If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’re familiar with the miraculous account of Christ’s resurrection. It brings hope for salvation, assurance for eternity, and comfort in times of grief or loss. But has it changed how you live? In this message, Dr. Stanley explains the impact Christ’s resurrection can have on your thinking, conversation, and conduct. His power over the grave can transform every aspect of your life. Learn more about the blessings that accompany our salvation. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to www.intouch.org/watch

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[Music]

now you heard the message of the

resurrection of jesus for years and

years and years

you could quote some of the scriptures

and you could tell me standing by the

graveside of one of your loved ones

that you could tell me what he meant to

you

so you’ve thought about it over the

years let me ask you a question

what you know about the resurrection of

christ

how has it impacted your life

in any way to change your thinking

your behavior your conduct

as we would say your conversation what

difference has it made

when i think about the awesome message

of the resurrection of jesus christ

surely if you understand it

it has made some difference in your life

where are you going to spend eternity

how you treat one another

how you worship god your own private

devotions

what difference has it made that you

have believed

that jesus christ the son of the living

god

came into this world lived it out died

on the cross

resurrected sits at the father’s right

hand what

difference has that made in your life

so what i’d like to do is to just review

a few moments

those things that you say you believe

our beliefs about the resurrection of

christ

starts with the fact that christ the

rose from the dead

he’s alive at the father’s right hand

listen to what he says in hebrews

chapter 10

verse 12 he having offered one sacrifice

for sins

for all time sat down at the right hand

of god

we believe that he was the

all-sufficient

one sacrifice for the sin of the whole

world

a second thing we say we believe is this

that we are forgiven

and eternally secure in him

many people don’t believe that there’ll

be many people today sitting in churches

and celebrating the resurrection of

jesus christ who do not believe

they’re eternally secure they believe

that their conduct will determine

whether they go to heaven or hell or not

and imagine what kind of insecurity that

is

you go to church you sing these

wonderful hymns

and then somebody says are you going to

heaven and you have to say i hope so

maybe so i think so sometimes i think i

am and sometimes

i think i’m not the insecurity built

into a person’s life because they don’t

understand the word of god

then of course the scripture says having

also believed you were sealed

in him with the holy spirit of promise

who’s given to

us as a pledge of our inheritance god

says when you trust in him as your

savior

you were sealed that not sealed by a

conduct

sealed by the holy spirit the third

person of the trinity

a third thing we say that we believe as

a result

of the resurrection is that we’re going

to live forever

he says for example that verse that most

of us learn first in the bible for god

so loved the world

that he gave his only begotten son that

whoever believes in him would not perish

but have everlasting life isn’t it

interesting how we can quote verses

and to say that we believe them but when

we divide them up and look at the words

we think well everlasting i don’t know

about that well how

if it’s not everlasting life what is it

how long is it you can’t answer it the

bible doesn’t leave us with a lot of

questions

the bible answers all the questions that

we have that are relevant

for living a godly life and relevant for

giving us assurance

that we go into heaven when we die then

we say for example

we believe that we are also going to

experience a bodily resurrection

that’s part of the message of the

resurrection

and so as we look at these verses over

and over and over again

he said this body is sown a perishable

body

raised and imperishable body in first

corinthians 15. that 15th chapter is an

awesome chapter

about the resurrection

many people spend a lot of time thinking

about how they look

their hair their dress their shoes their

this their that the other

and some men just it’s not just we’re

probably just as bad

there’s coming a day when you won’t have

to worry about how you dress

listen to this it is sown a perishable

body

raised imperishable eternal perfect

that’s the promise of the resurrection

then somebody says well what about this

idea of heaven what’s it going to be

like

well the bible does not leave us without

a whole lot of questions about that

because

if you read the book of revelation and

some of the things that jesus said

in the gospels we know a little bit

about what heaven’s going to be like

but the most important thing is what he

said in john 14

verse 3. i’m going to prepare a place

for you

and i will come again and receive you to

myself that where i am

that you may be also now listen to that

i’m going away

to prepare a place for you he didn’t say

i’m just going away

and he didn’t say i’m just going to go

prepare a place he said i’m going to

prepare a place for you

that is with god it is the will

and purpose and plan of god that every

single one of us

have relationship with him that makes it

possible

for us to enter heaven sinless

holy righteous before almighty god

because that’s the reason he came he

came that we might have

life and not just life but he said have

it more abundantly

eternal life and we can quote john 3

16 all day long but the question is this

do i believe that as a result of

believing placing my trust in jesus

christ

his death at the cross he paid my sin

debt in full not impartial but full

do you know what grace is all about

grace

is all about god’s awesome eternal love

for us

that listen that beyond anything we

could ever imagine

or do then his love for us

takes care of all of our sin for by

grace are you saved

and it’s interesting that people can go

to church for years and years and years

listen to the hymns listen to sermons

then when it comes down to life and

death and say to them

are you sure you’re going to heaven i

hope so

well again why do you hope so well i

just hope so do you believe the bible

teaches yeah i do

are you sure you’re going well i hope so

for by grace

you are saved not by works

not by being good not by hope and soul

not by planning so

not by giving grace is god’s

undeserved favor for us provided for us

by the blood of jesus christ

we have the awesome promise as children

of god

so that we live a holy life not living a

holy life to get to heaven

but living a holy life because we are

going to heaven

we have awesome assurance of that

and then he says for example also

in the 14th chapter of john he says

heaven is our home listen i’m going to

prepare a place for you

i’ll come again and receive you to

myself that where i am

there you may be also but think about

this

if you believe that jesus christ is your

savior count on it

if you don’t believe he’s your savior

don’t count on it well i believe that

somehow

god’s going to take care of all of us

one of these days that’s right

but it’s going to be a split some go

into heaven

some not going to heaven it’s a choice

we make

here the promises that we’ve said all

these years we believe

we believe that because jesus rose from

the grave he

absolutely settled once and for all our

foundation for all of our faith in what

he said

that is he rose from the grave and then

of course he said one of these days

we’re going to see our loved ones in ii

corinthians chapter 5 verse 8

be of good courage i say and prepare to

be

absent from the body to be present with

the lord

all of us who are followers of jesus

believe

that in one of these days we see our

loved ones

if i go away i will come again to

receive you

unto myself our relationship to jesus

christ is

intimate warm and personal he loves us

he forgives us he cleanses us he

forgives us over

and over and over again because he knows

we’re not perfect

can’t be perfect in this life but we can

by faith be one of his children we can

by

faith have eternal security and all of

these promises in the scripture that we

say we believe about the resurrection

and the result of it what kind

of effect has that had on your life

because all these things that you

believe are true

so let me ask you the question what

difference

do these truths make for you on monday

morning

a friday night a sunday afternoon or any

time

the truth of god’s word should make an

eternal difference

in the way we live the way we speak

the what we wear where we go what we do

with our life

because he came into our life to make a

change make a difference

not just some little difference but

eternal difference

so if you had to say to some unbelieving

friend of yours

let me tell you the difference that

jesus has made in my life

where would you begin what would you say

if you had to say to an unbeliever in

response to that question

tell me now that if you’re a christian

what difference has it made in your life

the difference isn’t visible it’s all

about the holy spirit

who say listen who brought about

salvation in your life

and the bible says sealed you as a child

of god

that’s who we are and so it certainly

has made a difference in our life

and so the question is

what’s the difference well let me give

you a few verses

you can think about them in your own

life and ask yourself the question

has christ in my life made this

difference

and in first peter chapter 1 verse 15

here’s what he says be holy

yourselves in all your behavior

now i don’t think most christians use

the word holy except maybe holy day

or some people who believe in the holy

sacrament

holy this that what about being holy

does that mean does that mean being

sinless no it doesn’t

well it says be holy and must be being

sent us no

or john would not have written if we

confess our sins

he’s faithful and just to forgive us our

sins and to cleanse us

from all unrighteousness it is our goal

to

live a holy life yes is that a sinless

life

no but it is a life listen careful it is

a life

committed to the person of jesus christ

it is a life indwelt by jesus christ

it is a life whose name is written in

the lamb’s book of life in heaven

it is a life committed to jesus it is a

life that

attempts to live by the truths of the

word of god

perfect absolutely not because we live

in a human body

but he says our goal should be to live a

holy life

you say well if i told somebody i want

to live a holy life they just laugh at

me let them laugh

well you say well what do i have to do

to live a holy life

what does our holy life mean does it

mean

sinless no but here’s what it means an

absolutely genuine desire

and heartfelt attempt to walk by the

ways of our lord

to be obedient to him in every aspect of

our life

that’s what our holy life’s all about

not perfect

none of us are going to be perfect but

the but the desire of our heart

is to live in keeping with the pattern

of jesus

and what he requires of us loving our

neighbors

giving sharing sharing our testimony and

you go all the way through the

scriptures

all the things he requires of us perfect

no holy yes

holy holy holy is the lord god of host

a holy life not a sinless life but a

godly life

a life committed to being obedient

to god following his ways

in every way that’s a holy life

and i think most people have decided

when they got saved they can’t

can’t be perfect nobody’s perfect and so

we come up with this excuse nobody’s

perfect so you know

i’m just going to live life and i go to

church on sunday and i’ll give a little

bit every once in a while and try to

love my name and be kind and be good

but perfect no or what about attempting

to be obedient to god

holiness is god’s goal for every single

one of us

then i think for example what is your

message as a believer

for example if somebody said to you tell

me what you believe

what would you say now think about this

for a moment

you trusted jesus christ as your savior

that is you have

put your whole eternal future in his

hands

you have accepted what he said as truth

and you have asked him to forgive you of

your sins you trusted him as your

personal savior originally

when you were saved and so you’ve

settled that issue in your life

and so so if somebody said well well

tell me what is your message as a

christian

what would you say what’s your message

as a christian

what do you have to say

so remember this you don’t have to think

this

up you somebody says why i hear these

people talking about giving a testimony

i can’t give a testimony

i’m going to teach you how right quick

here’s how to give a testimony you say

to that person

here’s my testimony for god so loved me

that he gave his only begotten son that

if i trusted him as my

personal savior i would have the gift of

eternal life

and i have it i have it

not because i’m good not because i

deserve it

but because he promised it and i believe

him

in other words what you and i think

about this what

what all the things that you and i

believe about the resurrection of jesus

christ

should absolutely transform our life

we should each one of us be a beacon to

the people around us we work with and

live with

a beacon of the truth of almighty god

they should hear it from their lips they

should see it in their walk

they should see it in our conduct their

conversation

they should see something that they

cannot quite figure out what it is and

you have the awesome privilege of

telling them

so listen to this question that ought to

be very convicting are you listening say

amen

when is the last time you said to

anybody

let me tell you how to have a personal

relationship with jesus christ

let me tell you how to be saved let me

tell you how you can be

sure when you die you’re going to heaven

when is the last time

you ever took the time to say that to

somebody

we’re followers of jesus our life’s been

transformed our name is written in the

lamb’s book of life and they cannot be

erased

we’re going to heaven when we die we’re

on our way

some closer than others but on our way

and we haven’t told anybody else how to

get there

let me ask you this what are you doing

in your life

that’s so important so absolutely

consumes your whole life day after day

week after week month after month year

after year

and you don’t tell anybody else

the source of your assurance

about life and death to whom have you

said

i want to tell you the source of my

peace

i want to tell you why i have joy in my

heart

i want to tell you why i’m absolutely

certain

that what the bible is true absent from

the body present with the lord let me

tell you

about what jesus christ means to me when

is the last time

and who whom have you ever told

how to be saved how to have

what you already have the blessings

of eternal life the goodness and mercy

and kindness of almighty god

year after year after year after year

after year after year

and never tell anybody else

the source of your joy of your assurance

your confidence in one of these days

when you die you’re going to heaven

how can we keep it

to ourselves

can you imagine how loud the disciples

shouted

when they knew jesus christ not only

arose from the dead but when he ascended

do you think they just stood and said

no they didn’t they were shouting all

over the place

because what he did in that ascension

affirmed

everything he ever taught him

watch this you and i have the word of

god

it’s true from cover to cover

we have written

authentic promises of almighty god

we’ve not seen him ascend to heaven

but we’ve seen this awesome truth about

him

and we’ve seen his commands and we’ve

seen

all these verses of scripture that’s

told us about him

we have this awesome foundation you

you have the truth in your heart you you

have within you

what it takes to move a person from

walking on this earth to go into heaven

you have it within you as a follower of

jesus

you cannot afford to keep it to yourself

he said go into all the world and

preaching also you say well

we send missionaries i can’t send

somebody

and take the place of talking to

somebody that i live next door to

or work with we have a divine obligation

to tell it like it is everybody we can

then we have this wonderful opportunity

of serving him in the power of the holy

spirit and so somebody says well

um i don’t know exactly what to say

listen carefully

when you were saved the holy spirit the

third person of the trinity

came to indwell you and the bible says

he

sealed you as a child of god that seal

cannot be broken

that your security is not in your

conduct

your security is in the indwelling

presence

of the holy spirit he not only has

sealed us as a child of god he has

empowered us that is he has equipped you

to do whatever god has called you to do

and when he said go into all the world

to teach and preach the word of god that

does not mean that all of us have to go

to some other country

but that we are to share the truth of

the gospel with the people

around us and we listen to this

you have the third person of the trinity

the holy spirit of god

who who first of all convicted you of

your sin

showed you the truth gave you the faith

enabled you to be saved

and then indwelt you and will indwell

you

all the way to glory in order to do what

to equip you to give you the courage and

the confidence and the assurance and the

strength and the energy and the power

to share the truth of god’s word to

other people

you are equipped god

placed his son jesus in your life

and you live every day

and you don’t tell anybody

you said well i came to hear a pleasant

message about the resurrection this

morning

it’s pleasant to those of us who are

obedient

that those who are not it shouldn’t be

pleasant it should be because i love you

enough to tell you the truth

and god loves you and he wants you to be

everything he created you to be and when

i think about the truths that we know

and when i think about the fact that

he’s given us the holy spirit to equip

us

every day you wake up with him you go to

bed with him

you live your life out every day with

the awesome power of the holy spirit

that is the third person of the trinity

god the father son of the holy spirit

listen you’re never alone when you’ve

trusted jesus

as your savior never alone

so you have a friend who’s with you all

the time

and the question is this what kind of

friendship

do you have with him

now if you’re married i certainly hope

you’re happily married

and if you are you know what he how

wonderful it can be

to have a good relationship with

somebody who loves you unconditionally

and you love them in return well jesus

came to live within us through the holy

spirit to give us that awesome sense of

fullness completeness

we may live alone but we don’t have to

be lonely

because we always have him

and we have a message that the world

desperately needs to hear

and when i think about how often we talk

about

many other things i think about

the presence of the holy spirit and the

fact that you and i have the privilege

of praying

and changing anything

we can pray to almighty god with the

power

the confidence and assurance that

changes anything

and everything that fits his will for

our life

so i think on this resurrection day that

we celebrate

this is a good time to examine our

hearts

thank god i’ve sure enjoyed a lot

i’m blessed now lord what do you expect

of me

i’ll tell you what he expects he expects

you to give yourself away

to him by giving yourself

away to others in sharing the best news

the world has ever heard that’s what he

expects

isn’t it amazing how the devil has put

fear

in people’s lives about talking about

jesus

when he is the most important person

who has ever existed who loves you

absolutely unconditionally who has

blessed you

beyond your description and all he’s

asking of you is

tell him tell her share it with them

don’t wait any longer

just tell them you know

somebody who needs to be saved

and let me just say this if you care

about them

you will tell them you say but suppose

they don’t listen

that’s not your responsibility suppose

they don’t want to hear it that’s not

your responsibility

our responsibility is to tell it

their responsibility is to make a choice

you have the truth it’s not to be kept

but to be shared my prayer to god is

that you will

and you may be seated here this morning

you’ve never trusted christ as your

savior

you know a lot of christians nobody’s

ever said much to you and you

came along today or you may have come

invited by somebody else

and today you know in your heart this

is the moment in time when your

eternal future will change

do not walk out of this place

without having made a decision you say

what decision is that it’s this simple

with all the sincerity of your heart god

i’m a sinner lord i’m asking you to

forgive me of my sin

i don’t deserve it but i’m asking you to

forgive me and today

in this place seated right here i’m

surrendering my life to you and i’m

trusting you to be for me what i can’t

be for myself

i don’t think i can live the life but

i’m i’m surrendering my life to you

right now lord

and i’m gonna trust you to help me

understand

and live it out he’ll change your life

in the next few moments

amen father we love you and praise you

thank you for your forgiveness

thank you for writing our name in the

lamb’s book of life

never to be erased thank you for giving

us the courage to share

with those about us who are yet to be

saved

make us so uncomfortable dear god

we cannot live among live around

precious people who need your message

any longer without telling them

and father i pray that every single

person here

who has never trusted christ right now

in these moments will say lord

forgive me of my sin today i surrender

my life to you

to live for you forever thank you

father for your awesome power

to love forgive and change

in jesus name amen

[Applause]

you