't give you the key verse, did I, on that 00:23:51.980 --> 00:23:55.920 third assurance. It's Romans 8, 11. Let's just 00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:58.420 read that. It's so great. It says, but if the 00:23:58.420 --> 00:24:01.059 spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead 00:24:01.059 --> 00:24:05.099 dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from 00:24:05.099 --> 00:24:09.240 the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies 00:24:09.240 --> 00:24:14.079 through his spirit who indwells you. That's the 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:16.759 resurrection. But now look down a few more verses 00:24:16.759 --> 00:24:18.779 and look at the key verse for this fourth assurance. 00:24:19.460 --> 00:24:22.799 Verse 34 I'm thinking of, where it says, who 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:27.000 is the one who condemns? Will Christ condemn 00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:31.019 us? Will God condemn us? He says, look, it's 00:24:31.019 --> 00:24:36.619 Christ Jesus who died. Yes, rather, who was raised. 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:42.700 Who is at the right hand of God who also intercedes 00:24:42.700 --> 00:24:48.319 for us. That's the assurance of our representation. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:53.519 My friend, you have an advocate who stands before 00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:57.769 God in heaven. That word advocate found in 1 00:24:57.769 --> 00:25:02.890 John 2 .2 is, well, it's kind of like an attorney. 00:25:03.029 --> 00:25:07.630 It's a lawyer. He stands before God and as the 00:25:07.630 --> 00:25:10.329 accuser of the brethren, as Satan would come, 00:25:10.509 --> 00:25:20.130 to cast upon you guilt before God and condemnation 00:25:20.130 --> 00:25:24.500 because of your failures as a Christian. There 00:25:24.500 --> 00:25:26.779 is one who stands before God as our advocate 00:25:26.779 --> 00:25:28.819 and says, Father, I've paid the price for that 00:25:28.819 --> 00:25:32.619 sin. And Satan has no choice but to leave in 00:25:32.619 --> 00:25:35.140 a situation like that. You know where he usually 00:25:35.140 --> 00:25:38.420 goes then? He usually comes to you and he says, 00:25:38.460 --> 00:25:40.440 Now, I can't talk to God about your sin, but 00:25:40.440 --> 00:25:42.819 I'll talk to you about it. Look how terrible 00:25:42.819 --> 00:25:46.240 you are. And he begins to throw guilt and condemnation 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:47.880 upon you. And you know what you need to do then? 00:25:48.579 --> 00:25:50.779 You need to remind him of your advocate also. 00:25:52.140 --> 00:25:54.220 And say, Satan, there's one who stands before 00:25:54.220 --> 00:25:57.440 God. And you're right, those things I did. But 00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:00.000 that one who stands before God is the propitiation 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:03.779 for my sins. And what he'll do then? He'll leave. 00:26:04.420 --> 00:26:07.000 He has to leave. He won't bother you anymore 00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:09.440 about it. He may come back, but you can send 00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:11.220 him away again by pointing to your advocate. 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:14.599 And so you and I have the blessed assurance of 00:26:14.599 --> 00:26:18.660 representation before God. And our high priest 00:26:18.660 --> 00:26:22.619 does not get sleepy. He does not get weary and 00:26:22.619 --> 00:26:26.680 tired. He is not on an eight -hour shift, so 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:29.119 He's off 16 hours a day, as though there were 00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:34.059 days in heaven. But rather, He eternally intercedes 00:26:34.059 --> 00:26:38.380 for us before God. There is no diminishing of 00:26:38.380 --> 00:26:43.059 His alertness to our needs. There is no diminishing 00:26:43.059 --> 00:26:46.740 of His power to intercede in our behalf. He is 00:26:46.740 --> 00:26:50.339 eternally. our high priest. Oh, what great assurance 00:26:50.339 --> 00:26:54.240 that is. So that even when I do fail, and I do 00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:58.359 fail miserably sometimes, when I fail, I know 00:26:58.359 --> 00:27:01.339 I have one who stands before God, who understands 00:27:01.339 --> 00:27:05.519 and who sympathizes, who's paid the price for 00:27:05.519 --> 00:27:09.200 my sin, who's able to meet my needs where I am. 00:27:10.980 --> 00:27:13.440 That's an assurance we can have, my friend, because 00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:16.220 he rose from the dead. And he knows what it's 00:27:16.220 --> 00:27:20.339 like to be a man. A person. He knows what it's 00:27:20.339 --> 00:27:23.160 like to be tempted because he was tempted in 00:27:23.160 --> 00:27:28.059 every way like you are. But he didn't sin. And 00:27:28.059 --> 00:27:30.380 therefore he's able to intercede perfectly when 00:27:30.380 --> 00:27:34.099 you're tempted. But we have to go on. And so 00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:38.839 we have two of his works. The work in relation 00:27:38.839 --> 00:27:42.960 to sin, he died. His work in relation to salvation, 00:27:43.400 --> 00:27:47.299 he lives. He was raised from the dead. And finally, 00:27:47.299 --> 00:27:53.279 his work in relation to the saved. Now I'm going 00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:56.960 to talk only to those who know the Lord Jesus 00:27:56.960 --> 00:28:00.819 Christ. Because this third work does not apply 00:28:00.819 --> 00:28:05.160 for you. If you do not know Christ today, I want 00:28:05.160 --> 00:28:07.599 you to know that he died for you, he rose again 00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:11.500 for you, that you might be saved. But this third 00:28:11.500 --> 00:28:13.700 work is only for those who have trusted him. 00:28:14.269 --> 00:28:16.809 It is his work in relation to the Savior, and 00:28:16.809 --> 00:28:21.369 it's found in that single word, joined. Joined. 00:28:23.029 --> 00:28:28.269 It pictures the most intimate of unions. In fact, 00:28:28.269 --> 00:28:31.950 back in chapter 7, verse 4, you'll see the word 00:28:31.950 --> 00:28:35.470 joined. In the previous verse, you'll notice 00:28:35.470 --> 00:28:40.650 the same word in the English. Talking there about 00:28:40.650 --> 00:28:43.150 the analogy of marriage. She says, so then if 00:28:43.150 --> 00:28:46.349 while her husband is living she is joined to 00:28:46.349 --> 00:28:49.269 another man. At the end of the verse it says, 00:28:49.309 --> 00:28:54.250 she is joined to another man. It's the same Greek 00:28:54.250 --> 00:28:56.690 construction that's found in verse 4 when it 00:28:56.690 --> 00:29:02.430 says, you might be joined to another. In other 00:29:02.430 --> 00:29:04.890 words, it means that you and I who have trusted 00:29:04.890 --> 00:29:08.900 Christ. have come into the most intimate possible 00:29:08.900 --> 00:29:14.680 kind of union with Him. It is like the union 00:29:14.680 --> 00:29:20.619 of marriage, except for one essential difference. 00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:24.339 And that is in marriage, two become one what? 00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:30.640 One flesh. Whereas in this union, we become one 00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:36.579 spirit with the Lord. I have not been able to 00:29:36.579 --> 00:29:39.240 probe the depths of that with my finite mind. 00:29:40.380 --> 00:29:43.400 I am not sure all that that means when it says 00:29:43.400 --> 00:29:47.799 in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 that we are one spirit 00:29:47.799 --> 00:29:52.799 with him. But this much I know, it means that 00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:57.539 there has been a miracle take place so that we 00:29:57.539 --> 00:30:04.460 human beings who have trusted Christ have undergone 00:30:04.460 --> 00:30:09.700 a radical change so that now it's not just you 00:30:09.700 --> 00:30:14.200 or just me, but it's Christ in you and Christ 00:30:14.200 --> 00:30:20.380 in me. We are one spirit with Him. It doesn't 00:30:20.380 --> 00:30:24.099 mean that we are God, but it means that God has 00:30:24.099 --> 00:30:28.880 united Himself with us in salvation. He has joined 00:30:28.880 --> 00:30:37.869 us with Himself. If Christ is still dead, then 00:30:37.869 --> 00:30:41.170 what we are talking about is a joining only in 00:30:41.170 --> 00:30:44.369 memory or in ideal. And there are a lot of people 00:30:44.369 --> 00:30:47.190 who teach that these days. They say, oh yeah, 00:30:47.269 --> 00:30:52.109 we're one with God in some mystical, ideal sense, 00:30:52.430 --> 00:30:56.230 like God is in everybody. But that's not what 00:30:56.230 --> 00:30:59.970 this is saying. This is saying that God is actually 00:30:59.970 --> 00:31:06.420 in the believer. That there's a real, not ideal, 00:31:06.619 --> 00:31:11.640 a real union that has taken place. So that that 00:31:11.640 --> 00:31:15.200 innermost part of you called the Spirit, the 00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:19.960 real you, that innermost self of you, is now 00:31:19.960 --> 00:31:25.279 united, it's one with Jesus Christ. And that 00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:30.900 union brings about all kinds of results. All 00:31:30.900 --> 00:31:33.839 kinds of them. Let's just look at one. That's 00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:36.480 all we have time for. Romans chapter 8, verse 00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:44.859 17. He says, if we are children of God, we are 00:31:44.859 --> 00:31:51.339 heirs also. Heirs of God and fellow heirs with 00:31:51.339 --> 00:31:55.319 Christ. That's such a significant word, fellow 00:31:55.319 --> 00:31:59.440 heirs. And there is implied that union, we are 00:31:59.440 --> 00:32:03.000 one with him, fellow heirs with Christ. If indeed 00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:06.140 we suffer with him in order that we may also 00:32:06.140 --> 00:32:12.680 be glorified with him. What that means, there 00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:15.700 is one sense in which Jesus Christ has entered 00:32:15.700 --> 00:32:21.240 into his glory now. But there is coming a day 00:32:21.240 --> 00:32:26.390 in which he will enter fully. into the glory 00:32:26.390 --> 00:32:30.769 that is rightfully His. Not only in the heavenly 00:32:30.769 --> 00:32:36.309 realm, but in the earthly realm. His glory is 00:32:36.309 --> 00:32:39.589 going to be manifested and established and proclaimed 00:32:39.589 --> 00:32:43.910 throughout all the earth. And what this verse 00:32:43.910 --> 00:32:47.369 is telling us is that you and I who are one with 00:32:47.369 --> 00:32:53.250 Him will share with Him in that glory. It's true 00:32:53.250 --> 00:32:58.089 we suffer now if we're faithful Christians. For 00:32:58.089 --> 00:33:00.430 all that live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer 00:33:00.430 --> 00:33:08.690 persecution. But we suffer now so that then we 00:33:08.690 --> 00:33:13.809 will be glorified together with him. Fellow heirs 00:33:13.809 --> 00:33:18.390 of his glory. And so as we talk about the resurrection, 00:33:18.670 --> 00:33:24.750 let's remember. that God has done a marvelous 00:33:24.750 --> 00:33:29.130 thing for us in Jesus Christ. He has joined us 00:33:29.130 --> 00:33:33.329 to himself like a vine is joined to the branch. 00:33:35.210 --> 00:33:38.309 Now, if you have never trusted Jesus Christ, 00:33:38.609 --> 00:33:41.569 you're not a genuine Christian. You may be a 00:33:41.569 --> 00:33:44.690 cultural Christian. You may have grown up in 00:33:44.690 --> 00:33:46.910 a Christian home or in a so -called Christian 00:33:46.910 --> 00:33:50.430 country. but you've never come to that place 00:33:50.430 --> 00:33:53.490 in your life where you've personally received 00:33:53.490 --> 00:33:58.549 Jesus Christ as an act of your own will, then 00:33:58.549 --> 00:34:01.069 let me read to you the words of Charles Swindoll. 00:34:01.990 --> 00:34:06.029 To live without faith in the resurrection is 00:34:06.029 --> 00:34:11.070 to deny biblical evidence. To die without hope 00:34:11.070 --> 00:34:15.909 of the resurrection is to face a barren eternity. 00:34:19.469 --> 00:34:21.710 Do you have assurance that you're going to heaven 00:34:21.710 --> 00:34:26.170 when you die? Do you have assurance that your 00:34:26.170 --> 00:34:29.329 body is going to be resurrected? That someday 00:34:29.329 --> 00:34:31.849 it's going to be brought forth from the grave, 00:34:31.949 --> 00:34:37.409 glorified and fitted for eternity? Don't you 00:34:37.409 --> 00:34:41.170 want to live forever? One thing I'm discovering 00:34:41.170 --> 00:34:44.150 is that life is awfully short. I'm not going 00:34:44.150 --> 00:34:47.550 to get it all out in this life. And I've talked 00:34:47.550 --> 00:34:50.030 to people who who've been in their 70s. I remember 00:34:50.030 --> 00:34:52.210 one person in particular said, you know, I'm 00:34:52.210 --> 00:34:55.070 73 years old, but I'm a young person inside of 00:34:55.070 --> 00:34:59.989 an old body. Well, I tend to resemble that remark. 00:35:01.349 --> 00:35:05.650 The older I get, and so do you. And the fact 00:35:05.650 --> 00:35:08.829 is that one of the blessed things about being 00:35:08.829 --> 00:35:10.429 a Christian is that we're going to get to live 00:35:10.429 --> 00:35:15.409 forever. Forever. And even though death may come 00:35:15.409 --> 00:35:19.199 and claim the shell we live in, so what? We'll 00:35:19.199 --> 00:35:21.380 get it back one of these days in better condition, 00:35:21.539 --> 00:35:25.460 more than repaired. And we're going to get to 00:35:25.460 --> 00:35:28.000 live on and on and on forever and explore God's 00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:30.880 universe and be one with Christ and reign with 00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:34.820 him. That's fabulous. But the Bible says that 00:35:34.820 --> 00:35:38.019 the person who's not born again, who's never 00:35:38.019 --> 00:35:40.219 trusted Christ, won't even get to see the kingdom 00:35:40.219 --> 00:35:44.699 of God. Consigned to separation and loneliness 00:35:44.699 --> 00:35:48.989 and suffering forever in hell. If you've never 00:35:48.989 --> 00:35:51.369 trusted Christ, today's the day you need to do 00:35:51.369 --> 00:35:53.829 it. What an appropriate day for you to do it. 00:35:54.469 --> 00:35:57.150 For those of us who know Christ, there's great 00:35:57.150 --> 00:36:03.170 comfort in the concept of a future reunion and 00:36:03.170 --> 00:36:07.170 resurrection. A dear friend of mine who's been 00:36:07.170 --> 00:36:10.829 an evangelist for almost 45 years in the South 00:36:10.829 --> 00:36:12.889 primarily, his name is Fred Brown. Some of you 00:36:12.889 --> 00:36:17.010 may know him or heard of him. Fred's wife got 00:36:17.010 --> 00:36:20.440 cancer. last year, went home to be with Christ 00:36:20.440 --> 00:36:28.039 a week ago this past Thursday. What joy Fred 00:36:28.039 --> 00:36:34.239 has because she knew Christ and he knows Christ. 00:36:35.340 --> 00:36:39.599 And because someday he knows he's going to see 00:36:39.599 --> 00:36:45.880 her again. And they're going to be together. 00:36:46.480 --> 00:36:48.579 Though the relationship will be a little different, 00:36:48.780 --> 00:36:52.940 they're going to be together in heaven. What 00:36:52.940 --> 00:36:56.900 a great comfort that is. And it only, I suppose, 00:36:56.980 --> 00:36:59.159 really reaches home when you've been to the grave 00:36:59.159 --> 00:37:02.360 and you've laid into the ground someone that 00:37:02.360 --> 00:37:10.039 you've loved. And you've had that hope. There's 00:37:10.039 --> 00:37:12.940 so much to experience and to learn of God. I'm 00:37:12.940 --> 00:37:16.329 excited about eternal life. And I tell you, realizing 00:37:16.329 --> 00:37:21.010 the one to whom you're joined is exciting too. 00:37:21.570 --> 00:37:25.130 But it brings a probing thought. Is your life, 00:37:25.170 --> 00:37:30.530 is my life reflecting his? Am I living like a 00:37:30.530 --> 00:37:35.090 branch that's joined to that vine? Is my life 00:37:35.090 --> 00:37:38.010 but the extension of his character and his life? 00:37:39.010 --> 00:37:43.380 Or am I living for myself as a Christian? Not 00:37:43.380 --> 00:37:45.360 bearing that fruit that I ought to be bearing. 00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:50.760 Oh, how he wants to live that resurrection life 00:37:50.760 --> 00:37:53.739 through us. Are you letting him do it, Christian? 00:37:55.340 --> 00:37:58.159 Or are you struggling to do it all on your own, 00:37:58.300 --> 00:38:02.159 as we talked last week? Will you allow the Holy 00:38:02.159 --> 00:38:06.840 Spirit to empower you to produce that life of 00:38:06.840 --> 00:38:10.659 Christ? Only he can do it. Is that where you're 00:38:10.659 --> 00:38:15.480 living today? Is he in control? Father in heaven, 00:38:15.599 --> 00:38:19.179 thank you for what you've provided through the 00:38:19.179 --> 00:38:23.780 resurrection of Christ. We thank you that we 00:38:23.780 --> 00:38:26.500 who've been saved have been joined to him who 00:38:26.500 --> 00:38:31.340 was raised from the dead. Hallelujah. May we 00:38:31.340 --> 00:38:37.659 live in the reality of that. May we be branches 00:38:37.659 --> 00:38:42.750 bearing much fruit that remains. because we're 00:38:42.750 --> 00:38:47.150 abiding in the vine. And Father, if there be 00:38:47.150 --> 00:38:49.289 some friend here today who's without Christ, 00:38:49.730 --> 00:38:54.170 who's facing a barren eternity because of no 00:38:54.170 --> 00:38:57.670 hope, I pray that that one will trust the Savior 00:38:57.670 --> 00:39:00.769 today. In Jesus' name, amen.