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Thursday, April 28, 2011

“Dying to Live”

(part 1 of 3)

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Galatians 6:14

As the Body of Christ, Christians all over the world will be recognizing two major events in the life of Jesus Christ this week: His crucifixion and His resurrection. These two events though individually rich with meaning are also intimately tied together. For without the crucifixion there would be no resurrection. And without the resurrection there would be no hope! However, this connection between the two must be balanced.

A church that focuses solely on the crucifixion and Christ’s atoning for our sins will be devoid of hope as it grieves and agonizes over the price that was paid. Overcoming our flesh, rejecting worldliness, and exposing sin become the order of the day. With so much focus on sin, it is not long before they would drift into legalism.

A church, however, that focuses solely on the resurrection and the hope of eternal life would be devoid of conviction as it addresses the abundant life, the love of God, and our glorious future. Sin isn’t seriously addressed. It isn’t long before a congregation, like this, would become morally lax.

It takes both of these events to give a clear presentation of the Gospel message. The message of Christ is powerful because of the relationship between the cross and the empty tomb. To separate them cripples the effectiveness of our message. The Apostle Paul saw just how powerful each of these events were in the life of Christ. For in one breath he declares:

“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:2

By simply subscribing to this passage of Scripture, some may believe that Paul saw this event as being “more significant” in the life of Christ than any other event. However, later in the same book Paul penned these words:

“For is the dead are not raised then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”
1 Corinthians 15:16-18


Understanding the power and intimate relationship of these two events is significant in the life of a believer. The New Testament is peppered with passages proclaiming that we are to “die daily”, “take up our cross” and “crucify the flesh.” While at the same time saying… “I have come to give you life more abundantly”, “We’ve been made alive with Christ”, and “We are a new creation.”

The question then becomes… “How do we die and live at the same time?”


Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

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