362-He is Risen, I Am Justified#
362-He is Risen, I Am Justified
(JP Text Group - Benjamin Compilation)
Dear family, peace in the Lord! Welcome to your arrival.
Romans 4:17-25:
17 As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Let us first pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for giving us such a wonderful time to come before you. Today is the day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because the Lord Jesus has risen, He has brought us eternal hope. Because the Lord Jesus has risen, we are justified. Because the Lord Jesus has risen, we have the power to overcome all things. Please lead all brothers and sisters to know you more, and through the truth, let us regain strength in your faith. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
Happy Easter! Dear family,
The topic we are sharing is: He is Risen, I Am Justified
A person's understanding of God determines how much he can receive and also determines the size of his faith. Do not limit God's power with our imagination. Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ is itself beyond nature. Jesus rising from the dead has broken some of human imagination and shattered the laws of the world.
No matter how great a person's ability is, he cannot escape the dominion of death. But Jesus has risen from the dead. Because He has risen from the dead, we have eternal hope. We believe that God's promises will surely come to pass. Because He has risen from the dead, we can believe that one day we will experience the same glory as Jesus. The words and revelations in the Bible will be seen because Jesus has risen. Let us live with hope in any environment. Because He has risen, He has become the first fruits of all who have risen. That is our hope. We are no longer afraid of death and can face life and all things with courage.
Sharing the first point: Abraham believed in God, who is the God who raises the dead.
Romans 4:18 says: In hope he believed against hope.
The God that Abraham believed in is the same God we believe in. Since Abraham could have such faith, and it is recorded in the Bible, it tells us that we can also have such faith and emulate Abraham's faith. It also shows us that God is not limited by time and space. The God that Abraham believed in is the God who raises the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Having such faith in that era was remarkable.
Through several events, let us witness Abraham's faith. Abraham's family lacked nothing and was very prestigious, but the only thing lacking was a son. Once a person grows old, he loses hope. We share that in old age, Abraham had faith. If Abraham had believed in the Lord when he was in his twenties without children, he would not have lost faith. He had many opportunities, but when Abraham believed in the Lord, he was already over seventy years old. His age was already great, and after waiting for more than twenty years, he had completely lost hope in the flesh.
Romans 4:19: He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.
Brothers and sisters, what should we do when our faith is weak? We can listen to hymns, hear others' testimonies, or go to church to listen to sermons, but Abraham had none of these. There were no testimonies before him, no witness that a person could still have a son at a hundred years old. There were no recordings of sermons for him to listen to repeatedly to uplift his faith. He was a precedent; everything started from him. He was the first witness, the first to experience God. What should he do at that time? God found him. There were not many Christians around him to support each other. Everything started from him. You can imagine that in that environment, Abraham having such faith is absolutely our example.
Today, when we are weak, we have brothers and sisters with strong faith to help us, comfort us, and encourage us. We have a church to support us and sermons to listen to. At that time, all Abraham could see was his family. When he looked at his wife and himself, there was no hope, no opportunity. His body was as good as dead, meaning he was too old and had no chance of bearing children. Sarah's ability to bear children had ceased. Once a woman's menstruation ceases, there is no chance of having children. In such circumstances, everything seemed as if it were dead, and when he reached a dead end, Abraham's faith was still not weak.
Brothers and sisters, when everything is going smoothly, it is understandable to say we have faith. But when everything seems to be going wrong, and it seems we are at a dead end, can you still believe in God? Can you still believe that God's words will be fulfilled in you? At that time, do you grasp God's promises as real, or are they just empty words of comfort?
Genesis 18:9-15:
9 They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time, I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
Abraham and his wife were in a desperate situation when God spoke to them. Abraham and Sarah were both old, and it seemed there was no possibility of bearing children. God spoke a word to them: “At the appointed time, I will return to you, and Sarah shall have a son.” This is God's word. When everything seems dead and hopeless, God spoke some words to those who had no hope. Can you accept it?
Perhaps you say: My body is already in trouble; the hospital has said it is hopeless.
Perhaps you say: My finances are in trouble; it is already terrible.
Perhaps you say: There are problems with my children; the relationships are terrible.
If in this terrible relationship, everything seems dead, and there is no way out, no method, God’s words speak to you: “I will make a way for you; I will solve your problem.” When you read similar promises in the Bible, can you grasp Him? Or will you, like Sarah, laugh to yourself: “How is this possible?” If your belief in God's words and promises turns into a question mark, that is something that needs to be adjusted quickly.
Sarah was a question mark. She heard God's words spoken to her. She had a response, but it was a question mark. God knew she had doubts in her heart and said to her, “Why did you laugh? Is anything too hard for the Lord?” At that time, it was normal for Sarah to laugh a little; this is a normal reaction even for believers. God did not condemn her but wanted to resolve her doubts. God expressed what was in her heart and then repeated His promise: “At the appointed time, I will return to you, and Sarah shall have a son.” This is what God had always said to Abraham. Although his wife had doubts, God hoped that Abraham, as the head of the family, would have a strong faith.
As men in the family, we need to stand firm on God's word, especially when the environment is in dire straits. The sisters' weaknesses may manifest; they may complain, have doubts, and keep asking. But we must stand firm. This is the difference between how God created men and women. At this time, God did not talk to Sarah but wanted to strengthen Abraham. Once Abraham's faith was strengthened, Sarah's faith would naturally follow. So brothers and sisters, can we still have hope when there seems to be no hope? This requires faith. Hebrews 11 mentions faith.
Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Brothers and sisters, this matter has not yet been seen, but the outcome is already known. For things not seen, can you have conviction? What is conviction? It means I believe this will surely happen. Now, what is the fact? Abraham and Sarah had lost the ability to bear children, but the things not seen are what God told him today: “Next year at this time, your son will be born.” When these two things are put together, we must believe that God's promises will surely be fulfilled. This is called faith. It is not faith in things that have already happened but in things that have not yet happened that require faith to receive. Amen!
Today we celebrate Easter. The resurrection is a future event. Now we can only receive it by faith. There is no way to experiment or verify it for you, so we must receive this fact like Abraham did and place this conviction in our hearts. Abraham believed, so God accepted his faith and called him the father of faith. We say Abraham is the father of faith because he believed after hearing God's words.
Indeed, at that time the next year, Isaac was born. It is not that we wait to see Isaac in the womb and then say, “I believe God will let my child be born next year.” That does not require faith. It is when everything shows no signs of happening, and you can believe unwaveringly, while others are speaking negative words, while others are afraid and complaining, you can speak God's promises into your dead end. This requires faith because you believe God is the God who calls into existence the things that do not exist and raises the dead. Only with this faith can you speak the right words. Celebrating Easter is not just about celebrating Jesus' resurrection; it is about applying the hope of resurrection and faith to our real lives. Amen! The God that Abraham believed in is the God who calls into existence the things that do not exist and raises the dead. There is another matter.
Genesis 22:6-8:
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
Brothers and sisters, from nothing to something refers to the body that was completely unable to bear children, but God allowed him to have a son. Where does the faith to raise the dead come from? It comes from the event of offering Isaac, believing that God could raise his son from the dead.
This scripture is in Hebrews 11:17-19:
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
Brothers and sisters, many believers still cannot have faith that goes from nothing to something and raises the dead. We learn from Abraham's faith to tell everyone that God can raise Jesus from the dead and can also bring hope back to what seems hopeless. God can call into existence the things that do not exist. If you have lost something today, God is fully capable of giving it back to you, so there is nothing to worry about. Amen!
In verse 6, Abraham laid the wood of the burnt offering on his son Isaac.
These words may sound simple to us. We just read that Abraham offered his son Isaac. If we think from another perspective, Abraham had a son after much difficulty. His son was in his teens and looked so lovely, and he had a beautiful testimony. Then God suddenly said, “Offer your son, your only son, as a burnt offering to me.” This is a very difficult decision, so difficult that you have to offer your living son to God.
At this moment, many people would give up and would rather not believe in this God.
Many people can accept healing from illness, prayers being answered, but when God says, “Offer what you consider most important to me,” it actually means, “Let me be first in your life.” Many people say, “This is not possible; I must earn money for the Lord, I must prioritize my children, I must prioritize my career.” Many people are still unwilling. They hesitate. At this moment, Abraham had many reasons to hesitate: “Lord, you can ask me to offer something else; I can give you all my possessions. Can you not take my son? He is my only son!” If one does not have faith in the resurrection of the dead, one cannot take this step, but Abraham already had such faith.
Abraham offered Isaac by faith and did so joyfully, receiving the promise. In other words, Abraham could do all this because he saw God's promise. He wanted to grasp God's promise, believing that even if his son died, God could raise him from the dead. Once such faith was established, nothing could defeat Abraham afterward. In fact, it was indeed so. After Abraham offered Isaac, he never encountered any major storms again, did he? Brothers and sisters, if our faith has reached the point of believing that God is the God who calls into existence the things that do not exist and raises the dead, then whatever happens in your life will no longer cause you to fall. You may be weak, but you will not fall.
Through learning these truths, we are not just learning experiences or knowledge; we are letting this life be received in our hearts, believing: “Lord! The God I believe in is also this God. Just as Abraham had such experiences, I believe you will solve my difficulties. You are also the God who calls into existence the things that do not exist and raises the dead. In my life, I can also experience your power!” Amen!
Abraham joyfully received the promise and offered his only son. Of course, today God would never do such a thing, nor should we use such a hypothesis. I just want to tell everyone that God saw Abraham's faith, so Abraham also inherited the abundant rewards that came from his faith. Every time we accept God's tests of faith, for example, when some environments come, we overcome them through God's word. Okay, this matter will definitely have rewards afterward, even though many environments are not set up by God.
Do not assume, “What if God one day asks me to offer my son?” This is impossible. Many things in the Bible are types. For example, the story of Abraham offering his only son Isaac foreshadows our Heavenly Father also having an only son, Jesus, who truly offered His only son for us, and His son rose from the dead. Amen! This shows us what humans cannot do, God has done. Abraham's faith is indeed remarkable and is our example, but rest assured, God will not test you with this, nor will He ask you to offer your son completely. Amen!
In the Old Testament, sacrifices must also be willingly given. If Isaac were unwilling, God could not accept the offering. After all, Abraham was already old, and Isaac was a teenager. If the child was unwilling, he could run away, and Abraham could not catch him. Therefore, Abraham's faith had already been passed on to Isaac. Both of them believed very much in God's words. It was because of their faith that God saw this faith and allowed them to inherit the blessings that came from this faith. Amen! Abraham looked to God's promises, and regardless of the environment, he believed that God's promises would surely come to pass. This is what we just read in the scripture.
Romans 4:20-21:
20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
To emphasize again, when Abraham experienced God, there were no testimonies of the dead being raised. At a time when there was no such thing, Abraham believed that God could raise his son from the dead. This faith is very commendable. The problem is that today Jesus has already risen from the dead, yet many people still do not believe, debating whether Jesus really rose from the dead. Do you see the difference? One does not believe, no matter how you say it, while the other has not seen but believes because God said so.
I hope all of God's children will believe that God has raised Christ from the dead. This is God's promise to us. If you believe this, then God can also let you experience His power to call into existence the things that do not exist and raise the dead in your life. When encountering any problems, do not lose heart or doubt. Look to God's promises like Abraham did. Do not doubt in your heart. When we look at the environment and our current situation, it is easy to doubt, but we must learn to look to God's promises like Abraham did, and through faith, be strengthened, giving glory to God. Amen!
God gave Abraham a name. He was previously called Abram, but God said, “You shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham.” The meaning of Abraham is “father of many nations.” After changing his name, it was a very awkward thing. Have you noticed that God is training Abraham to first change his words? He had already believed in God's promises in his heart, but we may still be weak. So what should we do? We should often speak strong words. I also want to tell all dear family members that the more you are weak, the more you should speak God's promises, the more you should speak God's strong words, and the more you should give glory to God, letting your heart be completely filled with God's promises. Believe these completely and speak them out.
Have you ever thought that Abraham also had neighbors, many relatives, and friends? He was so old and had no children, and he changed his name to “father of many nations,” which means he is the father of many children. If others call him by this name and he does not have God's promise in his heart, how awkward and terrible would that be! Perhaps others would mock him, saying, “Has he gone crazy wanting children at this age? At such an old age, he even changed his name to say he is the father of many nations. Why don’t you have one child first?”
Abraham might face a lot of pressure and even the influence of many surrounding environments, but he did not doubt God because of these. Instead, he held on to God's promises and gave glory to God. When Isaac was born, all those negative comments around him disappeared. Abraham believed that God's promises would surely come to pass. You should believe this too!
Sharing the second point: God raised Jesus from the dead; this is our hope.
If the previous scripture was only written for Abraham, we might read it and say, “That is a story, or say: Abraham is so great!” People often only focus on things that relate to themselves. Just like many people have taken the green train before, I have squeezed onto that train many times. For example, when you are hungry on the train and want to make instant noodles, the aisle is very crowded. If you say, “Excuse me, let me through,” perhaps no one will pay attention to you. But if you say, “Everyone, be careful, it’s hot!” many people will automatically give you a way. Why? Because it relates to them; they know that being careless might burn them. What I want to say is that I am telling you all this because it relates to you. You are not just listening to a story or a good speech; this is related to you. Amen!
Romans 4:23-24:
23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord.
Do you see? Brothers and sisters, Abraham's faith, if we also have it, you can also experience the great blessings of the righteous! We cannot let everyone who believes in the Lord live exactly the same as those who do not believe. How can we reflect that the Lord is the God who calls into existence the things that do not exist and raises the dead? I hope every brother and sister experiences God's great power, as written in the Bible. It must relate to you. They can experience God's greatness, and so can you.
Abraham was justified because he believed in God. Are you the same? Do you believe that Jesus shed His blood for your sins on the cross and rose from the dead three days later? Do you say: I believe! Is your belief in God just a statement, or do you truly believe, like Abraham, that He is the God who calls into existence the things that do not exist and raises the dead? If you often meditate on this statement, it will have a tremendous impact on your life. No matter how great the storm you encounter, this word will give you strength and enable you to overcome the storm. Amen!
When Jesus preached on earth, He believed in His God, His Father, who is the God who calls into existence the things that do not exist and raises the dead. Therefore, He could turn water into wine, create something from nothing, and raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus understood God's words this way. I hope all family members do not treat God's words as just text but as life. Just like when you are thirsty, you need water—not just the word “water,” but a bottle of water to drink. Today's words are like water; they can be consumed and used in your life. Amen! Thank you and praise the Lord! If we have such hope, what else is there to worry about?
Recently, a sister shared with me:
Her daughter was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. This child has been in a wheelchair for twenty years, cannot speak, and cannot stand. Many people facing such situations feel as if they are experiencing death, with no hope and not knowing which way to go. Her family has also fallen apart because of this, and family members have become very discouraged. Until one day, she heard the message of grace, continuously listened to my sermons, and every day declared to her daughter that she believed in the power of God as written in the Bible would surely manifest in her daughter. Just a few days ago, her daughter suddenly called out “Mom” and then stood up from the wheelchair. This happened not long ago. The sister believed that God could change everything. Although everyone around her brought negative and disdainful looks, she believed in God and believed that God's words are faithful.
God can raise Jesus from the dead; this is our greatest hope. If our Jesus can conquer death, what are the other problems? We are also justified by faith! Abraham was justified by faith, and so are we. Abraham believed that God could raise his son from the dead. Can you believe this? Can you believe that God can turn you around from despair? Amen!
We believe in the same God as Abraham, so we must have the same vision. If you have this vision and no longer doubt in your heart, you can experience greater glory. This is our hope. Do not go looking for testimonies everywhere; just look at what the Bible says: Jesus rose from the dead. Can you believe it? Take some time to read more of the Bible, keep these words in your heart, and believe that He is the one who saves your life, who rescues you from the cords of evil. He can save you. This is not a story, nor is it some self-help talk; it is life. Amen!
Jesus was condemned, and we are forgiven; this is a fact. Why does God listen to your prayers? It is not because you behave well, but because Jesus shed His precious blood, and your sins are forgiven. Your relationship with the Heavenly Father has been reconciled.
Hebrews 9:22-26:
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. 23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Why do Gentiles' prayers not get answered? It is because their sins have not been resolved. God does not listen to the prayers of sinners, but you are different. Why do I always emphasize that you are justified by faith? Because this is the guarantee that your prayers can directly reach the Heavenly Father, and it is also the source of your faith. Do you believe that Jesus has been condemned? He committed no sin, nor did he know sin. Why was he condemned? Because our sins were transferred to Him; He bore the punishment for us. Because Jesus was condemned, it is as if our sins were resolved together, so we are forgiven, and we can pray and be answered before the Heavenly Father. Amen!
Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. Jesus' blood was shed for us. During Passion Week, we reflect on Jesus on the cross; His blood was shed for us, so our sins are forgiven. Hallelujah!
Do not just dwell on Jesus' death, weeping and mourning over this matter. Jesus died not to make you feel more filthy; He died for you to realize that your sins are forgiven, and God no longer remembers your sins. He offered Himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. If you look at the Passion of Christ and say, “How tragic! How pitiful! How heart-wrenching for Jesus!” If you only stay here, it shows you do not understand the meaning of this film. Because if Jesus died and did not rise again, we should indeed cry. He was willing to die for us; we are truly moved! But Jesus was not held by death; He rose from the dead, and His resurrection brings us a completely different situation.
1 Corinthians 15:13-14:
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
What does “in vain” mean? It means wasted, empty. Jesus preached messages that taught people, encouraged them to do good, and love one another. These are not wrong; many sages in the past have spoken such principles. Jesus also seemed to be teaching such principles, but if Jesus did not rise from the dead, He would be no different from other sages. We would still remember Him, saying, “This person’s teachings are interesting, very enlightening, and he has made significant contributions to the world.” Just that.
But if Jesus rose from the dead, it is completely different. It shows that what He taught is not just doctrine but truth, life, and the way. Amen!
Jesus rose from the dead, which signifies that all who believe in Him will conquer disease and death like Him. We have eternal hope because Jesus rose from the dead. One day, we will surely meet again in the new heaven and new earth, gathering with many brothers and sisters. Today's death is just a temporary separation. Thinking of such things makes us very happy. This is our eternal hope. Jesus rose from the dead, showing us this hope.
We live every day on earth with such hope. Even if we encounter storms or obstacles, it does not matter. Life on earth is just a few short decades. Moreover, we have the Holy Spirit to help us. He will help us overcome the difficulties we encounter in the world. When we face problems, we can still pray to our Heavenly Father because we are justified by faith. You are righteous. With this identity, do not just stop here. Once you have the identity of the righteous, the blessings of the righteous will follow. You have received the blessings of the righteous, so let us do what the righteous do. This is very interesting.
Just like you are the son of a king, do you know what this means? You have the title of a prince, which means you have the identity of a prince and also the inheritance of a prince. You can do what a prince does. Hallelujah! Many people only verbally say, “I am justified by faith; I am righteous.” They repeat this many times, but in their hearts, they still feel like beggars or servants, not exhibiting the demeanor of a prince.
Abraham believed that God is the God who calls into existence the things that do not exist and raises the dead, so he did the right thing. This is the result of correct faith. Later, we saw miracles and witnessed things that others had not seen before, simply because of correct belief. I will not limit you by saying what our God is... what you need Him to be. He can help you in all things. First, you must believe that you are justified by faith. How big should your faith be? You must believe that God is the God who calls into existence the things that do not exist and raises the dead because Jesus has already risen. Our Heavenly Father has raised Jesus from the dead. This is the greatest testimony.
I believe Jesus has risen. Even if those around me use various theories to argue that Jesus did not rise, I still believe because God's word says so, and I believe it. We not only believe for ourselves but also tell others that our Lord Jesus has risen from the dead. We share this message with others, facing the environment with the faith of resurrection, discovering that the environment is not so great, and that your problems are not so serious because God's power is greater. He can raise the dead, and He has already risen. We believe this, and He is now sitting at the right hand of the Father praying for me.
He is always watching over you. When you have such faith and pray, you are not just speaking into the air. You are not just saying a lot of words to force yourself to believe; you truly believe that Jesus in heaven hears your prayers. You truly believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart and helps you. You truly believe that our Heavenly Father smiles at you. He wants you to stand up and receive His strength to live on earth.
While we receive the truth, we also need to apply this truth in our lives. How did the sister use what I just shared? She immediately applied what she heard every day. Whatever she heard in a sermon, she applied it immediately. Many people's testimonies arise this way. Brothers and sisters, God's words themselves carry power, and you are the righteous. If your faith is correctly established, believing that God can raise Jesus from the dead, what is there that God cannot do? Our hope is built on the foundation of Jesus' death and resurrection. He is the living Lord, still alive today. Amen!
Romans 8:24-25:
24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
What do we hope for? We hope for the second coming of Jesus Christ, hoping that Jesus will redeem our bodies. But now we need to know what hope is. This matter has not yet happened, but your heart already believes and joyfully waits, patiently waiting—not a painful patience but an actively hopeful patience. Just like when your child gets into a prestigious university, you are now waiting for the school year to start, feeling joyful every day. Just like a farmer who plants seeds, joyfully waiting for the harvest day to come, we wait with this hope for the results of what we pray for. Amen!
Of course, during the waiting process, we should still do what we need to do. For example, when a farmer plants seeds, he should fertilize when it’s time, water when it’s time, weed when it’s time, and do what needs to be done diligently. The result will surely come. We wait with this hope for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Therefore, while living on earth, every day we are filled with hope and faith, just like Jesus. Amen!
I hope brothers and sisters focus on the resurrection during Easter, not just on Jesus' suffering. Jesus' suffering was only for a short time, but Jesus' resurrection lasted about forty days with the disciples. This means that the joy Jesus brought to the disciples after His resurrection was greater. His suffering was actually just a brief moment. From the perspective of eternity, that is very short and very small. But the resurrection that Jesus brought us is an exceedingly great glory.
So, more often, we should focus not on Jesus' suffering but on the fact that Jesus has risen. We should share the good news with the world, not letting them focus on sin but on resurrection, letting them focus on God's glory, God's righteousness, and God's blessings. With such words, they will have hope and possess lasting hope, patiently waiting for God's promises to be fulfilled. Amen!
Romans 6:5-8:
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
This passage wants to tell us that we are united with Him in His death, meaning we have died with Jesus Christ. Jesus was crucified, symbolizing that our body of sin was nailed to the cross and has completely died. Jesus rose from the dead, and we will also be united with Him in His resurrection. Now what lives in you is the Holy Spirit; it is Christ living in you. Do not always focus on the old self; do not always focus on sin because Jesus has already been nailed to the cross and has made the body of sin null and void. Your mouth and heart should often think: “God has raised Jesus from the dead; I am no longer a slave to sin; I am a slave to righteousness. I no longer focus on what the world says about death; I should focus more on the truths of life that Jesus speaks because the old self has died. I have been set free from sin. I am one who has died with Christ, and now I live with Christ.” Amen!
After Jesus rose from the dead, He preached the good news of the kingdom to the disciples. Later, Jesus' disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit, preached that Christ has risen, and this good news spread to the ends of the earth. This is the gospel we preach today, the good news. He has risen, and we are justified. You possess the blessings of the righteous. Jesus was delivered up for our transgressions; this issue has been resolved and closed. Jesus was nailed to the cross because our transgressions were nailed there. This transgression has already been executed. Jesus died for our sins, and the resurrection is for our justification. It is very simple: Jesus has risen and will never die again. This means you are forever justified, and no one can deny your identity as a righteous person.
So how should we live after obtaining this identity? Live like Christ in the world! Say goodbye to the past way of living! You should live like Jesus in the world, letting words of life, words of edification, and words of faith come out of your mouth. Your life will be filled with legends and will no longer be the same. Hallelujah!
God wants us to remember His resurrection so that we can have a resurrected life on earth. In weakness, we also see Christ's resurrection, and we have faith. Let us bring Christ's resurrection into our lives. Wherever Christ goes, life will always follow. Your life will no longer be the same. After believing in the Lord, your life will undergo a complete transformation. Do not repeat the current terrible environment; find God's promises in the Bible and declare them like Abraham. Let your heart and mouth speak positive words, speak words of resurrection. Even if this is currently dead, can you speak words of life? Then it will be filled with life. Amen!
Cursing a pot of flowers will cause it to die, while blessing it will cause it to flourish. Many people have already tested this. Similarly, can you believe you are justified by faith? Can you believe that God has raised Christ from the dead? Then your life can be transformed, and everything can be turned around. Starting today, grasp this hope of resurrection; this is eternal hope. Live a new life with hope.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for allowing us to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on this special day. Because of Jesus' resurrection, we have eternal hope. Because of Christ's resurrection, we are justified and accepted by the Heavenly Father, becoming the beloved children of the Father. Everything we do will surely be blessed by Him. Although we may encounter difficulties and obstacles at times, you give us faith and strength, and we can surely overcome. Moreover, you will compensate me, allowing me to far exceed others. Hallelujah!
Though I live in the world, I have the Holy Spirit within me. He is my Comforter and my Supporter. I no longer fear the road ahead because you are with me. You have risen from the dead, and your power is upon me. I can also experience your goodness in my life. I also believe I am a blessing to those around me, spreading this gospel, letting those around me see the Jesus who died and rose again in my life. Thank you and praise you. All glory belongs to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen! God bless you all!