30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 23 50-56 THE BURIAL OF JESUS 05 15Feb2022 Luke 23 54 The application of God’s grace
📖 Luke 23:50-56
05 – 15 Feb 2022 – The application of God’s grace - Luke 23:50-56 - THE BURIAL OF JESUS - Bible reading: Romans 6:10-14
“Thank You, Lord Jesus. You are showing us how we can experience the victorious Christian life when we identify with Your death, burial and resurrection. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.”
Luke 23:54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.
A detailed explanation of what took place at that time is given to us by John.
John 19:40-42 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. (41) Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. (42) So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
We have been studying the burial of Jesus from Romans 6:1-14. Let us continue to look at this passage.
Romans 6:10-14 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Jesus took sin upon Himself. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh, was tempted just like us in all points, yet, He was without sin. He thus was eligible to be the perfect substitute to take our sin upon Himself. He paid for our sin by His death on the cross, once for all.
All of sin and its problems are settled once for all by Jesus on the cross. Satan, will come around and tell us that we are still under the clutches and effect of sin. We must tell him, to his face, to get lost. Sin and all of its ramifications in our lives are settled once for all by Jesus on the cross.
Though we have come to Christ, we still struggle with sin, because we are not able to internalise this fact. We must grapple with the fact that Jesus has settled the problem of sin once for all by His death and His burial.
(11) Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This reckoning happens when we identify with the death and burial of Jesus. We must embrace this truth for ourselves.
(12) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
Our flesh, the world and the devil will come at us again and again but we have no need to be scared, fearing defeat.
We simply need to embrace the victory that Jesus has given for us by His death, burial and resurrection. We receive this message to ourselves by grace. It is the grace of God that makes us not let sin reign in our mortal body.
This is the place where many are struggling. The devil plants a lie into their heart saying, “You are always defeated in this particular area. Yes, you have come to Christ but this area of defeat will always be there for you.”
So, we believe the lie of the devil and we remain defeated to sin. The truth must take hold of us. This is what we must ask the Lord. “Lord, let the truth for victory take hold of me.”
(13) And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Don’t give room to sin. We know our areas of weakness. Don’t give place to these areas. This is not a ‘how to’ of victory over sin. The Bible is simply telling us not to give an opportunity to the flesh but live in the abundance of God’s grace.
When we live in the abundance of the Holy Spirit of grace, He will guide us to green pastures. We will enjoy the victorious life in Christ. The victorious Christian life is not about gritting our teeth and pulling through the temptations of sin. If this is the case, then Christian life will be drudgery. The Christian life is a life of freedom in Jesus.
(14) For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
We are not under the tyranny of the law but under the sweet, relaxing, fullness of God’s grace.
How sad that when the Lord has made the victorious Christian life available for us by His death, burial and resurrection, which we appropriate by His grace, we are still pushing and shoving with our own energy to please God.
The righteous requirement of the law is met in us because we live by His grace, appropriating His death, burial and resurrection.
Thought to ponder
Are you living in the sweet, relaxing, abundance of God the Holy Spirit?