Christ Has Set Us Free (Funeral)

Often at funerals we hear messages of encouragement. Messages that our loved one is in a better place. That the suffering is over. We often hear testimonies of a hell-raiser, a real sinner and statements about that person now being in heaven.

It’s reasonable to ask, “how can that be.” How can someone, though good intentioned, live the way many of us live and still be worthy to stand before a righteous God? If that is a question on you mind, I want you to know how it is possible that Glenn and you can stand before God, forgiven.

The Apostle Paul wrote to Christians in the city of Corinth and said this:

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 “3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”

In this shot, yet powerful statement Paul answers what may be the most difficult question any of us will ever ask, “How can a sinner like me, stand before a perfect, holy God and be judged innocent”.

This is the question the entire Bible strives to answer. Every sentence, paragraph, story, and book in the Bible is teaching what Paul answered in three, short statements.

First, Paul explains why Jesus died. Christ died for our sin. Why did Christ die? For our sin. But what if I am a good person? What if I am not a sinner? That’s not an option, we all are.

Just as Adam was unable to avoid eating the fruit of the tree, each of us is completely unable to live without sin. This puts us in a helpless situation. We have a perfect God that requires perfection out of us, but we are completely unable to live up to his demands.

This is why Jesus died. Jesus died because He is perfect. Jesus died because we needed Him to die.