THE RESURRECTION!! by Pastor DANNY CASTLE

Romans 5:6, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ was a horrible sight. He had been tortured, mocked and spat upon through the night and hours proceeding His grueling journey to Calvary. The nails were driven through His hands and feet. His opened, bloody flesh of His whipped back was placed against a wooden cross, where the people mocked Him and told Him to come down if He were really the Son of God.

All of this was done for you and me dear reader. The cross is not an example of victimization, it is a demonstration of a love that nobody on this earth can comprehend. The cross is not an example of powerlessness, it is the love offering of the strongest, most powerful, most courageous human being that ever walked the face of the earth. The cross is not an example of a martyr dying for a cause, it is God come in the flesh, becoming a bloody sacrifice for His creatures.

But the story did not end there...

After the Lord Jesus Christ died, He was wrapped in linen and laid in a grave. Three days later, He miraculously rose from the dead just like He said He would (Mark 14:58). Everybody knew that Jesus had said He would rise the third day. They even had soldiers to guard the tomb to make sure His body wouldn't leave it. In their insanity, they did not understand that no man can stop God. Before Jesus went back up to Heaven where He came from, He was seen by over 500 believers at once (1st Corinthians 15:6). Jesus now sits on the right hand of the throne of God where He ever liveth to make intercession for His children (Colossians 3:1; Romans 8:34).

Jesus came to this earth to die on the cross for every human being. Jesus performed miracles so that people would know that He is indeed the Savior, the only begotten Son of God, but He came to die. The reason that He died is for our sins. The Bible says that every person in this whole world has sinned (Romans 3:23). Examples of sin include stealing, adultery, murder, dishonoring one's parents, taking God's name in vain, et cetera. The Bible says that God NEVER sins and that sinners cannot enter into God's Kingdom (1st Corinthians 6:9-11). But God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son—Jesus—Who died for our sins on a cross—that's the crucifixion. Christ suffered in our place. When Jesus was on the cross, He shed His blood to pay for our sins (1st Peter 1:18-19).

But Christ did not remain dead. On the third day, He resurrected from the dead and was seen by over 500 people before He went back to Heaven where He came from—that's the resurrection. Dear friend, this is the Gospel (the GOOD NEWS) by which anyone who believes is immediately, irrevocably and permanently saved. Jesus DIED, was BURIED and RESURRECTED the third day. That is “the Gospel” according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” The Gospel is NOT turning away from your sins to be saved. That is a counterfeit gospel if you hear anyone teaching that. The Gospel is NOT getting water baptized to be saved. If you hear someone teaching that, you know they are lying. The Apostle Paul plainly defines the Gospel in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 as three things: Christ DIED on the cross for our sins, He was BURIED, and after three days Jesus physically RESURRECTED from the dead for our justification.

Any guilty sinner who believes the Good News is saved. Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The Gospel is NOT a call to improve your behavior, surrender all to Christ, turn over a new leaf, commit to do better in the future, turn away from your sins, attend a church, become religious, get water baptized, or anything else! Adding ANY of these extra things to your faith means you won't go to Heaven. The only way to be saved with certainty is to simply place your complete confidence in the Good News of Christ crucified, buried and risen for your sins. I am going to Heaven when I die because of what JESUS DID, and not in the least way because of what I DO. The true Gospel always points you to Christ; a false gospel always points to you.

Jesus came into the world to seek and to save sinners! Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” The only way Jesus could save us sinners was to DIE ON THE CROSS to pay our debt of sin. Romans 5:6-9, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Amen! What a great God and Savior! Simply BELIEVE what God has written in His inspired Word dear friend and you are saved.