Thursday, August 20, 2015

The Cross, The Resurrection & The Holy Spirit



Hello Friends!

The following article is meant as an encouragement and reminder of the Awesome God we serve!

Please join me in remembering to reach out to those in our personal & professional spheres of influence here @ TR who desperately need to hear the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
May they receive Him as their personal Lord and SaviorPraise the Name of our Lord Jesus!

The Cross, The Resurrection & The Holy Spirit

What sets Christianity apart from every other belief system or religion? For more than 2,000 years, the Gospel facts about Jesus Christ of Nazareth have been proclaimed on every continent and to people from every walk of life. When someone considers the Christian message, what exactly are they accepting – or rejecting?

The Cross:

The instrument of torture upon which Jesus Christ died is the most well-known “symbol” of Christianity. What could possibly explain a two millennia-long fixation on something so horrible? One clue is found in Jesus' final words in which He uttered as He died:

It is finished! – John 19:30

That victorious declaration – spoken in the midst of what looked like humiliating defeat – tells us Jesus Christ saw these events as an accomplishment. But how could such a tragic end to Jesus' amazing teaching and miracle-working ministry be an accomplishment? Jesus taught that He came to:

…seek and save the lost – Luke 19:10

And:

…to give His life as a ransom for many – Mark 10:45

On the Cross, a divine transaction took place. It was His life for the life of the “believer” in Jesus Christ – a willful ransom paid to buy “us” back from our “lost” and “sinful” condition. That's why the day Jesus died is called "Good Friday," not "Tragic Friday!" Jesus' death on the Cross completed the work God gave Him to do, because His mission was not just to “teach” us but to “die” for “us.” All that is left for “us” to do is to personally receive that wonderful, “free gift” for ourselves.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life – John 3:16
As grand as the accomplishment on the Cross was – the story doesn't end there...

The Resurrection:

On the third day, the stone that covered the tomb was rolled away – Jesus Christ came back from the dead! He is “alive” – never to die again! The power over “sin” and “death” has been defeated!

The angel in the Gospel of Luke said to the startled disciples looking for Him at the tomb:

He is not here; He is risen! – Luke 24:6

The Resurrection declared Jesus Christ as Victor over “sin” and “death” – humanity's most unsolvable eternal dilemmas. By “rising” from the “dead,” Jesus Christ proved that even death was no match to His power! Without the Resurrection, Jesus' life would have been “unique” – just like every other human being. Faith in Him under those circumstances would be foolish – a criticism understood by both Christianity's adherents and detractors. In fact, it was the Apostle Paul just a few decades after this event who wrote:

If Christ is not raised, your faith is futile – 1 Corinthians 15:17
Yet, in fact, the Resurrection did occur and Jesus' life and mission became the most powerful events this world has ever seen! Therefore, faith in Him makes sense. And if we fail to trust in Him – in light of what He did for us – disbelief seems foolish. The Resurrection “assures“ us that “power” beyond human comprehension is available to the “followers” of Jesus Christ. Everything changes when we come to the foot of the Cross with empty hands of faith and stare in wonder at the open doorway to the tomb – He is risen!
The Holy Spirit:

And there's more! The power of the “resurrected” Jesus Christ comes to us through the “Holy Spirit.” After His resurrection, Jesus told His followers that the sameHoly Spirit” who “ascended” upon Him at His baptism in the “form of a dove” would be “on” them:

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you – Acts 1:8

God's desire is for every true “Christian” to have access to His personal presence and power – in Jesus Christ through the “power” of the “Holy Spirit!” At Pentecost – 50 days after His resurrection – that's exactly what happened!

What does this powerful Person of the Holy Trinity do in our lives today? Jesus Christ was clear – He takes residency “
inside” of the “believer” and the “Holy Spirit” comes “on” us so “we” can become His “witnesses” by being “like” Him. The “character” and “power” that Jesus Christ has – “we” have to “overcome” the “sin” in our lives. The “Holy Spirit” produces “fruit” in us! The Apostle Paul describes exactly what that looks like:

...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – Galatians 5:22-23

In other words… The Christian life!

These characteristics demonstrate that God is at work in Jesus' followers through His “Holy Spirit!” And when His “power” produces these “fruits“ in our lives, the natural result is that “unbelievers” will sit up and take notice! If the “fruit of the Spirit” is the Christian “life,” then the “fruit” of the Christian “life” is… more Christians – Hallelujah!

The Cross, the Resurrection & the Holy Spirit. These three aspects God’s Sovereign plan set Biblical “Christianityapart from every other religion and cult group!

Take any One of these aspects away and you don't have the whole story – or the whole Truth. Embrace them all and you will have “eternal life.” He will make you “new” from the moment you receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, what we do with Jesus Christ determines what Jesus Christ will do with us – for all eternity...  

Thank you for your desire for Biblical discernment and Truth – Praise the Lord!

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
 
Blessings!
Shane <><

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