A. What does Easter really mean to me?
1. To bring me back to the image of God
God created man in his own image and blessed him (Genesis 1:26-28). When man sinned, he fell short of that glory or image of God. So Jesus came to bring us back, and much more than that.
Romans 8:29 - “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
Since Jesus is the express image of God (Hebrews 1:2), God’s program is that we become express image of Jesus.
· Whatever that we see in the life of Jesus in the scriptures should be reflected on our lives
2. The destruction of all the works of the enemy
The work of the devil includes, the power of sin, the power of sickness, the power of lack and want, and every other thing that the enemy can do. 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 (John 10:10). The power to steal, kill and destroy was destroyed by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
· All the works of the enemy has been destroyed and we need to enforce it
(See Colossians 2:13-15, John 11:25, Revelation 1:18)
3. The enthronement of the saints of God with the power of heaven.
1 John 4:17 “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”
The question is how is God? God is in authority, God is in dominion and in control. As God is, so are we in this world. The death and resurrection of Jesus enthrones us to be in dominion and control our environment.
Matthew 16:19 “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
· The revelation of Jesus (the word of God) is the key to being in charge.
Whatever we permit here on earth is permitted in heaven and whatever we do not permit on earth is not permitted in heaven. The resurrection of Jesus puts the believer in charge. So whatever happens in our lives has been permitted by us either by omission or commission.
This means we can keep the enemy in check because:
“We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (1 John 5:18).
Note that it you and I that keep ourselves, not God. We keep ourselves using the weapons God has given us. The devil cannot take any place in your life, unless you give him one (Ephesians 4:27).
B. Implication
Romans 6: 5-11 “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
We need to wake up to the consciousness of who we are.
----Know what you are
----Accept who you are
----Live what you are
Ephesians 4:18 “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.”
· You and I are supposed to be living God’s kind of life because in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28)
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