After The Resurrection

 

John 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Satan is a cruel and crafty foe, a master of falsehood, and has deceived many by his lies:

·        He has a synagogue (Revelation 2:9)

·        He can have a seat in a church from which to work (Rev. 2:13)

·        He has power, signs and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9)

·        He deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9, 18:3)

·        He uses sinners to prophesy, cast out devils, do wonderful works (Matthew 7:22-23)

·        He works miracles (Revelation 16:14)

·        He has his own doctrines (1 Timothy 4:1)

·        He uses false prophets, false Christs, evil men and seducers (Matthew 24:11, 2 Timothy 3:13)

·        He disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)

Satan has many tactics he uses on the church to try to defeat us:

·        He accuses (Revelation 12:10)

·        He condemns (1 Timothy 3:6)

·        He devours (1 Peter 5:8)

·        He imprisons (Revelation 2:10)

·        He ensnares (2 Timothy 2:26)

·        He takes advantage (2 Corinthians 2:11)

·        He steals the Word away (Mark 4:15)

More than anything, Satan is a thief who wants to take away your experience with God on three levels:

·        Steal (present life)

·        Kill (eternal life)

·        Destroy (“vandalize” legacy)

Because of Satan’s work, before salvation we are all DEAD IN SIN.

What really happened when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command?  God had warned that disobedience would result in death (Genesis 2:16-17), but did Adam instantly fall dead?  No, he lived to the age of 930 years!  And yet, man DID die the very moment he ate the forbidden fruit.

Since man is a spirit-being, it was into man’s spirit that death entered.  This does not mean that his spirit ceased to exist, for spiritual death is not a state of non-existence, but rather a state of separation and alienation from God.

There are three kinds of death in Scripture:

PHYSICAL DEATH   separates man’s spirit and soul from his body

SPIRITUAL DEATH  separates man’s spirit from God

SECOND DEATH      is an eternal separation of man from God

When Adam experienced spiritual death in his spirit, his soul and his body also became subjected to the Enemy. In effect, God’s highest creation was now a child of Satan!

John 8:44a  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.

Romans 5:19  For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Spiritual death is SEPARATION from God due to SIN. Every human being is born with this condition. Only SALVATION can cure it!

Man was created by God as a three-fold being:

SPIRIT:  the inner man; the part that knows God and will exist eternally in either Heaven or Hell; the part of man that gets saved

SOUL:  the mind; the intellect (thoughts and reasoning), the emotions (temperament, feelings, attitudes and moods), and will (choices, decisions and determination)

BODY:  the outer man; the external or visible house in which man’s invisible spirit and soul reside; the part which operates our five senses

In a SPIRITUALLY DEAD person, the SPIRIT is alienated from God because of sin.  Unless he makes a choice to change it, this is an eternal condition!  Since the spirit is dead, the SOUL is now in charge.  Led by his intellect, emotions and will, this person cannot understand spiritual concepts, for they are foreign to him.  His BODY becomes merely a tool for acting out his lusts and passions.  This man is truly “mortal,” which means “death-doomed” or “Satan-ruled.”

In a SPIRITUALLY ALIVE person, the SPIRIT is back in fellowship with God because of salvation.  And unless he makes a choice to change it, this also is an eternal condition!  Since the spirit is alive, the SOUL is not allowed to be in charge.  There is an ongoing war to subjugate the natural mind and body to God’s Spirit now dwelling in the redeemed human spirit. (Romans 6:11-13, 7:22-23, 8:13-14)  His BODY is offered as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) to do the will of God, and not allowed to fulfill fleshly lusts.  This man is truly “im-mortal,” which means “NOT death-doomed”!

In contrast to Satan, Jesus is a LIFE-GIVER and a LIFE-RESTORER. He alone has the power to RESURRECT us!

1 Corinthians 15:19-22  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Jesus restored life to three people during His earthly ministry:

1.     The daughter of Jairus, a girl twelve years old, an only daughter, newly dead, in her home

Luke 8:54-55  And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.

2.     The son of the widow of Nain, a young man, an only son, on the way to his burial, in the street

Luke 7:14-15  And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

3.     Lazarus, age not known, an only brother, four days in the grave, in the cemetery

John 11:43-44  And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Only one person was able to give life

Only one way for the dead to receive life – hearing His voice (John 5:25)

Girl – give her meat (FOOD)

Young man – delivered him to his mother (FELLOWSHIP)

Lazarus – loose him and let him go (FREEDOM)

AFTER THE RESURRECTION, THERE IS STILL WORK TO DO!