Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! This message is coming to you just after Easter 2023. I hope you have had a glorious one. Let us review the real meaning of what we just celebrated:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
- God created heaven and earth in 6 days and then he rested on the seventh.
- God gave Adam free will and one rule; however, he chose to disobey.
- Later through Moses, God gave us the ten commandments.
- Like Adam we have all failed to keep these commandments; therefore, we have all sinned.
- God states “for the wages of sin is death”, so we all have earned death. (Rom. 6:23)
- It was because we sinned that Jesus came in the first place.
- If we break the Law, we will wind up before a judge and pronounced guilty.
- Imagine the judge says you are guilty, however the penalty you owe has been paid in full and you are free to go. The Jesus Christ whom we celebrate on Christmas has completed why he came on Easter.
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23
Jesus, who was without sin, came to be sin for us. He paid the price for our sin. This is the gospel – the good news! Christ lived a perfect life and died to provide us what we could not do for ourselves. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This past Friday, Christ died on the cross and God placed our sins on Him. He became the substitute for our failures. Many blame the Jewish people or their leaders, or even the Romans for the death of Jesus; however, that is not true. God sent Jesus as a sacrifice for our sin.
On Easter Jesus rose from the grave. If we believe in Jesus, we also died on the cross and we are reborn with Christ in us through the Holy Spirit. Jesus died so that we may live!
Recall my last blog post where I listed ways to grow in Christ:
- Prayer: Pray and, thank Jesus for the gift of His salvation daily.
- Community: Find a group of believers who put the Bible first. Attend weekly worship services, get involved with a Bible study (Join one of LBPC bible study groups). Find a mentor to support you.
- Read and study: If you do not have a Bible, get one and read it daily.
- Memorize Scripture: Hiding the Word in your heart, so you can easily recall the moment presents.
- Never stop believing: Stay strong and unwavering in your faith of Jesus Christ.
By committing to the items listed above you are not only growing your faith and relationship with Christ, but also establishing a foundation to equip you to share the gospel. One way to do this is to use the “Path to Salvation – 3 Circles” from the book “Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations” by Authors Jimmy Scroggins and Steve Wright.
(Little Britain is planning to hold training classes based on this method soon, so watch for the post on our website.)
Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19-20, to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
On Easter we have received the “gift of God [that] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we confess our sins and trust in Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven.
Now go and tell others what God has done for you!
-Written by Steve Roten
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