The death of Christ is one of the most climactic moments in the Bible. It stands as the most horrifying yet beautiful act of love the world has ever known. The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross changed everything, bringing about the satisfaction of God’s justice and the appeasement of God’s wrath. Man can now stand justified before God, no longer condemned but redeemed! Whenever I contemplate this incredible truth, I am left asking alongside Charles Wesley, “How can it be that my God should die for me?” It’s impossible to imagine the level of difficulty it was for our Lord to freely accept the gruesome suffering of the cross—all while bearing the weight of our sin and the immense agony of His Father’s separation. The injustice Christ endured was not only for our sake but for the very ones inflicting such pain as they cruelly put Him to death. It is entirely natural for humans to recoil from pain, but Christ not only resisted this human instinct, He willingly gave Himself over to a punishment He did not deserve (1 Peter 2:23). But the story does not end at the cross. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the triumphant vindication of His atoning work. It declares that the payment for sin was accepted, that death has been conquered, and that Christ reigns as the risen Lord. Because He lives, the hope of the gospel is not wishful thinking but settled reality.
This is the assurance that bursts forth in Romans 8:31–39. If God has given His own Son for us, who can stand against us? If Christ died—and more than that, was raised—who can condemn us? There is now no condemnation for those in Jesus, and no separation from His love. Neither death nor life, present nor future, height nor depth—nothing in all creation can sever us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The resurrection secures this unshakable hope: we are forever justified, eternally loved, and never forsaken. Hope is alive because He is alive. Therefore, let us no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died and was raised for us all (2 Cor. 5:14–15). – Pastor Nate
Sunday at Liberty
9AM: God’s Purpose for Our Health-1 Cor. 6:19-20
10AM: Pastor Nate–The Unbreakable Love of Christ–Romans 8:31-39 (sermon notes)