. . . who was delivered for our
offences, and was raised again for our justification. Romans 4:25
It is
only in the light of the resurrection that I finally have an assurance of my
sins forgiven. It is only in the light of the resurrection that I ultimately
know that I stand in the presence of God absolved from guilt and shame and
every condemnation. I can now say with Paul, “There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1) because I look at
the fact of the resurrection. It is there that I know it.
You
notice how Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 15:17 when he says, “If Christ be not
raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins.” If it is not a fact that
Christ literally rose from the grave, then you are still guilty before God.
Your punishment has not been borne, your sins have not been dealt with, you are
yet in your sins. It matters that much: Without the resurrection you have no
standing at all; you are still uncertain as to whether you are forgiven and
whether you are a child of God. And when one day you come to your deathbed you
will not know, you will be uncertain as to where you are going and what is
going to happen to you. “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised
again for our justification” (Romans 4:25). It is in the resurrection that I
stand before God free and absolved and without fear and know that I am indeed a
child of God.
So you
see the importance of holding on to this doctrine and why we must insist upon
the details of doctrine, and not be content with some vague general belief in
the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are concerned about your life in this world and
the fight against the world, the first thing to do, says the apostle Paul, is
to take an overall look at the great doctrine of the resurrection of our Lord.
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