How can we daily live out the truth of Christ's sacrifice for sins? The Foundation: Christ Died for Our Sins 1 Corinthians 15:3 – “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” • Christ’s death is the central, non-negotiable truth that shapes every moment of a believer’s life. • “First importance” means today, tomorrow, and every day; nothing outranks this reality. Receiving the Good News Afresh Each Day • Start the morning by rehearsing the gospel: – “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). – “I have been crucified with Christ… the life I now live… I live by faith” (Galatians 2:20). • Let gratitude replace gloom; remind yourself that every sin—yesterday, today, and tomorrow—was nailed to the cross. Responding in Worshipful Obedience Romans 12:1 – “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” Daily application: • Present your mind: choose pure thoughts, shut the door on bitterness and envy. • Present your tongue: speak truth, encouragement, and praise instead of gossip. • Present your hands and schedule: serve someone, refuse laziness, pursue excellence as unto Christ. Walking in Daily Repentance and Cleansing 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” • Keep short accounts with God; confession is not groveling but agreeing with Him about sin and embracing His cleansing. • Hebrews 10:22 assures us we can “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,” because Christ’s blood opened the way. Extending the Grace We’ve Received • Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” • Because His sacrifice covered our debt, we relinquish the right to collect on others’ smaller debts. • Practical step: when offended, recall the cross before reacting; speak blessing rather than revenge. Living Sacrificially in Love Ephesians 5:2 – “Walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.” • Budget your time and resources with others in mind. • Choose inconvenient kindness—driving a friend to an appointment, babysitting for exhausted parents, giving generously. Letting Christ’s Love Compel All We Do 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 – “For Christ’s love compels us… that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” Daily checkpoints: • Motivation: Am I driven by love for Christ or by self-promotion? • Decision-making: Will this choice display His sacrificial love? • Endurance: Remember His cross when service feels costly; His love fuels perseverance. Keeping Eternity in View • 1 Corinthians 15 continues: if Christ’s sacrifice secured resurrection, today’s labor “in the Lord is not in vain” (v. 58). • Living out the gospel means investing in what lasts—people, truth, and eternal reward—rather than fleeting applause. Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice anchors our identity, directs our choices, cleanses our failures, and energizes our love. Take the truth of 1 Corinthians 15:3 off the page and into every ordinary moment, and watch it reshape daily life. |
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