Faith In Jesus' Resurrection

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: II Corinthians 5; Lord's Day 17
Psalters: 367, 332, 53, 32
  1. For our justification.
    1. Jesus? resurrection from the dead was unique.
      1. It begins with the fact that His death was unique.
      2. This made His resurrection out of this death unique!
    2. Jesus arose, but also God raised Him from the dead.
      1. Christ raised Himself (I Cor. 15:3; Acts 17:3; Rom. 8:34).
      2. And God raised Him (Acts 3:15; 5:31; 13:30.
    3. God raised Jesus from the dead on account of our justification (Rom. 4:25).
      1. By raising Jesus God declared Him to be free from the debt of sin, not worthy of death, but worthy of eternal life.
      2. Even more, justification is a partaking of perfect righteousness.
  2. Also the Messiah makes us partakers of the spiritual life He purchased.
    1. We are spiritually risen unto new life: regeneration (I Peter 1:3).
      1. The power and life of Christ's resurrection is what regenerates every elect.
      2. We live, because Christ lives in us (Gal. 2:20), giving us newness of life (Rom. 6:4b) which never dies (I Peter 1:5,9).
    2. The life is communion and fellowship with God.
      1. This life is evidenced in the ability to believe (John 5:24,25), a walking with God.
      2. His righteousness in us makes us hunger and thirst after righteousness.
      3. His life in us makes us pilgrims and strangers in this world. We are in the world, but not of it.
  3. His resurrection is a pledge of our bodily resurrection, a hope of everlasting life in a body which will never grow old or die.
    1. Christ was raised from the dead to glory and immortality (II Tim. 1:10).
      1. He came through the grave changed.
      2. As such He is the first-begotten of the dead and the first-fruits of the resurrection (I Cor. 15:20-23).
    2. His resurrection promises that we also will partake of His physical resurrection.
      1. He Who is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25) raised Lazarus to show His power over death.
      2. We shall receive a body in which we will be able to glorify and praise God forever completely free from sin!
    3. Nothing demonstrates God's power for His people more than His raising Jesus (Eph. 1:19,20; Phil. 3:10; I Cor. 6:14).