Living a Transformed Life

THE ROAD TO ABUNDANT LIFE

Give Me Liberty Not Death

The raising of Lazarus from the dead, chronicled in the book of John, is a picture of what happens, in a spiritual sense, when someone receives Christ as their savior.

Traveling with His disciples near the Jordan where John had been baptizing in the early days, Jesus received the news that Lazarus was very sick. Rather than leave directly and go to Bethany where Lazarus lived with his sisters, Mary and Martha, Jesus waited two more days before going to the sick man ’ s house. When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus had been dead for several days. On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. “ Where have you laid him? ” he asked. Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “ Take away the stone, ” he said. “ But, Lord, ” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “ by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days. ” Then Jesus said, “ Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God? ” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “ Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me. ” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “ Lazarus, come out! ” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “ Take off the grave clothes and let him go ” (Jn 11:17, 34, 39 - 44 NIV). Here is an illustration of what happens to people, though dead in sin, when they respond to the call of God. Hearing and receiving His invitation to salvation, the Holy Spirit enters into them, and they are suddenly given new life; they are created anew. In a way, they are like Lazarus; they are alive, but they are still bound by grave clothes. In other words, they are not yet free to walk in the newness of life given to them by Christ. But just as Lazarus needed someone else to remove the grave clothes that bound him from head to toe, believers in Christ also need to have their “ grave clothes ” removed. This is where the Word of God is most effective. Jesus said, “ If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free ” (Jn 8:31, 32 NIV). The Truth That Makes Us Free

The Bible says, “ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed

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