Radio Broadcast Monday 12/06/2021

Classic Christianity – A Closer Look at The Reality of The Resurrection P9 (12-06-21)

Understanding the Fullness of the Gospel

When learning about new things, we tend to learn it better and retain what we have learned when we hear something and see something. Also, when we say it out loud or teach others what we have learned, it reinforces it in our own mind of the truths being taught to us. Jesus even makes mention of this learning experience in the word of God.

For us today, learning the fullness of the Gospel message can be helped along by both hearing the word of God and seeing the word of God and saying the word of God out loud for ourselves too. This is where the Closer Look Bible Studies are so beneficial in teaching us the fullness of the gospel message. We hear it, we read it, we say it, and then we write it down too. We encourage you to pick up your copy of the Bible study booklets as we go through these studies together. As we have mentioned many times, these bible studies are excellent for private home studies, small group studies and even larger group settings.

Matthew 13:16-17
¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

A Closer Look at The Reality of the Resurrection

Jesus is the firstborn over all creation. Jesus was the first one ever born alive spiritually. Adam was the first man created alive spiritually, and Jesus is the first Man ever born alive spiritually. This is important to understand. This is why Jesus was the only one that could lay down His life for the dead (that was you and me), because He is the only one that had a life to lay down to begin with. Everyone else was born dead, that includes you and me. We were all born dead spiritually and needed life, His Life in us to give us life.

Colossians 1:15-29
¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
²¹ Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. ²² But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— ²³ if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
²⁴ Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. ²⁵ I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—
²⁶ the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. ²⁷ To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸ He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. ²⁹ To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

God gave His Life for you, so He could give His Life to you, so He could live His Life through you. Be sure not to stop short of the fullness of the gospel message. If you simply stop at the cross and Christ’s death on the cross and don’t go to His resurrection, you will miss the fullness of the gospel. This was a mystery before it was revealed in its fullness. God had revealed this to the Apostle Paul to be shared with us today in the word of the God. Apart from Jesus living in us, we can do nothing.

John 15:15
¹⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

The death of Jesus on the cross provided reconciliation for the sins of the whole world, but it is His resurrected Life that provides saving Life for you and me! Salvation is Life. We are Saved by the Life of Christ. The key to life is His Life in us.

So many times, people are only coming to Jesus for forgiveness, and don’t have a clue about His Life in them. Only in the Life of Jesus are we found righteous in His sight. No one gets their sins forgiven today. When you receive His resurrected life, you also have forgiveness. So when you were dead, he reconciled us to himself, and then when we enter by faith, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us and give us Life.

Romans 5:10
¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Bob goes on to give the illustration of pregnancy and how the baby is alive living in the mom. This is the same way that when a person becomes born again, they are now living because Christ lives in them and for them. I live because Christ is alive in me! We are totally dependent on Jesus for our Life. We all must be born again for spiritual life.

It’s important to understand that we need to change our mind in regards to our spiritual destiny. We have to change our mind (repentance) in regards to Jesus. We have to realize that I can’t do anything to save myself. I can’t be good enough. I can’t be righteous enough. Repentance requires a complete end of self and to place our faith in Jesus and what He did on the cross.

Righteousness needs to come from God. Our own righteousness is as filthy rags. Only the righteousness of Jesus will do. The Apostle Paul considered everything else as dung compared to knowing Jesus.

So, there is only One that is righteous and Jesus has become our righteousness. If you have not made Jesus your righteousness today, we encourage you to accept Jesus by faith. He forgave all your sins on the cross so that He could give you His eternal life, and give you His righteousness. Thank Him for what He has done for you. At that moment in time, you become born again. If you have accepted Jesus by faith then the Holy Spirit has sealed you with Him. He will never leave you nor forsake you no matter what.