Last week in part one of this study, we saw how the heart of God is not for religion or even dutiful service, but for genuine intimate relationship. We also saw how this relationship with God is integral and necessary for good service, since without the foundation of receiving love from God, every work is a dead work. Today as we continue with part two of our study, we are going to see the contrast between the behaviors of different people as they encounter the truth of God. How the truth of Jesus can and should affect us, and we will see what the heart of Jesus for everyone is, even if they do not realize it.
When people say “Jesus is Risen.” they are making a statement. They are proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They are testifying to His completed work for their atonement and justification which His resurrection brings. We often proclaim that He is risen with joy as we sing about the truth of this fact. However sometimes, this statement can become so cliché that the details of the events of His resurrection become lost. That's why in this study today, we are going to examine the events of His resurrection, and in doing so, we will see a wonderful picture of His heart for us. Even His raising from the dead was done for us, and His love for us never fails.
What is a curse? I am not referring to filthy or coarse language as the modern culture defines “cursing”. The Biblical definition of a curse is to “speak down” about a thing or person, and also the Biblical definition of bless is to “speak well” about a thing or person. So with this understanding of what it means to bless and to curse, we realize that most people invoke curses far more often than what is generally thought. Now we have been studying this month about the authority of the believer in Christ and also about the power of the words that we speak. Today we are going to move beyond our own words and we are going to examine what the Bible says concerning the words that others – including the enemy – tries to speak into our lives, and how in Christ Jesus, we are safe and secure from such attacks.