Category: The Words of Jesus

Resurrection Life

Understanding the Red Letters   Part 13

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies’ ” (John 11:25).  Jesus is the resurrection and the life.  I like to put these two terms together and call the life Jesus promised His believers “resurrection life”.  Resurrection life has a longevity (eternal) and a quality (abundant) based on the promises of God.

Resurrection life delivers a promise about our past – we have been set free from the penalty of sin.  Resurrection life holds a promise about our future – life with Jesus forever because our sins are forgiven.  And resurrection life delivers a promise about our present – freedom from the power of sin in our walk today.

Let us focus for a minute on the present promise.  The apostles, over and over, emphasize that our daily walk in the Christian life is empowered by the resurrection life of Christ living inside us.  To develop that theme, let’s take a quick tour through the book of Romans as one example to see what the resurrection of Christ accomplished in us.

First, as the foundation for our faith, the resurrection sealed Jesus’ identity as the Christ, the Son of God.  “…His Son was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and was declared with power to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:3-4).  Jesus’ resurrection from the dead declared with power that He is who He said He is, Christ, the Son of God.

And in an almost unbelievable connection, we were buried and raised with Christ.  “We have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin” (Romans 6:4-7).

This “newness of life” that we are to walk in is literally the resurrected life of Christ (“in the likeness of His resurrection”) living itself out in us.  And one of the beautiful outcomes of Christ living His resurrected life in us is that “we are no longer slaves to sin”.  We have been set free from sin’s power.  But how do we tap into this resurrected life and experience its power?

“However you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, since indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.  But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.  And since Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.  But since the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you” (Romans 8:9-11).

The Spirit of God who raised Christ from the dead dwells inside you.  It could not be more clear.  Twice in verse 11 alone, Paul refers to the Christ’s resurrection life living in you by the presence of His Holy Spirit.  This is the promise of a life set free from sin’s power.  It is fueled, it is energized by the Holy Spirit living in you.  This is the new covenant.

And all of this is true because Christ is raised from the dead.  The apostles, in their early sermons in the first few chapters of the book of Acts, consistently proclaimed Christ’s resurrection.  The empty tomb is a powerful point of apologetics as we defend our faith and defend the identity of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.  But the resurrection was so much more.  It sealed your past; forgiveness and the penalty for your sins taken away.  It sealed your future; an eternity in the presence of Jesus.  And it has a promise for your present; a life set free from sin’s power.

Life Eternal and Abundant

Understanding the Red Letters   Part 12

One of the words that Jesus used over and over as recorded in the gospel of John is the word “life”.  From beginning to end, the life imparted to us by Jesus Christ – life eternal and abundant – is a constant theme in John’s gospel.  Here are just a few of those references to introduce us to John’s development of this topic.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men” (John 1:1,4).  Jesus and the life He imparts was there from the beginning.

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36).  A straightforward “if-then” regarding belief and eternal life.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24).  Believe, and we literally cross over from death to life!

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst’ ” (John 6:35).  This is quite the never hungry, never thirsty promise.

“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40).  It is not God’s wish, it is not God’s hope that those who believe in Jesus attain eternal life.  No, it is God’s will, God’s determined plan that eternal life is the promise for those who believe in Jesus.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life” (John 6:47).  Another “if-then” regarding belief and eternal life.

“I am the bread of life” (John 6:48).  Jesus is the provision of this life eternal and abundant.

“Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life‘ ” (John 6:68).  Peter acknowledges that Jesus’ words are the very words of eternal life. 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).  Jesus’ promise of abundant life stands in contrast to Satan’s plans to steal, kill, and destroy.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies’ ” (John 11:25).  Jesus’ own resurrection will be a picture of the resurrection life for us.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me’ ” (John 14:6).  Jesus is the only way (a theme repeated over 20 times in John’s gospel).  Jesus says this because it is true; no hidden agenda.  If we believe Jesus, the truth about Jesus, we will have life.

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).  Believing that Jesus is the Christ and that God sent Him is at the heart of the promise of eternal life.

“These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31).  Finally, John reveals his purpose in writing this gospel; that we would recognize Jesus as the Christ, believe that He is the Son of God, and by believing experience life in the name of Jesus.

When Jesus is talking about life; its description, its promise, its abundance, He is talking new covenant.  Life is the promise and the outcome of the new covenant.  It is the promise and outcome of God’s gift of grace to all who believe.  Jesus speaking life is Jesus speaking new covenant.

Jesus Knows You!

Understanding the Red Letters   Part 11

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23).

I write with great sadness at how many times this passage has been used to put believers on shaky ground.  Let me assure you as clearly as I can.  If you have believed the gospel message of Jesus, if you have placed your faith in Jesus, you are NOT part of this group of lost souls.  Jesus is not talking to believers.  He is talking to the lost.  How do we know that?

One clue is His declaration. “I never knew you.”  If you have believed the gospel message of Jesus Christ, HE KNOWS YOU !!!  Jesus proclaimed in John chapter 17 that eternal life is knowing Him and Jesus knowing you.  This is the most intimate knowing possible.  And what have we learned about how we obtain this eternal life?  We have learned over and over that eternal life is promised to us on the basis of our faith in Jesus.  Once you have trusted Jesus, it is impossible for Him to NOT know you.

Jesus also says in this passage that only the one who “does the will of My Father” will enter the kingdom of heaven.  This is where teachers love to add a weight of condemnation on believer’s shoulders.  “Are you sure you are ‘doing’ the will of God?  Are you ‘doing’ the right disciplines and activities to keep you in the will of God?  Are you studying to ‘know’ the will of God?”

Let’s jump to the answer to all these questions.  “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life” (John 6:40).  The “will of God” is that simple; believe in Jesus.

Here is one last indication of who Jesus is talking about.  Lawlessness is one of the most core definitions of sin.  Lawlessness is sin to the core.  The one who “practices lawlessness” (vs 23) is the one whose identity is sin to the core.  This is a lost person who is still in Adam.  This is not us.  How do we know that?  “Every one who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness … The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning … No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (I John 3:4,8,9).

Do believers sin?  Yes, but it is not our core identity.  Our core identity is saint.  Your core identity is child of God.  And as a child of God, you NEVER have to worry that Jesus will say to you, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”

The Narrow Way

Understanding the Red Letters   Part 10

“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.  For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

How many times have you heard the straight and narrow way described as a way of life?  We are taught all kinds of sin management ideas for staying on the straight and narrow or how to keep our fellow believers in line on the straight and narrow way.

I don’t believe that Jesus is describing a way OF life at all.  This passage is a picture of the way TO life.  Legalists like to focus on what it takes to stay on the straight and narrow; what rules must be followed to keep on this path of right living; what man-made traditions will keep us on the straight and narrow.

Let me give you this assurance.  When you believed the gospel message of Jesus Christ you entered into the narrow way.  When you believed the gospel message of Jesus Christ, you entered through the narrow gate.  How do I know that?  Jesus is the narrow way.  Jesus is the narrow gate.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me’ “ (John 14:6).  Jesus is the narrow way.  And entering by this way, entering by faith in Jesus, puts us on the path to life.

“I am the gate; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I come that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:9-10).  Jesus is the narrow gate.  And entering by this gate, entering by faith in Jesus, puts us on the path to life.  When we enter the narrow way by the narrow gate through faith in Jesus, we receive the promise of life eternal and life abundant.  This promise is yours today.

The narrow way is not a lifestyle of rules to follow.  It is the path TO life; promised to all who believe in Jesus.  Please, don’t worry if you are doing enough to stay on the straight and narrow.  Please, do not carry an angst about whether or not you are on the straight and narrow.  Please, do not let shame-inducers make you question your salvation and suggest that you are on the broad way leading to destruction if you are not doing well enough in your righteous efforts.

Is righteous living important?  Yes, and it is grace that teaches us to deny ungodliness and live righteous lives.  “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12).  Christ living His life through us is how we experience this grace to live righteously.  This is a large topic for another day, but back to our main point.

You can rest in the assurance that if you have believed the gospel message of Jesus Christ, you have entered by the narrow gate and you are firmly and safely and eternally on the narrow way.  Your path is secure.

Bread or Stones?

Understanding the Red Letters   Part 9

People today are asking for bread.  Folks today are looking for life.  And that life is only found in Jesus.  Jesus is the bread of life.  Let’s never forget the “OF LIFE” part of Jesus’ declaration.  He is the bread that gives us life.

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst’ “ (John 6:35).  “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51).

Bread is a picture of the new covenant.  Life is the promise of the new covenant.  How are we answering the request of people seeking life?  Are we offering bread or are we giving them stones?

When we preach the new covenant, we offer the bread of life.  When we preach the new arrangement between us and God whereby we are completely forgiven by Jesus’ finished work on the cross, we preach life.  When we teach Christ’s life now fused with ours to live the Christian life, we offer the power of Christ in us.

But when we preach that the old covenant is still part of our new life in Christ, we are offering cold hard stones in place of soft life-giving bread.  Stone is a picture of the old covenant.  The ten commandments were written on tablets of stone (Exodus 24:12).  Our old covenant heart was described as a “heart of stone” (Ezekiel 36:26).  The apostle Paul referred to the old covenant as “the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones” (II Corinthians 3:7).

Is Jesus making a subtle reference to the two covenants in Matthew chapter 7?  “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?” (Matthew 7:9).

When seekers are asking for bread, are we delivering stones; old covenant precepts to follow and obey?  Our friend David Moss calls them “stone sandwiches”; preaching the bread of grace on the outside, but a big fat stone of old covenant law-abiding requirements when people take a bite.  Are we adding law, rules, and regulations to the message of grace?

May we always offer the bread of life; unadulterated, unchanged, and without additives.