All of us here at Morningside send our prayers and greetings for you to experience a wonderful Passover and Resurrection season. During this special time of the year many turn their attention to bunny rabbits, egg hunts and new clothes. For Christians, this time has much greater significance.

Devout followers of Jesus will take extra time to give thanks to our Lord for the great price He paid for our freedom from poverty, sickness and sin. Christ made the way for us to be restored to God. We have been bought with a price – the most expensive gift ever given—the precious blood of Jesus.

That gift, Jesus, was given to the whole Earth by our Creator. And why did God give us Jesus? “For God so loved the world…” Father God gave His very best because of His love for His creation – you and me. Love motivated Father God to send Jesus to the earth through the womb of Mary. God wanted us to be unshackled from the bondage of sin and brought back to a state of purity, that is, without sin.

Adam and Eve were created in the Garden of Eden, pure, sinless, and with no enslavement to sin. However, God did not want “robots”, or a bunch of “Yes Sir’s” motivated by a sense of duty and insincerity. God desired heart-to-heart fellowship with His creation.

And isn’t that the same desire we have in our personal lives? We all crave to be loved by someone from their heart, not out of duty. It is a heart matter. That is where “free will” comes in. Can you imagine? The most powerful person in the universe created human beings and then made sure His creation was not forced to love Him! Instead, God gave mankind the ability to choose to say “yes” or “no” to Him.

As you know, Adam and Eve chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They yielded to satan’s temptation. And how did satan succeed with his cunning deception? By twisting God’s Word!

Think about it. If Adam and Eve had stayed true to the Word of God and discerned the lie, they would have stayed pure and always close to God. And, as with any sin, consequences followed just as God said they would. Now there was a sin issue which separated humanity from God. It had to be resolved.

A sin offering was required for man’s transgressions. Under the Old Covenant the sacrificing of animals covered the sins of people but it was done on a continual basis. The sin issue was never completely taken care of or reconciled. All of mankind would be born with the proclivity to sin due to Adam’s original sin. That had to change! A pure sacrifice was needed to take away the sins of the world and redeem mankind.

Friend, God didn’t have to scramble to get a quick solution to the sin problem. God didn’t have to wait for some idea to “occur” to Him. Scripture tells us that Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world. (Rev. 13:8) That is just like our good God! He already had a provision for everything needed in advance. Of course He is the all-knowing God, so He knew that humanity would have to be rescued.

Jesus gave up the glory of Heaven for a season to be the pure Lamb of God. He would take on all our detestable sins so we could be reconciled to the Father. This sacrifice of the spotless Lamb of God has often been referred to as the “Great Exchange.” That means all of our sins, sickness, frailties and self-righteousness were exchanged for Jesus’ purity, righteousness, healing, blessings and wholeness.

Upon being “born again” and receiving the Spirit of the Living God, we are now referred to as a new creation. Never before had this creation existed because Christ had never been previously sacrificed, nor had the Spirit of God resided continually in a person. Jesus came as the “Second Adam” to defeat the devil, overcome temptation, restore direct access to our Father in Heaven, and then be resurrected.

Likewise, the Lord has a resurrected victorious life for us to live here on the earth. Does that mean that we will live a life free from any trials or afflictions? Of course not! Learn to lean on the Lord and His promises and remember what He has done for us. We can walk victoriously through any situation.

Through the sacrifice of Jesus and His horrific suffering on the cross we now have the provision needed for our sins to be washed away. But, it does not end at the cross – the cross is empty! The Resurrection happened! We are now able to live a new life, a resurrected life.

Yes, there is a future life waiting for us with a glorious new body, but today we have a new life in Christ when we are born again. That new life is to emanate through us to show others a different way of living and be used of God to bring others into His Kingdom.

Christ’s resurrection gives us the hope of a victorious life. Just as Jesus died and was buried, so is our old man – dead to sin, dead to self upon receiving Jesus. The old sin nature has been crucified!

Galatians 2:20 KJV “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

We now belong to Jesus, bought with a price and called to live a victorious resurrected life in Him! Jesus defeated the devil, overcame sickness, sin and won the victory for us. It all depended on Jesus and He did not fail.

Our hope of glory is Jesus!! Jesus never made a mistake, never sinned and He will never, never, never leave or forsake us! We are assured of glory because as a Christian we have the Spirit of the glorious Jesus. Everyone can be certain of their eternal destiny with Jesus if they have acknowledged Him as the Son of God, their Savior, repented and received forgiveness of their sins. This acknowledgment results in being cleansed from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9 KJV “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

We have been raised up again in Him to a new life on this earth as well as a wonderful future home in Heaven. We now belong to God and live for Him. In our eternal home we receive an incorruptible body!

Scripture teaches us to put our hope in God.

Psalm 42:11 KJV “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.”

God’s Word promises us eternal life if we meet these conditions:

1. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

2. Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

In Jesus’ own words in John 17:20-26 KJV

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Christ was raised from the dead and because He came out of that tomb, our faith is not in vain. Our faith is alive, just as Christ is alive. Our faith is based upon a living Savior. Scripture tells us that that if Christ had not been resurrected from the dead, then our faith would be in vain—it would be useless. We would be without hope and without the promise of a heavenly home.

1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith”.

Praise God! We serve a risen Savior and the preaching of the true gospel is not useless, but is bearing much fruit. God’s family is increasing daily as people receive Christ. God’s Word is true and His Word works. Our faith is alive and is based on a living Christ. He is our life and we are alive in Him!

Jesus promised all believers before He left this Earth that He was going to prepare a place for us so that we could be with Him forever!

John 14:3 KJV “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Jesus is coming again! However, until then, Christ is preparing a place for those of us who know Him so we can be together forever!

As you are running about enjoying your special activities with family and friends, or maybe just resting at home during this week, remember to thank our risen Savior for His great love and honor Him by living your life for Him.

Let us remember the real reason for the season – Jesus, our resurrected Lord and soon-coming King. Thank God that Jesus did not stay bound in those grave clothes but that He was resurrected so we could have new life in Him.

CHRIST ALONE IS OUR HOPE OF GLORY!

Just wanted to share with you a beautiful worship song: