What God has Done for Us

Alistair Begg Radio Broadcast – September 2022

The reality of the world is that man is not what God had intended.  We are sad, dysfunctional and not mentally aware that God is watching.  Man is truly sinful when you look at those who choose to hurt others by murder and rape.  We try to fix things ourselves through the use of medication and the legal system.  The truth is that we are messed up (as a society as well as individually).  We need God.  The Bible says we are spiritually dead and only God can raise the dead.

Meanwhile, God gives us grace, He forgives us, and He grants us mercy.  But only if we ask Him to.

So what exactly has God done for us to help us understand His will and His plan?

1/ He made us alive together with Jesus Christ

Christians do not get more from God than non-Christians.  You won’t be a better person or a happier person because that is not what God offers.   He offers peace and joy for your life (Romans 8:6), as well as an understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.  1 Corinthians 2:14 says only Christians can understand God’s word and what it can mean to be saved.

Even if you think you don’t need God, consider that the Bible is speaking to everyone (including you), and not just Christians.  Many minds are hostile to God, but the real truth is that no one can please God.  When we understand this truth, we look to Him for mercy and forgiveness, as well as answers and guidance for our lives.

Death is the transition from this life to the next.  When we awaken spiritually in this life, we have peace, freedom, and we can triumph over our problems because we have God on our side.  The message of the cross can be foolish for those who don’t know they are perishing!  What side are you on?  We are deaf and dead until we see the truth that we have sinned against Heaven.

In the Book of John, Jesus raises Lazarus, a dead man, back to life and then the family of Lazarus has a party to celebrate.  Likewise, when we turn our lives over to Jesus, we are converted from death to life.  We experience the transforming power of Jesus, in the same way Lazarus was raised from the dead and transformed.  It had great impact on his family and the story teaches us to turn our lives over to Jesus.

To be “alive in Him” is to know and understand that we were enslaved by sin, we were dead in our transgressions, and we are helpless to save ourselves.  Jesus raises us from spiritual death to everlasting life.

2/ We have been raised with Christ

Jesus rose from the dead and in the same way, we as Christians are spiritually risen in this life and physically risen when we die from this life.  To die is to fall asleep in His arms because we left our old life behind.  We are saved individually but set apart together as Christians.  Romans 6:6 says that we no longer need to be slaves to sin because Jesus paid our debt on the cross.

3/ We have been seated with Him in the Heavenly places

When Jesus died on the cross, he eventually ascended into Heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.  God calls us, too, to come into His presence in Heaven if we have turned from our sin, repented, and followed Jesus.  When we die as Christians, there is no second death to experience like unbelievers will experience.

There is also a spiritual reality here in this life that we don’t see.  If we could see it we would be overwhelmed, especially by evil.  The church is in spiritual warfare in a battle of good vs. evil and we will be individually reconciled with God in the end.  This means we become antagonists to the evil one.  The church has the wisdom of God, and the church will be preaching to the world that people can be pardoned of their sin and have victory over death.  And most importantly, evil forces cannot touch the church body.

We should answer when God calls on us

Let’s stop ignoring God and start living His way.  Evil is increasingly oppressive in the world and we aren’t living in God’s light.  We must understand what God has done for us and find His mercy, love, grace and kindness for us.

God uses other people to call out to us.  Not just preachers, but other Christians.  The story of Naaman in the Bible uses a little girl to call out to Naaman so that he can see the Prophet Elisha for a cure for his leprosy.  But Elisha is telling the guard at his home that Naaman must cleanse himself to be healed.  It is not what Naaman expected.  “Go and dip yourself in the river 7 times” was the instruction the messenger gave to Naaman.  Naaman said “what the heck” and went away in a huff.  Naaman’s servants asked Naaman why he wasn’t willing to do such an easy thing.  It would be one thing if it was something difficult, but dipping yourself in a river 7 times isn’t too much to ask of someone wanting to be healed.  So Naaman followed the instruction and was healed.  The moral of this story is this:  Don’t harden your heart if you hear God calling you.  Think of what you would be risking.  You can be seated in Heavenly places if you’ll come to God when He calls you.

Follow Jesus and no other

The Bible is intelligent and trustworthy, and Jesus is worth following.  He can raise spiritually dead people, and he can save us from God’s condemnation because He will act as our advocate.  Trust the Bible and trust God’s word—it accomplishes His purposes for humanity.  Following Jesus is the only way to Heaven.  When you follow Him, you can start experiencing peace and joy today.