Grace Baptist of Ruston

Every person understands that today is labeled by religion as  “Resurrection Sunday” or Easter.  All of them can state the historical facts that define the importance of this holiday to their religion. They can tell you that Christ came into this world at Bethlehem,  lived for   33 1/2 years, died on “Good Friday”, and then rose again from the dead on Easter Sunday.  But the question which demands an answer is: Do you understand the significance of all these events, especially the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? One thing is certain:  Every justified, regenerate sinner understands and deeply appreciates the significance of these events, especially the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ-”Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel  which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; BY WHICH ALSO YE ARE SAVED, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and hat He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.“  (I Cor.15:1-4)  The eternal justification of all God’s elect was obtained by the ONE TIME ACT of Christ offering Himself at Calvary to satisfy God’s law and justice for them ONLY-”By the which will we are sanctified (declared legally righteous) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE.” (Heb.10:10)  This is much more than a historical fact to a believer.   This is our hope, i.e., our confident expectation of receiving that which was promised to us by our Heavenly Father.

The Apostle Paul declared the significance of the resurrection  of the Lord Jesus Christ in I Corinthians 15:13-14: “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ   be  not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” (I Cor.15:13,14)  Paul  also wrote: “Who was delivered for (because of) our offences, and was raised again for (because of) our justification.” (Rom.4:25)  Paul wasn’t telling us that Christ’s resurrection obtained our justification. He clearly taught in the first part of this verse that Christ’s perfect life of obedience to God’s law and justice and His death as the substitute of all God’s elect OBTAINED their justification-”He was delivered for our offences.*”  His resurrection is proof positive that every person for whom Christ lived and died were justified, i.e., declared legally righteous, at Calvary.  If Christ didn’t actually obtain the salvation of all  those God the Father gave to Him in the everlasting covenant of grace,  God the Father would have never raised Him from the dead.  Justified sinners don’t just think of this glorious truth twice a year, i.e., Christmas and Easter, but they live with an ever present awareness that all their salvation rests SOLELY on Christ and His perfect work ALONE.

Bro.Richard