Free from the Grave Clothes

Sunday, August 11, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”

John 11:41–44

When news came to Jesus that His friend Lazarus was sick, the Lord did not respond immediately. This was not by accident, but by design. Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen. When He arrived in Bethany with His disciples, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Mary and Martha were heartbroken, not understanding why Jesus had not come in time to heal their brother. Jesus insisted on being taken to the graveyard, and called Lazarus back to life. This is a wonderful picture of what happens to us when we are saved. We are dead in our sins, with no hope of saving ourselves until Jesus comes.

However, while Lazarus was once again alive, he was still wrapped tightly in the traditional fashion of the time. Strips of cloth would be wrapped around the body, with spices sprinkled between the layers. Lazarus was alive, but he was not free.

Similarly, coming to Christ for salvation does not remove the bindings of habitual sin that we have accumulated. While we now have the power of God to say “no” to sin, we activate that power by acknowledging we have it and resisting temptation as it comes. “How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?... Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:2, 11).

Today's Growth Principle: 

Remember that you are dead to sin and alive unto God.