He Lives! Part 2
- Joe Venturo
- Nov 13
- 5 min read
Have you ever wondered to yourself, “What if I sin after I become a Christian?” The Resurrection of Christ plays a role in helping to answer this question. Whereas last month we studied why the Resurrection of Christ is such a crucial part of a Gospel presentation, in this devotional I hope you will be encouraged by how that historical event of over 2,000 years past affects you personally today.
When Christ died on the Cross, He atoned for your sin and became your propitiation for sin so that He could redeem your soul and reconcile you to God (click here to learn about those incredible terms!). Jesus paid your fine once for all when He died on the Cross (Hebrews 9:12). Sin’s penalty—eternal death in Hell—can have no claim on you if you have repented of your own way and trusted in Christ’s finished work (Romans 8:1).
Yet because you still have what the Bible calls your “flesh” (that is, your sinful nature that is hostile to the will of the Spirit, see Galatians 5:17), your own sinful desires constantly tempt you and try to draw you back into your old way of life (James 1:14). That is why you may find yourself struggling with questions like, “Why can’t I stop sinning? Shouldn’t I have grown in Christ more than this by now? Is it really enough to trust in Jesus, or do I have to keep trying harder so that I don’t mess up again?”
Because you still have what the Bible calls your "flesh" . . . your own sinful desires constantly tempt you and try to draw you back into your old way of life.
If Jesus had remained lifeless on the Cross, what could He do about the sin with which we struggle on a daily basis? Thankfully, Jesus did rise again (Matthew 28:6), and by virtue of His Resurrection He has the authority and ability to be our faithful High Priest and continue to work on our behalf (Hebrews 7:15-17).
The book of Hebrews extensively develops this concept. A priest is someone who mediates or intercedes between people and God. He offers sacrifices so that humans can have access to God (see Leviticus 5:1-6 for an example of what this looked like in the Old Testament). Jesus, as our High Priest, has already offered Himself as a once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12). But by rising again and retaining His human body (Luke 24:39), He appears in the presence of God on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24). His human nature makes Him sympathetic to our weaknesses, while His divine nature qualifies Him as a sinless intercessor (Hebrews 4:15).
Therefore, when we sin, we can come boldly to God’s throne through Jesus by prayer (Hebrews 4:16). When we confess our sins to God, admitting our guilt and agreeing with His Word about our sin, Jesus’ blood continually cleanses us from sin! (I John 1:7, 9). Jesus, our High Priest before God’s throne, can point to His own sacrifice and plead before God for us, thereby turning away His wrath from us.
When we sin, we can come boldly to God's throne through Jesus by prayer.
By these truths that we can avoid two wrong attitudes about our sin. First, we can avoid downplaying the wickedness of our misdeeds. Sometimes we think that, because God has shown grace to us by sending Jesus to be punished for our sin, we therefore can do whatever we want and simply apologize afterwards (Romans 6:1-2). However, the fact that Jesus has shed His precious blood to take away our guilt shows us that sin is so serious to God that its payment requires the death of His only Son. Meditating on Jesus’ sacrifice and His role as an intercessor should drive us to see our sin in is true light and be grieved as a result (cf. II Corinthians 7:10).
Second, we can avoid wallowing in excessive remorse. Though we will continue to sin after we are saved, we can be confident that Jesus’ blood will continually cleanse us and that He is now in Heaven fulfilling His priestly role and reconciling us to God. The Christian faith is more than a one-time decision to place one’s trust in the work of Christ on the cross; it is a daily confidence in the continuing work of Christ to save us “to the uttermost” or “completely,” as Hebrews 7:25 describes.
Another way in which the Resurrection personally affects you today is the future glory of believers. I have written another devotional on the physical Resurrection of believers, which you can access here. For this article, let’s hone in on the practical application of the truth that believers will someday share the glory of Christ.
First, a quick summary of the concept: Philippians 3:21 teaches that Jesus will transform our lowly bodies to be like His own glorious one. Thus, His Resurrection represents a pattern for what will happen to Christians someday. They also will rise again, completely transformed as Christ was (see also I Corinthians 15:35-49).
This truth applies to our behavior as Christians because it means, as Philippians 3:20 teaches, that “our citizenship is in heaven.” We should be living as citizens of a heavenly kingdom, as though this world is no true home at all (see Philippians 1:27, where the same Greek word “citizenship” is used in its verb form). “Set your mind on things above, not on the things on this earth,” Colossians 3:2 exhorts (see also Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:19-21).
Not only does Christ’s Resurrection provide a picture of what will occur to us in the future, but it also symbolizes a present reality. The Bible teaches that our old selves have died with Christ, but our new selves have now been raised with Him (Romans 6:2, 8; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 2:20; 3:3). We are new people now (II Corinthians 5:17). Read Ephesians 4:22-5:33 and Colossians 3:1-4:1 to discover practical ways that you can renew your mind and live as a transformed person today.
So, when you sin as a believer, humbly confess your sin and ask God to renew your heart to live as a citizen of heaven who has been raised with Christ as a new creation. But also take heart and place your confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ and His present, intercessory work on your behalf!
The Christian faith is more than a one-time decision to place one’s trust in the work of Christ on the cross; it is a daily confidence in the continuing work of Christ to save us “to the uttermost” or “completely."
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Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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