“⁴⁴ And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

⁴⁵ And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

⁴⁶ And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Your Hands I commend My Spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost.” Luke 23:44-46

No man took the life of Jesus; He gave His life freely through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“How much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14

Jesus Christ came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the sin penalty of the human race which was physical death.  Let me be perfectly clear, Jesus did not die spiritually as some teach and He DID NOT become a sinner…that is heresy from the pits of hell.  Jesus Christ offered Himself WITHOUT SPOT to God as the perfect, Sacrificial Lamb of God.  The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin and purge our conscience from dead works to serve the Living God but they restored fellowship with God as the Saints of the Old Testament looked forward through faith to their coming Redeemer.

“³ Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?

⁴ 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.” Romans 6:3-4

When we are born again, born of the Spirit, we are baptized into Jesus death.  In Him, the penalty for our sin is paid and the power of sin is broken.

“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

² And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

³ And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

⁴ And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

⁵ And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek you the living among the dead?

⁶ He is not here, but is risen: remember how He spoke unto you when He was yet in Galilee,

⁷ Saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” Luke 24:1-7

Knowing this, Who Jesus is and what He accomplished on Calvary’s Cross for whosoever will believe, there is no question as to our Lord’s Resurrection. Jesus came to die on Calvary’s Cross.  He is sitting at the Right Hand of God searching to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him (2 Chronicles 16:9).

“¹⁰ For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He lives, He lives unto God.

¹¹ Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof.” Romans 6:10-12

The power of sin was broken at Calvary’s Cross.  When Jesus Christ gave up the ghost the penalty was paid and the power of sin was broken.  His Resurrection is our proof that every sin…not some, EVERY sin was paid for whosoever will believe…likewise reckon you also to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto the Living God, our God – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The choice is not saying yes or no to sin, we cannot resist sin unless we are submitted to God (James 4:7).  The choice is saying yes or no to Jesus and HIS finished work on Calvary’s Cross to break the dominion of sin in the Believer’s life.

The problem in the life of many Believers is unbelief.  They believe the finished work of Jesus for Salvation but do not believe, they do not reckon themselves, to be dead to sin.  Their fight is a fight to GAIN the victory we have already been freely given.

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are also called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12.

Our fight is not with flesh but with principalities and powers of darkness where we stand in the power of God by faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Fight the good fight of faith…faith in Jesus Christ and His redeeming work.  It is finished.

-Donna Clark Warren