Are You Living for The Things Christ Died For?

 

 

by Mihran Kulhanjian

 

 

My dear Friends,

First, you must acknowledge the truth; Christ died that you might live. What does this mean?  God created us to live forever. We will live in Heaven with the saints, receiving the blessings and rewards of God or in hell. There are two options: Heaven or hell. In Heaven you are with the Savior, the Lord. In hell you are in torment and pain and suffering, separated from God. People in hell are the children of the devil. People in Heaven are the children of God. When you denied God you are not of God; therefore, you are of Satan, and he is your father, whether you believe it or not.

 

Christ came as a life giving Spirit to save sinners from hell.  But many will not receive Christ.  In John 10:10 Jesus said:  "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."  Christ died for us, that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly.  It is abundant life Jesus came to give us, not an impoverished life, but an abundant life in all things, that is, all things that are in the will of God. What is the will of God for your life?  God's will is revealed to us by His Word from the Bible. For all believers, God's will for us is to glorify Him in everything we do and enjoy Him in fellowship.

 

Romans 10:9-10:   that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
 
3 John 2:  Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

 

What Do the "Born Again" Receive By the Crucifixion of Jesus?

  • We are Justified: [made righteous by the blood of Jesus] (Romans 5:9)
  • We are Sanctified: [made holy by the blood of Jesus] (Hebrews 13:12)
  • We are Redeemed: [bought back by the blood of Jesus] (Psalm 107:2; Ephesians 1:7)
  • We are Reconciled to God.: [our relationship with the Father is restored] (Romans 5:11)
  • We are Forgiven [God has forgiven our transgressions. Now we must forgive others who have transgressed against us for God's forgiveness to be executed]  (Ephesians 1:7).  If we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us. (Matthew 6:15)
  • We Receive Eternal Life [life eternal begins immediately upon being born again] (John 3:16)
  • We are Glorified [glorification is realized when we receive our resurrected body made pure, and receive the blessings] (Romans 8:30).  The dead in Christ will be resurrected, the body united with the soul. If still living on earth at the rapture, we will not die, but be raise up in the air with a pure body.

 

The Great Exchange

Jesus gave himself for the treasure. We [the born again, the true children of God] are the treasure--the treasure as depicted in the parable in Matthew 13:44:  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."  We, you and me and all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ are the treasure that Jesus sold everything He had to attain.  He gave up a heavenly home, became a man, was tortured, put to death on a cross for us [the treasure]. He sold His life on earth, and became our curse and suffered the curse, to buy the field. But the field wasn't important,  it's  what's in the field, the treasure, you and me that held the value of the field.  Because of our sin (All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God [Romans 3:26]) every human being is under God's curse.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”
 
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:10-13)

 

Jesus came from Heaven and sacrificed Himself, taking the judgment of God which was rightly for us. Christ was punished for us. He satisfied God's judgment on us. Because of His great love for us, Christ was our substitute--He took our place so that we might be reconciled with God.

Christ took the responsibilities for our sins. He not only bore our sins upon himself, He accepted [voluntarily] the punishment [judgment] that was meant for us.  John explains this in his first epistle 1 John 4:8-10:  "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."  God is a just judge, therefore, He must punish lawbreakers.  

 

2 Corinthians 5:21:  "He [God] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

 

By the sacrifice Jesus made for us we receive more than most people realize:

 

  • We receive the blessing: [Jesus became the curse so that we might receive the blessing]
  • We receive healing:  [Jesus was wounded that we might receive healing and spirit and flesh]
  • We receive abundance:  [Jesus was impoverished that we might receive abundance]
  • We receive acceptance:  [Jesus was rejected that we might be accepted]
  • We receive forgiveness: [Jesus was not forgiven by man that we might be forgiven upon His death to God]
  • We receive righteousness [sanctification]: [Jesus was made unrighteous, receiving the full punishment of our sins, so that we might be righteous]
  • We receive the new man [Spirit] to live in us from the life giving Spirit, Jesus Christ.

 

What did Christ die for?  He died for us. He died that we might receive the inheritance that the children of God receive in heaven.  Each child or God does not receive a portion or a part of the inheritance, but the whole thing. Everything Jesus has we receive.  Paul explains in Romans 8:12-17 that as the children of God we are joint heirs with Christ:

 

"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."

 

Are You Living for The Things Christ Died For?

Examine yourself. Have you repented?  Do you follow Christ? Is He your Lord and Savior. Is your conduct and character representative of Christ?  Do you love the things God loves and do you despise the things He despises?  Are you in alignment with God?  Are you Christ disciple or not?   Are you winning souls for Christ? He commands it. Live for Christ--He die for you!