Christ is Risen!

Christ is Risen by Matt Maher

Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
We fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to Him who showed great love

And bled for us
Freely You've bled for us

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bowed to none but Heaven's will
No scheme of Hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold You down

In strength You reign
Forever let Your church proclaim

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
The glory of God has defeated the night

Sing it, o death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead, He's alive, He's alive

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Rise up from the grave

Good Friday-The Cross and Subsitution

On Good Friday across the world Christians and even non-Christians begin their plans for easter celebration through the weekend. Ultimately Good Friday for the Christian pushes our thinking to the cross and what it has accomplished. So instead of debating whether it should be Good Friday, or Wednesday or whatever other day...let us look at the power of the cross!

Why is the cross so important to the Christian faith? Substitution. Christ taking our place, all of the wrath of God against all sin was poured out on Him in our place. Charles Spurgeon once preached,

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"Unbeliever, if God cannot and will not forgive the sins of penitent men without Christ taking their punishment, rest assured he will surely bring you to judgment. If, when Christ had imputed sin laid on him, God smote him, how will he smite you who are his enemy, and who have your own sins upon your head? God seemed at Calvary to take an oath and say, 'By the blood of my Son I swear that sin must be punished!' If it is not punished in Christ for you, it will be punished in you for yourselves." He says in another sermon, "If Christ who was God's Son, suffered so bitterly for sins that were not His own, how bitterly must you, who are God's enemies, suffer for sins that are your own? And you must suffer so suffer unless Christ, the substitute, stands for you."

Whether todays humanistic culture that wants to worship mankind above their creator (Rom 1:18-32) wants to believe it or not, the fact remains God takes sin seriously, in fact God to be just and to truly uphold his justice and holiness must judge sin. Spurgeon greatly points out that your sin will either be judged in Christ for you, or in you.

Substitution: "In one word, the great fact on which the Christian's hope rests is substitution. The vicarious sacrifice of Christ for the sinner, Christ's suffering for the sinner, Christ's being made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, Christ offering up a true and proper substitutionary sacrifice in the place of as many as the Father gave him, who are recognized by their trusting in him, this is the cardinal fact of the gospel." - Charles Spurgeon

As Long As You Are Glorified

God has used the circumstances of dear friends in the Lord to push my thinking in regards to God glorifying Himself through our sufferings. Unfortunately so many Christians believe that Jesus came to die only for an example and to give us a prosperous life. It is true that Christ proclaimed that he came "to give life, and to give it more abundantly." (John 10:10). However Christ later in John's gospel also states that there will be tribulations and persecutions. The apostle Paul also states in Romans 8 that sufferings are not just a little possibility or for just those "who have not followed Christ the way they should" as some would say. Paul proclaims the joy and praise to God through sufferings that WILL face the life of every true believer, but Paul states that, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." 


What is this glory? God's amazing love and grace that before the foundation of the world, He called us to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1). But wait it gets better! Romans 8:30, "And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." Our future glorification, the promise of 1 John 3 that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is! Hallelujah! 



To this Paul asks, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Sufferings are a wondrous part of the Christian life. Why? Because they point us to what we have waiting for us!

But what about those we love who are without Christ and are suffering? What is our response? "All things work together for good," does not apply here as it is only true to those who, "love God and are the called according to His purpose." Our response must be to love them as Christ did in Matthew 9:36-38, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” We must have a Christlike compassion that desires them to be reconciled to God. Take to them the wonderful gospel and allow God to sovereignly show them the truths of salvation in Christ. Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

As Long As You Are Glorified by Mark Altrogge

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt

Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

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