Intro:I may have misspoke when I said in an early sermon, I’m not sure Christ would have gone to the cross for just you or just me. But I want you to get a much bigger, much grandeur picture than the one focusing on just Jesus and you. He did die for you and He did die for me and for every other individual. But a whole world is at stake a new world, a new creation. The earth and all the glorious creation of God is at stake. It will all be renewed as well and a part of God new creation.

In six days God created the heavens and the earth and all living things. On the seventh he rested.

Many know that but do not realize that on the eighth day God began a new creation. Jesus was raised on the day following the Sabbath, the seventh day. Jesus was raised on the first day of the week following the Sabbath. His resurrection made him the "firstborn

Jesus, the Firstborn of "of all creation" diag

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Col. 1:15

Firstborn from the dead

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. Col. 1:18

... the firstfruits; ... 1 Cor. 15:22-23

a) Phillips "he has become the very first to rise of all who sleep the sleep of death" 1Cor. 15:20

"First" implies his is not the only one.

... firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29

This is why we are a church

to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, Hebrews 12:23

Christians, Part of God’s New Creation

Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. [16] Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. Galatians 6:15-16

God is shaping us to be like his son

"Conformed to the likeness of his son" Rom. 8:29

Likeness of his resurrection Rom. 6:5

Sin is death, Righteousness is life

Death is cessation of sin, Resurrection is start of righteousness

Death is not the only enemy we have. It’s the one we fear. It’s the one we can appreciate. It’s the one most dreaded. But death is not the only enemy. We have another enemy. One we do not fear. One we do not appreciate. It’s the enemy the world embraces. What is the other enemy? It is generally called sin.

You see, God teaches us that sin and death go together. Sin and death belong together. Sin and death are alike.

Why is that? Because sin is anti life. Sin is the agent that soils life. Sin is the substance that results in death. The bible tells us, ‘the wages of sin is death"

People tend to think that death is the only real enemy. The world tends to think that if we could only overcome our mortality, all would be well. That , of course, is not true. First we know the world with it’s knowledge and all the tools available to it cannot overcome mortality because it cannot over come sin. Secondly, sin can make life itself a living hell.

Jesus overcame death because he overcame sin. As representative man, he is called the "second Adam", and as such he overcame death on behalf of those he represents. As he rose from the dead, those he represents will also rise. That is half of the problem. God had to find a way to solve the other half as well. The half of sin that resulted in death in the first place. You see, God cannot raise sinners to life. Sin is what resulted in death in the first place. So not only did death have to be overcome, sin itself, had to be overcome.

And God did solve the problem again in Christ. For as Christ was righteousness, and as he is representative man, the second Adam he overcame sin on behalf of those he represents. And as he was righteous, those he represents are righteous also.

We want God to one day do away with death altogether. This God wants to do as well. He will. But to do that He must also have to do away with sin. He will. We have this promise for the new age,

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 2 Peter 3:13

One Foot in the Grave

Not a good way to live

"Alive to God"

... dead to sin but alive to God ... do not let sin reign ... Romans 6:11-12

Some WANT to keep one foot in the grave.

God buried the old man. Do you want to dig him up?

Sin says, "this is the way to truly live".

God says, I am the author of life and only in my way can you know it’s full potential.

Dr. Huffer.

Jesus is life itself. He who lives against Christ lives against life. Some persons seek all things that they may enjoy life, when they should seek life so that they may enjoy all things.

Man can realize his greatest personal potential through his living relationship with this person, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life".

The indwelling risen Lord enables believers to live triumphantly today. Because they have within them that which is above them, they are able to triumph over that which is around them.

Conclusion: Salvation is a great and complete work of God through His Son, Jesus. It includes all of creation and the complete person, body, mind, spirit and soul. Salvation is not just my little world of Jesus and me. But salvation includes me in God’s grand and great scheme, nothing less then a new Creation. His plan for me is to become a new creature and he wants me to begin now.

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