LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, July 11, 2024

 In this same series of verses that we studied yesterday there is yet another wonderful truth about the death of Jesus Christ our Savior. It answers to the unsaved person’s criticism that Jesus was weak and therefore deserved to die.

Acts 2:22-24 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

Peter makes it very clear that it was not because of the weakness of Jesus or His failure that He was put to death, but rather by the predetermined counsel and foreknowledge of God. 

This is so very important for several reasons:

1.      Man can take no credit for anything that has been done for our salvation. No man or government can claim any credit or be given any specific blame for the crucifixion of Christ. The religious leaders of Israel cannot now claim any reward from God for having been willing participants in the plan of salvation. The Romans cannot claim any earned favor from God for having done what He wanted. All participants in the crucifixion are called wicked, and all the credit for it goes to God who ordained it to happen. Salvation is God’s plan done God’s way in God’s time.

2.      The crucifixion of Jesus does not negate the accrediting of God that came through the miracles, wonders, and signs, but rather is a part of the accrediting process, for only by death could the power and glory of Jesus be seen in a resurrection. We know that it was the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead, according to today’s Scripture passage and Ephesians 1:19-20. The phrase “it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” points directly to the divinity of Jesus. Eternal life was the nature of Jesus. Death had no power over Him. He went into it knowing He would conquer it. His resurrection was more than the outside force of God working on His dead body to raise it up; His resurrection was the force and power of His own nature coming forth. He is declared to be the Son of God by His resurrection. Romans 1:3-4 says, “regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”

How does this apply to us in a practical way today? First, none of us can take any credit for our salvation in any way. God planned it, provided for it, and prepared us to receive it. We have earned nothing. We have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus, and we are to live lives of gratitude and praise for His magnificent grace!

Second, in our salvation Jesus Christ, in the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit, has made our lives into a temple in which He permanently resides, bringing the power of His life to conquer our death. We are alive in Christ because it is now our nature to be alive. When we do the deeds of a dead person we are acting in contradiction to our nature. So many people claim that it is easier to fall back into sin than it is to stay holy. This points to a serious lack of understanding of their salvation. It is always easier to follow our nature, and in Christ our nature is to live, not to die. It should be more natural for us to be holy than to sin, and if it is not, then we need some spiritual refreshment.

When we live our lives according to the nature of Jesus Christ in us, we discover that His life immediately conquers thoughts of sin and bring them captive to the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. How awesome to know that Jesus lives, and He lives in us, giving us the power to be more than conquerors.

Have a joyous day of victory.

Pastor John