God loves dead people, and raises us from the spiritual deadness of our sin!
Sometimes we have a problem comprehending just how excellent is our God's love for us, because we cannot know what it was to be dead.
We didn't know we were dead, because we were dead. But God knew we were dead when we didn't, and He loved us and raised us from the dead!
Even now we cannot grasp just how we were dead, but perhaps we can observe that deadness in others, and rejoice when the Lord raises them up, realizing that once He raised us up as well!
How important it is to observe that deadness in others, not to gloat over it, but to weep for them. When we observe how they cannot hear the Gospel, or understand it, or respond in any way to God's Word, or even know their dreadful condition and sure judgment, we can be sure that we were once the very same dead as they are.
Remember the time when Mary and Martha held a feast to celebrate the raising of their brother Lazarus from the dead by the Lord Jesus. Mary probably understood more even than Lazarus what an astounding gift this was from the Savior. After all, Lazarus was dead while he was dead, and so he knew not what it was like to be dead.
But Mary and Martha knew, because they had seen their brother die, and buried him, and viewed his pitiable state as he lay dead - and then Jesus came, and raised Lazarus from the dead!
So Mary especially grasped most fully how great the Lord's kindness and power was, and it provoked her to an act of extravagant worship and praise to Jesus.
Scripture tells us that God is well pleased with our thanksgiving and praise, and He would have us know what He has done for us and be thankful!
SERMON ACTIVITY
This sermon was FEATURED on: 11/25/21, 11/22/19 | more »
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John Pittman Hey was born in 1961 in Jackson, Mississippi, to Godly parents who from the beginning raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. With child-like faith he came to Christ on his fourth birthday at his mother's knee. He received his education at church...
