"But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Romans 8:11) _______________________________________________________________________ Hallelujah Tune to "REVIVE US AGAIN" 11.12 W/CHORUS Words by JIM BYRD
1. Give thanks unto God, For the Son of His love; Who in marvelous mercy was sent from above. CHORUS: Hallelujah, praise the Savior, Praise the Father’s dear Son; Hallelujah, praise the Savior, Redemption is done.
2. On Calvary’s hill, Jesus died on the cross; And He saved all His people from infinite loss. CHORUS: Hallelujah, praise the Savior, Praise the Father’s dear Son; Hallelujah, praise the Savior, Redemption is done.
3. He rose from the dead, And ascended on high; Praise the glorious Savior, His Name magnify. CHORUS: Hallelujah, praise the Savior, Praise the Father’s dear Son; Hallelujah, praise the Savior, Redemption is done.
4. Some wonderful day, We shall be with our King; And with all of His people forever we’ll sing. CHORUS: Hallelujah, praise the Savior, Praise the Father’s dear Son; Hallelujah, praise the Savior, Redemption is done. ______________________________________________________________________
SCRIPTURE READING: PSALM 119:145-160 (pew Bible, p. 478) ________________________________________________________
Delivered and Raised Again
"Who was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25). "Delivered" primarily means given over. Christ was "delivered" by Judas to the chief priests (Matthew 26:15), by the chief priests to Pilate (Matthew 27:2), and by Pilate to the will of the people (Luke 23:25) and to the soldiers who would crucify Him (Mark 15:15-16). Of course each of these actions fulfilled the determinate counsel of God. "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day shall rise again" (Mark 10:33). Let us remember, the Father "delivered" His Son to be crucified as the Substitute and Sacrifice "for our offenses." It is written, He "delivered Him up for us all" (Romans 8:32). Christ was "delivered" into the hands of justice and death, not for any offenses of His own, but for the offenses of His chosen people so that God might be both "a just God and a Savior" (Isaiah 45:21).
Now, as Christ was "delivered for (because of, on account of) our offenses," so He was "raised again for (because of, on account of) our justification." By His death Christ made full satisfaction to offended justice for our offenses and brought in everlasting righteousness. His resurrection was confirmation that He finished the work He undertook to do. He arose as the Head and Representative of His people, and as He was fully acquitted and justified, so were all of those for whose offenses He was delivered. -- Pastor Jim Byrd ______________________________________________________________________ The Precious "Earnest" of the Holy Spirit
"In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:13-14).
The "earnest" mentioned here bears some similarity to our usage today of the phrase "earnest money" – referring to the money that is often required as a deposit when one enters into a sales contract to buy real estate. It is money that is given to express our sincere, earnest intention to fulfill the terms we’re agreed upon, guaranteed by the fact that legally one must forfeit his "earnest money" if he fails to follow through with the deal. And so, here too, it speaks of a guarantee – but this guarantee is from the faithful, almighty God who cannot fail. So the saved are convinced by God the Holy Spirit of God’s gospel wherein they see all of the requirements for their salvation having been fully met by the doing and the dying of their Substitute, with no contribution remaining due from their hand. In other words, their salvation is truly to "the praise of His glory." And having been so convinced – having this mystery of the gospel made known unto them by the miraculous application of it to their hearts and minds by God the Holy Spirit – they have an earnest from God – a guarantee that cannot fail.
To have received the earnest of the Holy Spirit is indeed precious to these objects of God’s mercy and grace. This work of the Spirit is one in which they are altogether passive. And yet by God-given faith they confirm the certainty of their being sealed (of being certain for heaven’s glory), when, from the same almighty power that raised Christ from the dead, they are enabled to trust solely in Christ for the salvation of their souls, in repentance turning from the way that before seemed right to them, and to God’s Gospel – the gospel of their salvation.– Elder Randy Wages, Albany, GA ______________________________________________________________________
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