The ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven is the final event of his fulfilling all righteousness on our behalf, from His:
1. Death on the cross
2. The shedding of His blood
3, His burial
4. His resurrection
5. His ascension
As we have seen what the previous four events have meant for all of mankind, let us review what our Lord's passion has done for us.
1. His death (He died our spiritual death) Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
2. His shed blood (cleanses us from all unrighteousness) Romans 5:9 says, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." In Ephesians 1:7 we read, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. And Colossians 1:14 says, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
3. His burial (our sin nature, or our old adamic nature was buried with him.) Romans 6:4 it says., "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should ~walk in newness of life." And Colossians 2:12. "··Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."
4. His resurrection (God regards us as being just or innocent, free, or being made righteous.) Romans 4:25 says, "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."
So this brings us to the final event of our Lord giving of Himself on our behalf, His ascension into heaven. Let's ask ourselves a few questions:
1. What does the word ascension mean?
2. How do we know our Lord ascended?
3. What does his ascension mean for us?
First. let's look at the word ascension or (ascend). What does the word mean, according to the Strong's Concordance? It means "to go up, arise, come up". So when we speak of our Lord's ascension, we are speaking of him ascending or going back up to heaven after his resurrection. So this brings up the second question. How do we know that our Lord ascended back into heaven? "And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." (Luke 24:50-51) "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11) "Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things." (Ephesians 4:9-10)
So then, what does his ascension mean for us? First, we must understand that no man ascended into heaven before our Lord. "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." (John 3:13) Seeing then that our Lord has ascended back into heaven, we too know that we will take part in this same ascension. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, tells us in II Corinthians 5:1-8, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." From this passage of scripture, we know that if our earthly house (that is our body) of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; and we also know that if we are absent from our body we are present with the Lord. Now in order to be with the Lord, (and he is ascended into heaven) then we too must ascend into heaven to be with Him. We know also from this passage that Paul is speaking of our soul and our spirit. So this then brings up the question, what about our body? What will happen to our body? Will it forever remain in the grave? Or will it rise up (ascend) from the grave? I Corinthians 15 : 51-52 says, "Behold I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." Also in I Thessalonians 4:13-18 it reads, " But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
So, we can see from these two passages that our bodies will rise up from the grave and ascend into heaven to be with the Lord forever. With all of this being said, this poses another question. To whom will this happen? Romans 3:22, says "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference." Also in I Timothy 4:10, "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe.
This wonderful gift of salvation is offered to everyone; but, it is given only to those that believe. Believe what?
1. Believe God concerning our need. The holy, righteous standard for everlasting life is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and we all come short of that. God has concluded all in unbelief and thru Paul says: "There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that under
standeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher, with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. " (Romans 3:10-18)
2. Believe that Jesus's death and burial paid in full the penalty for sin. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation" (Romans 3:25). "blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." "having made peace through the blood of his cross" "In the body of his flesh through death, to resent you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight." Colossians 1 :20, 22, 2:14)
The religious world would tell us we have to work for our salvation, but God's word says in Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Also in Romans 4:5, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." And in Ephesians 2:8-9, it tells us, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast."
So then with all of this being said, I would ask the reader, to whom or to what are you putting your trust for salvation? If it is in your efforts that you are relying on, or your own righteousness, you will come short because in Romans 3:21-24, Paul declares that Jesus Christ is the only righteous one and we all come short of it. But His death through shedding His blood justifies us freely, today, by His Grace. "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
So this again leaves us with one option, we must put our faith (or belief) in the five events of the cross of Christ. Have you done that? What better time than now. II Corinthians 6:2 says, "For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
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How God Saves
Men
Believing
Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing
Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read
Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
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