What Are You Going To Do With The Life Jesus Provided?

by Rick

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Focusing on Dying To Self”.  At the beginning of this week I introduced you to the following passage and we began to walk our way through it.  Let’s get back to it today and continue.

 

The Apostle Paul said, “The love of Christ controls us, because we know that one person died for everyone.  So all have died.  He died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves.  He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him.  From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people.  It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks.  But we don’t think that way now.  When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world.  The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!” (2 Cor 5:14-17 ERV).

 

Today we will focus in on the words, “He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him.”

 

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things.

 

1.  Jesus took your place on the cross.

a.  Jesus was the only innocent man to ever walk the planet.  He did not die for His sin, because He was sinless.  He died for yours.

b.  You are unquestionably guilty and Jesus was unquestionably innocent and He chose to take your place.  He paid your penalty.  He offered His life as your substitutionary death.

 

 

2.  Jesus rose from the dead FOR you.

a.  With the cross Jesus paid for your sin, but with the resurrection from the dead Jesus now offers you true and everlasting life.

b.  Jesus conquered death so you could do the same.  He delivered you from both the sting and the fear of death.

c.  If you are Born-Again you have no need to fear death.  The day your outer man dies is not the day you will die.  The real “you” is your spirit and your spirit died the day you were Born-Again.  So when your outer man dies you will simply move.  You will shed this earth-suit and get translated from earth to glory, from time to eternity, from mortal to immortality.   

 

 

3.  Jesus already provided you both death and resurrection… He now expects you to live for Him.

a.  The Bible is clear.  Jesus “died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him.”  Are you doing so?  Are you truly living FOR Jesus?

b.  When Adam disobeyed God in the garden satan’s dynamic-duo, sin and death, were introduced into the world.  Jesus came to deliver you from both.  In the Old Testament a lamb, (on the day of Atonement) was killed every year for sin and another lamb (during PASSOVER) was killed every year for death.  Jesus was the lamb of God.  He was the final Atonement lamb, paying for sin, and the final PASSOVER lamb, paying for death, in one fell swoop.

c.  With His death Jesus paid for your sin.  With His resurrection Jesus provided you eternal life.  Now you are free from sin and you have already conquered death, all because of Jesus.  What you have left is LIFE, true LIFE, the LIFE God planned for you to have.  Wouldn’t be a shame if you accepted all Jesus did for you and then went on living your life for yourself and your own selfish desires?

*** Here’s the big question today: What are you going to do with the LIFE God gave you through Christ Jesus?  Only you can answer that question.

 

Closing Confession:  Father, this is a season of refined focus for me.  I bring my life into focus in 2016.  This is a time of contemplation, reflection, and self-inventory.  I consider my life, the entirety of it, within the context of what Jesus did for me.  I re-evaluate my priorities.  I carefully and prayerfully consider the trajectory my life on.  Jesus died for my sin.  Jesus rose so I could have eternal life.  The life I now have should be in total pursuit of the plans You made for me from the foundations of the world.  In any way where I am off course, I make a course-correction.  In any way where I selfish, I die to self.  I sincerely want the life Jesus died for me to have.  I declare, by faith, that I have it.  I am the man/woman You called me to be.  I pursue my purpose with bulldog-tenacity.  I will arrive at Your overall expected end for my life and I will accomplish what I was born to accomplish along the way!  Jesus died for me, I now life for Him!  I declare this by faith.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.

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