Reckon Ye Also Yourselves to Be . . . Alive Unto God
A.B. Simpson emphasizes living in the abundant life of Christ's resurrection, free from sin and death.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the transformative power of living as children of the resurrection, encouraging believers to embrace the abundant life that Christ offers. He contrasts the exhilarating experience of the risen life with the dreariness of self-crucifixion, urging Christians to avoid returning to a state of spiritual death. By focusing on Christ's victory over sin and death, believers can repel self and evil, allowing the spontaneous life of Christ to flow through them. Simpson reminds us to keep the door to the tomb locked, trusting in Christ's resurrection and His authority over death.
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Death is but for a moment; life is forever. Let us live, then, as children of the resurrection, finding His glorious life more and more abundant, and the fullness of this life will repel the intrusion of self and sin and overcome evil with good. Then our existence will not be the dreary repression of our own struggling, but the springing tide of Christ's spontaneous overcoming life. Once in a religious meeting a dear pastor gave us a most exhilarating talk on the risen life. Then another minister got up and talked for a long time on the necessity of self-crucifixion.
A cold feeling came over us all and we could scarcely understand why.
But after he had finished, one of the women clarified the whole situation by saying, "Pastor S. took us all out of the grave, and then Pastor P. put us back again. " Let us not go back into the grave once we have been delivered, but let us live like Christ, who liveth and was dead; and, behold, [he is] alive forevermore, and [has] the keys of hell and of death (Revelation 1: 18). Let us keep out of the tomb. Keep the door locked and the keys in Christ's risen hands
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Understanding the concept of life after death - The significance of resurrection in Christian faith - Living as children of the resurrection
- II points: - The abundance of Christ's life - Overcoming self and sin - The role of good in overcoming evil
- III points: - The importance of not returning to a life of repression - Experiencing Christ's spontaneous overcoming life - The metaphor of being delivered from the grave
- IV points: - The keys of hell and death in Christ's hands - Living in the fullness of life - Keeping the door locked to sin and death
Key Quotes
“Death is but for a moment; life is forever.” — A.B. Simpson
“Let us not go back into the grave once we have been delivered.” — A.B. Simpson
“He is alive forevermore, and has the keys of hell and of death.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- Embrace the abundant life that Christ offers and let it transform your daily living.
- Avoid returning to old patterns of sin and instead focus on the new life in Christ.
- Keep your spiritual focus on Christ's victory over death to maintain hope and purpose.