Raised To Life

Romans 4:25 (NIV) says, “He [Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” Today we are called to remember a simple fact: Jesus died because of our sins. Without our sin, there was no reason for Christ to suffer and die. Perhaps the purpose of the cross has become complicated or fuzzy. Let us make it clear today.

The cross accomplished many things, but sin was the cause. Every one of us stood before God, a transgressor, deserving of punishment and worthy of God’s wrath. God was justified in casting us away from his presence. He was righteous in holding the standard of holiness higher than any of us could hope to attain.

When we can embrace this truth, our eyes are opened to the wonder of the cross. Doing what only a perfect human could do, Christ condemned sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3). His death was to take on the penalty of our sins.

Christ was the only one that could, and he did.

If God’s objective was to eliminate sin, he could have wiped out humanity and started over, as he did with Noah. Or perhaps he could have put all human sin on the perfect son and called it even, having at least “canceled" our sin with a righteous sacrifice. But that would not reflect the desire of a loving God.

Sin and death were swallowed up in Christ’s death. He conquered the grave! When he rose from the grave, he became our justification. Now, instead of just eliminating the stench of sin, he allows all who believe to become righteous sons and daughters, freed by his blood and empowered by his Spirit.

It takes humility to acknowledge that Christ suffered and died because of our sins, but that humility is the good soil for gratitude. We can only be free when we recognize that we were in bondage.

Amen.