How does the Resurrection Justify Us?

Introduction

Text Romans 4:23-25.

Easter is an important holiday. It is probably the most important holiday for Christians. Not because family gets together, not because of the ham we cooked, not because of the easter egg hunts and the candy. Easter is an important holiday because it is a memorial of what Jesus did on the cross to accomplish our salvation. Easter is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead.

This morning, I want to look at the significance of Christ’s death for your sins and His resurrection for your justification. Why is it that Jesus had to died and rise again for you to be forgiven? How does the death of a man 2000 years ago have anything to do with my salvation?

This message has two purposes. If you are a Christian, this message will be more theological. To help you understand biblically how the resurrection saves us. But for the lost, this message is a plea to find salvation and life in the risen Christ.

Our Union with Christ

I want to begin by laying a doctrinal foundation that will help us explain the meaning of the verses we are looking at today. Without this key, the passage will not make sense. Later in the next chapter Paul will explain that because Adam sinned in the garden of Eden, we all became sinners and are all condemned to death. Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

How does the sin of Adam have this effect on me today?

Answer: Think of being in Adam as being like a citizen in the United States of America. The president is the federal head of our country. Decisions that he makes impact millions. If he were to initiate strikes on Russia and declare war, it is possible that Russia could respond with Nuclear bombs. If Russia targeted all the major cities of America, millions would die. Every action and choice of the president as the head of this nation is going to have an impact on the people of this nation.

So when Adam sinned in the garden, all his descendents were condemned to be sinners. Something about their nature changed that day and now all of us sin. I can’t go back and change that fact. Adam’s choice impacted billions of people.

Christianity teaches that when a person places their faith in Jesus Christ, they are united with Christ, or they are in Christ. Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” This happens at salvation and is true of every believer. When we get saved, we are no longer in Adam but in Christ.

Now this may seen like an abstruse concept to you. How can I be in Christ? Is this like some mystical thing where the body of Christ is hovering around me? That is not what the bible means when it says that we are in Christ. Everything that Christ did on the cross, he did as our representative and so we bear the results of what happened that day. Just like Adam made a decision as our representative made a decision that impacted millions; so Christ as the representative for all those who place their faith in Him, made a decision that brought life to millions. Romans 6:3–4 “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Now hold on to that truth because it is going to make more sense in a second.

Christ’s death because of our sin

Romans 4:25 “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

We have a real problem as human beings. We just keep on sinning and that sin is going to have to be paid for sometime. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Its like racking up credit card debt over and over and over again. At some point you are going to have to pay that debt. Or its like robbing a bank over and over and over again. At some point you are going to get caught and each bank job just makes your punishment more severe.

When you do get caught you will stand before a judge and be sentenced to prison. Romans 6:23 is merely stating that someday you are going to stand before a judge and the punishment for your sin will be death. Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

We cannot forgive our sins. No one else can forgive your sins and no matter how much good you do, you can’t make them go away. The only person who can forgive those sins is the person sinned against. I am going to use an illustration that is deeply emotional, but I merely want you to understand how serious this is.

Recently a Spanish couple was traveling through India when they were attacked by a gang of 7 men who pulled them into a tent, held them at knife point and gang raped the wife. Now imagine if one of the police had captured all the 7 men and then came to visit her in the hospital. When he comes in, he informs her that he has captured all 7 men, but he has forgiven them all and let them go. The woman’s response would probably be What right do you have to forgive them?  You’re not the one who was violated!  You’re not the one lying in a hospital bed!’ and she would be right. Only the offended party can grant forgiveness.

You see God isn’t merely our judge; He is the one we have sinned against. Only God can truly forgive our sins and that is why Jesus died on the cross, was buried and rose again the third day.

Romans 4:25 Begins with a Creedal statement made by Paul that sums up the gospel. The first element of this creed is that Jesus was delivered for our offences. Paul uses legal terminology in this passage to describe what Jesus does for us. The phrase delivered up carries the idea of being handed over for judgment. It is like a criminal standing in a judgment hall who has just been sentenced to 5 years in prison. The judge then remands the guilty into the custody of the bailiff. He is turned over to serve out his punishment.

Imagine for a second that You and I stand guilty before God. We have sinned against Him and the punishment is death. He is sitting on the judgment seat ready to turn us over to be punished. And His punishment is just. But Jesus Christ steps forward and offers to take our place. He is handed over to the bailiff in our place. He is our substitute.

Romans 8:32 “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

Jesus was turned over to bear the punishment that our offenses deserve. An offense is a deviation from the right path. Paul is here referencing no doubt Isaiah 53:4–5 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.”

Let’s tie these two concepts together. You and I stand guilty before God, but Jesus takes our punishment for us. If we are in Christ, he died on our behalf. He is our representative in His death on the cross.

Here is the thing, the only way you could pay for your sin is to die and live in hell for the rest of eternity. If you are going to be forgiven someone has to take your place. Jesus death on the cross allows your sins to be forgiven because he took your place.

Christ’s resurrection for our justification

The second half of the verse says that Jesus was raised for our justification. Let’s begin by asking what does justification mean? That is one of those bible terms that we don’t use every day. But justification is a legal term that means to be declared righteous or innocent.

Imagine a man has been charged with crimes he did not commit. After all the evidence, it is clear that he is innocent. The judge then makes a decision and declares him “Not guilty.” That is the idea of justification.

Jesus resurrection is important for us to be declared “Not guilty” before God. 1 Corinthians 15:17 “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” If Jesus hadn’t raised from the dead, you would still be in your sins.

But why is that that case, didn’t the death of Jesus on the Cross pay for my sins if I am in Christ?

Answer: On the cross Jesus bore the condemnation, the curse for us. If he had died and remained dead; he would be legally considered guilty, cursed by God. As our representative, we would only have death to continue to look forward to. Sin had to be paid for; so the death of Christ was necessary, but if he remained dead, then we have no hope of salvation. So Paul says, that we are justified by his resurrection from the dead. If Jesus had remained dead, than all of us who are in christ would also remain dead in our sins. Guilty before God. As our representative, his fate is our fate.

How does the resurrection justify us before God?

Answer: As we are in Christ, the acquittal of Christ is our acquittal; the resurrection is Christ’s is the vindication that He was in fact innocent. Death is the demonstration that one is condemned while life is the demonstration that one is justified. The resurrection proves that He is in fact innocent and able to give life. He is declared innocent by the resurrection.

1 Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

1 Timothy 3:16 uses a unique phrase when describing the work of Christ. It says that he was justified by the Spirit. Jesus didn’t need to have his sins forgiven; so what does this mean. As we have already seen, the word justified means declared innocent of all charges. When, how was Jesus justified? He is justified in the Spirit. Follow along with me as I trace this line of thought. The phrase in the Spirit refers to the resurrection of Jesus. 1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:” This verse declares that Jesus was made alive by the Spirit.

Romans 1:4 “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:” says that Jesus was declared or proven to be the Son of God by the resurrection again which is accomplished by the Spirit of holiness. Jesus was vindicated by the resurrection.

Romans 5:18 “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”

The resurrection of Jesus Christ legally declares Him to be innocent before God and as we are in Christ, we are declared innocent as well. 1 Corinthians 1:30 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”

It is through the death of Jesus that our sins are paid for, but it is through the resurrection of Christ that we are declared innocent of all the charges against us. We are viewed legally as righteous and innocent as Jesus Christ Himself is before God.

Conclusion

How do we receive the benefits of Jesus’s death and resurrection? We began by making the point that we must be in Christ if we are going to have our sins forgiven and be declared righteous before God. But how do we become in Christ? Let’s back up a verse for the answer:

Romans 4:24 “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;”

We received the righteousness of Christ so that we are declared righteous by God through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross dying for our sin and rising again only if we believe on him. The word believe here is the same word as faith. It means to trust in what Jesus Christ did for us. To depend on Him and Him alone.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you stopped trying to earn you salvation, where God showed you that you were a sinner, guilty before Him. Where you knew you were going to stand before Him and be judged someday? But has there ever been a time in your life when you decided to place your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation? In a moment, the piano is going to play a song of invitation. I would like you to come forward and talk to me. I will partner you with someone who can show you how to know your sins are forgiven.