A few days ago, many of us remembered the day in which Christ was crucified, today we are reminded of the fact that He is Risen, and He is alive! Luke 24:6-7 (ESV) tells us, “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”.
Today the people of the world will continue on with their pagan rooted traditions but let us mediate on the fact that our Savior is alive! Many people will argue the validity of the Bible and even the death and resurrection of Jesus. Anyone who studies the New Testament and Old Testament will see the many prophecies that Jesus fulfilled.
Hosea 6:1-2 (ESV) tells us, “Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.”. In the context of these verses Hosea is talking about Israel, but at the same time this is also alluding to what Jesus Christ will accomplish because He is the only hope for an unrepentant Israel and every other person.
Hosea 6:1-2 is related to what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV), “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”.
Christ died for our sins so that we may get a free ticket to Heaven, right? Sadly, this is the mentality that many people who are in the church seem to have. The finished work of Jesus Christ has such a greater significance than just getting a hell insurance card.
Exodus 34:7 (ESV) tells us, “keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”. This verse shows us the two attributes of God that often get out of balance in the modern church. We see the love of God in this verse, at the same time we see the wrath of God in this verse.
Exodus 34:7 tells us that God will by no means clear the guilty, God cannot ignore sin. Every sin must be punished. Isaiah 53:4-6 (ESV) tells us, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”.
We must realize that Christ took our place to save us from the wrath of God. Jesus did not just suffer from the Romans beating Him up, He more importantly suffered the wrath of God the Father. This was the only way for our sins to be atoned for. There is nothing you can do yourself to save yourself from the wrath of God, there is nothing in our own strength we can do to overcome the sin in our lives.
If you ever told a lie, even a white one you are destined to the lake of fire according to Revelation 21:8. But there is Good News! No matter what sin you committed whether you are a liar, an adulterer, homosexual, thief, or drug addict, God provided a Way for us to be saved from His wrath against sin and iniquity.
Today if the Holy Spirit has revealed to you the sin in your life you can simply cry out to God and repent and put your faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Not only this but the work of the Holy Spirit is so powerful that you will rise forth as a New Creation in Christ Jesus. As the 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us when we are born again, we have a new nature inside of us. We have a power source inside of us that if we fully rely upon the finished work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives we can walk in righteousness. Sure, we will slip up from time to time, but the Holy Spirit will convict you and you will run to the Father in repentance.
You might think that it is impossible for God to forgive you because of all the wrong decisions you have made in your life. Simply look at the work God did with the finished work of Christ. Jesus not only died in the flesh, but He rose again. Look at how God delivered the Israelites in the Old Testament. I can assure you that if you truly repent and truly trust in Christ that God will forgive you, deliver you, and give you the strength to walk the walk of faith. I cannot promise you ‘Your Best Life Now’, there will still be trials and tribulations in this life, but I can tell you that walking this walk of faith is worth it and that there is nothing else in this world that can compare to being put in right standing with God.