Reflections on the Bible, and Other Writings, from a Christian Perspective.
To those who are not Christians, it can seem that those who follow Christ are obsessed with His death. I don't deny that. The same can be said for His resurrection. One reason is because the Bible mentions them extremely often. For example, in Romans chapter five the apostle Paul refers to it three times in less than ten verses. In it, he connects God's love for us with Jesus' death.
Although the concept of a resurrection is not natural, it is spoken of repeatedly in the New Testament, and is often connected with Jesus Christ. Many of the letters explicitly mention it. All the Gospel accounts share testimonies of the Lord after He rose from the dead. As we know, the apostle Paul used Christ's Resurrection in many of his teachings too. One place where he does so is at the end of the fourth chapter of Romans.
Last time we studied from the book of Romans we considered the patriarch Abraham and him being accounted righteous apart from works of the Law. This truth was, and is, a fundamental part of us becoming Christians. It's also non-negotiable, as is the case for many other topics in the New Testament. Two of these include Jesus' death and resurrection, the former of which we'll examine today.
One of the most famous verses in the Bible is Romans 3:23. As many of us know, it teaches that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. As we go through the book of Romans together, I felt that it was necessary for us to study this humbling truth, and the justification that is available through Christ.
It is important to remember all the different aspects of Jesus. Not just the ones with which we are comfortable. If we recognize some aspects of Him, but deny others, then we run the risk of admiring a false Jesus. We need to guard ourselves against that possibility. Please join me as we study through this great chapter and see the many impressive claims it makes about Jesus Christ.
Some of you may be wondering, “How could anyone use the beginnings of the four Gospel accounts for evangelism?” Actually, it can be done in a number of ways, and effectively too! I'll show you how.
James L. Hutton 