Easter is just around the corner!

By Mark Mast
RR Ministerial

Soon we will be celebrating my favorite holiday of the year... Easter! This remarkable season affords us the awesome opportunity of reflecting upon the significance of God’s love for us in sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Even more significantly, it gives us the privilege of rejoicing that Jesus is no longer dead, but ALIVE! Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God offers salvation to everyone who believes: Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Yes, Jesus has authority over sin and death! What a mighty God we serve!
In light of these truths, 1Peter 2:21-24 reveals, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.”
When we ponder the significance of Christ’s death and reflect upon the three crosses that bear testimony of the crucifixion of three men 2,000 years ago, an amazing contrast emerges. On one cross, a man was dying FOR sin. That of course was Jesus. 1Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ died FOR sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
On a second cross, a repentant thief was dying. It might be said that he was dying TO sin. It was the final hours of his life, but even in those fleeting moments, he understood his wretched sinful condition and beseeched the Lord Jesus to “remember” him. Jesus lovingly replied to this request by saying, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” In a flash, the repentant thief’s sins were forgiven and he was afforded eternal salvation in heaven. We are challenged by this thief’s example of humility of to do the same. Many individuals have received Christ as their Saviour with the simple prayer, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” Is God prompting you to pray this prayer? It is a prayer in which you die TO sin... Romans 6:11 challenges us, “In the same way, count yourselves dead TO sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
Finally, there is a third man. He is an unrepentant thief. He dies IN sin. He is doomed to an eternity in hell because of his stubborn refusal to repent of his sins. Because of his sinful pride, he will be forever separated from God’s love and the salvation that was so freely offered him. He will be remembered forever as the thief who rejected God’s gift of salvation, choosing rather to die IN sin. Romans 6:12 says, “Therefore do not let sin reign IN your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.”
Each one of us will one day face death. Until that time comes, we respond to death in one of two ways... we either choose to “die TO sin” or “die IN sin”. Don’t make the same fateful mistake that the unrepentant thief made. Rather, choose to trust in Christ by dying TO sin and calling upon Him to save you NOW. “Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.” (2Corinthians 6:2). Choose JESUS and LIVE!