Introduction
The New Testament often speaks about us having a debt to God. Paul writes in Colossians 2:13-14
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
We were indebted to God and He nailed the debt and our indebtedness to Jesus on the cross. The picture is common to people who have been in the church for a while. Sinners create a debt for themselves that they cannot pay. You might be able to think of a dozen hymns that talk about this truth.
There are two different kinds of debt: There is moral debt and there is monetary debt. I think it is helpful to understand the nature of the debt we owe to God in order to understand better what it means that Jesus paid our debt.
Monetary Debt
Let’s say you were standing in the checkout line at Maverick. Ahead of you in line was a young boy. The boy had been sent to buy a loaf of bread for his family. As the cashier rung up the item, it came to $7, but the boy only had $5. The boy explains to the cashier that all he has is $5 and his family needs the bread. They are hungry. The cashier explains that $7 is required for the bread or else it cannot be purchased.
What would any of us do in that situation? We’d give the boy two dollars! The boy owes a monetary debt. It does not matter to the cashier whose dollar she takes. Your dollar (or my dollar) is as good as any other dollar. She is under an obligation to collect $7 for bread and also under the obligation to take that money from whatever source it comes from. It’s not her job to be discerning about the source when a monetary debt is owed.
Moral Debt
So let’s change the story a little bit. Your standing in line at Maverick and the young boy runs into the store, grabs a loaf of bread off the shelf and sprints out the door. The cashier drops what she is doing and calls out, “Stop! Thief!”
It is the boy’s unlucky day because right at that moment, a police officer pulls into the gas station. He apprehends the boy and brings him back into the store. The officer asks the cashier, “Is this the boy that stole the bread from you?” The cashier says, “Absolutely and we caught it all on the security tapes.” The boy is caught red-handed (or bread-handed)
Now at this point, let’s say you approach the officer and say, “Excuse me officer…. I’d be more than happy to cover the cost of that boys bread for him.” You hand the cashier $7 and say, “Now the boys debt is paid. Can we all just go home and forget this ever happened?”
The policeman turns to the cashier and asks her if she wants to accept the money. The boy has broken the law. He is at least guilty of shop-lifting. He asks the cashier if she wants to press charges or if she wants to accept your $7 and move on.
The cashier would have every right to press charges. The boy has incurred a small monetary debt, but more seriously, he has incurred a huge moral debt. He is a shop-lifter. He’s a thief. She is under absolutely no obligation to accept your monetary reimbursement for his moral offense. If she is a merciful person, she might accept the offer, but she is not obligated to take the vicarious payment. The boy owes a moral debt to the cashier (and to the store).
It is important to understand these two different kinds of debt because the debt our sin created before God was not easily covered by somebody else. Because of our sin, we had a moral debt to God. God has every right to charge us with our crimes even if someone else offered to pay for them.
Jesus offered to pay the debt for us. He offered to make a vicarious payment for our debt to sin. In perfect righteousness, he offered to pay a debt we could never repay. God the Father in His mercy, willing sent Jesus and ultimately, God killed His own son on the cross. But God did not leave Jesus in the grave. After the debt had been paid, God raised Jesus from the dead.
When the Father raised the Son from the dead, He was saying to the world, “I accept this payment for the debtor who could not pay.” If Jesus had stayed dead, we would not be saved because Romans 4:25 says that Jesus was raised for our justification. I think this passage raises a few questions:
· Why?….
· Why did Jesus need to be raised in order for us to be saved?
· Why couldn’t he have stayed in the grave?
· Isn’t it Jesus’ death that saved us?
· Is this saying that it is His resurrection that saved us?
To answer those question, I will be directing our attention this morning to a number of passage beginning with our passage in Romans 4.
#1 Jesus’ resurrection proves our debt was completely paid
We’ll start at today’s text in Romans 4. Romans 4:25 says that Jesus “…was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” If we look at Paul’s letter to the Philippian church, it becomes clearer that when God raised Jesus from the dead, it was God’s way of showing approval for Jesus’ sacrifice. Philippians 2:8 says,
“8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” And then let’s look at what happened as a result of Jesus’ obedience to God. Verse 9-11 says, “9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
By raising Jesus from the dead, God was saying that He approved of Jesus’ suffering and dying on our behalf. The moral debt we owed to God was totally covered. The work was completed and Jesus no longer needed to remain dead. The work was done. The price had been paid and no guilt remained.
When Paul says in Philippians 2:9, “God has highly exalted him” he is saying that God approved of what Jesus did. When verse 9 continues, Paul says that God, “bestowed on him the name that is above every name….” …that means that Jesus found favor in the sight of God the Father for what he did on the cross. The debt was paid 100% and nothing was left to be accounted for.
I got a call once that someone was going to give me a “free car.” When I got the call I was thrilled. At the time I was driving a 30 year old truck in the winter with no heater. It was a much better car than the one I had. Upon delivery of this free car, I was handed an envelope full of receipts and asked to pay over $1000. Turned out that I couldn’t really afford the “free car.” It was not 100% free – it was only partially paid for.
Notice that God didn’t say that he is going to cover most of the debt, but leave some to us. Jesus paid all of our moral debt to God on the cross and the payment was gladly received by God. Jesus took on our sin on the cross. Theologians say that our sins were imputed to Jesus. At the same time, Christ’s righteousness was given to us. Again, theologians say that Christ’s righteousness was imputed to us. It was a dual imputation:
· Our sin was given to Christ, his righteousness was given to us
· He gets our sin, we get his merit
When God approved of Christ, he approved of us who were united with Christ. If God raised Jesus from the dead, then he also raised us up to a new life of righteousness from the death of our sins. This truth is made clear in Ephesians 2 starting in verse 4:
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
God the Father looked at Jesus and declared that all the penalty for sin has been paid. Christ is no longer guilty for our sin, but instead He is now righteous and exalted. All who trust Christ for salvation are also not guilty. Jesus paid for their sin and His righteousness was given to them. In this way, Christ’s resurrection gave final proof that He not only paid the debt for our sin but also earned our justification.
That is what Paul is getting at when he says in Romans 4:29 that Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Jesus’ resurrection gives us a means of salvation and it also points forward to how His disciples will exist with God in eternity.
#2 Jesus’ resurrection prepares the way for our resurrection.
1 Peter 1:3 says, “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”
In 1 Peter, there is a direct connection between the resurrection of Jesus and our new birth as disciples. The resurrection of Christ is the context of our hope of eternal life. When Jesus rose from the dead, he had a new quality of life. It was a “resurrection life.” Jesus’ resurrected body was one that was perfectly suited for fellowship with God the Father for the rest of eternity. At the cross, he secured a “resurrected life” for us as well. 1 Corinthians 6:14 says, “…God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.”
On this side of heaven, we do not receive a resurrected body. We do have the promise that in heaven we will be given new bodies. These new bodies will be perfectly suited for fellowship with God the Father and for fellowship with his Son, Jesus for the rest of eternity.
For the time being, our bodies remain as they were. Our earthly bodies are prone to weakness and aging and disease and eventually death. But right now, the spirit of the person who had been resurrected with Christ is made alive. The essence of being “born again” is dying to our sin and being resurrected into new life with Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 15:20, Paul uses an unusual metaphor. The verse says, “…Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep…” In calling Jesus the “first fruits,” Paul is borrowing a metaphor from agriculture to indicate that we will be like Jesus. The “first fruits” (or the first taste) of the ripening crop shows how the rest of the harvest will turn out. Jesus’ resurrected body was the first fruits to show us how we will exist to have fellowship with God after we die.
Let me approach it from one other angle. If Jesus has stayed in the grave and God did not raise him, what hope would we have of a life after death? If God did not raise His own son after He died, why would He raise us? I Corinthians 15:17 says, “17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”
Our sinful life died with Christ. Galatians 2:20 says we were “crucified with Christ.” If Jesus had stayed in the grave, then our death would be the end of the story. But Jesus did not stay dead. God raised his Son to life. Not only did Jesus prove that there is life after death, but He also showed that He had the power to give us renewed spiritual life now. Since spiritually we have already been raised with Jesus, then we have certainty that God will also raise us up after death and bring us eternally into His presence.
Jesus’ resurrection gives us the hope of a new body in the future, and it also grants to His disciples power to live for His glory now.
#3 Jesus’ resurrection gives His disciples spiritual power
Paul, in Ephesians 2:6, says God has, “raised us up with him
Paul takes the issue to the extreme and says that his goal in life is to “know [Jesus] and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I [Paul] may attain the resurrection from the dead.”(Phil 3:10-11)
Paul is connecting the spiritual power that raised Jesus from the dead with the spiritual power that is working within each one of us to transform our lives, he says in Ephesians 1:19 that the power at work in those of us who believe is immeasurably great. He continues in Ephesians to explain that the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead is the very power that is at work in the lives of Jesus’ disciples.
What is that power at work in us doing? Paul says that it is at work in us helping us to walk in a newness of life. Romans 6:4 says, “4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” This resurrection power has 2 results in the life of the believer.
A. Power over sin
This new resurrection power in us gives us more than enough power to gain increasing victory over the remaining sin in our lives. We may not be living perfectly, but increasinglymore like Jesus. For the disciple of Christ, Romans 6:14 says that “14 ….sin will have no dominion over you.” It has no dominion because the disciple of Jesus is dead to sin. It was killed with Jesus and in the resurrection, and the disciple of Christ was raised to a newness of life. The true Disciple is spiritually alive and enthusiastically obedient to God’s commands.
Romans 6:11 says, “11 …you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Whereas you and I may not ever reach perfection this side of heaven, we should see increased victory over sin because of the power of the resurrected Christ that dwells in us. Our increased victory over sin in our lives is ongoing proof that we really are children of God.
The power at work in our lives does not just help us to avoid sin, but it also empowers us to do the work of the ministry.
B. Power for ministry
Right after Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to his disciples and he told them, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
The new, intense power they were given, assisted them in proclaiming the gospel. The power manifested itself in great boldness and courage as they preached, in the working of miracles and in overcoming their various enemies. The power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Jesus’ followers has come to characterize the life of His disciples.
As we come to a close, let me give you three practical application from the truth (of Romans 4:25) that Jesus was raised for our justification:
Life Application
After a long discussion about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul concludes by giving his readers this encouragement, “58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:58)
#1 Continue steadfastly in the Lord’s work
If Jesus was raised from the dead, that means that His followers will one day be raised as well. Everything we do to bring other people into the kingdom and everything we do to help others grow in their faith has eternal significance because we will be raised and live with Jesus forever.
#2 Focus on heavenly rewards
There will be a time when all the struggles of this life will be repaid, but every struggle that we face here is worth the glory that waits for us in eternity. Since Jesus has been raised, we will be raised with Him, so it is important that we set our minds on heaven. Paul says in Colossians 3:1-4:
“3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Optional : Rev 2:10
10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
#3 The resurrection power gives us victory over sin.
Romans 6:11 says, “11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Immediately Paul gives us an application of that truth in verse 12“12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.”
Disciples of Jesus have a new resurrection power and that power gives us the ability to overcome the domination of sin in our lives. There is no sin that you face that is bigger that the resurrection power of Jesus Christ that dwells in you. Jesus wants you and I to be free from the destruction of sin. Our exhortation is to use the resurrection power of Christ to drive out any sin we find remaining in our lives.
Teaching Outline
#1 Jesus’ resurrection proves our debt was completely paid – Romans 4:25, Philippians 2:8-11, Ephesians 2:4-7
#2 Jesus’ resurrection prepares the way for our resurrection – 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Corinthians 6:14, 1 Corinthians 15, Galatians 2:20,
#3 Jesus’ resurrection gives His disciples spiritual power – Ephesians 2:6, Philippians 3:10-11, Ephesians 1:19-20, Romans 6:4
A. Power over sin – Romans 6:11, 14
B. Power for ministry – Acts 1:8
Application
#1 Continue steadfastly in the Lord’s work – 1 Corinthians 15:58
#2 Focus on heavenly rewards – Colossians 3:1-4
#3 The resurrection power gives us victory over sin – Romans 6:11-12
“There is no sin that you face that is bigger that the resurrection power of Jesus Christ that dwells in you
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