Sarah's Womb: the Empty Tomb: Satan's Doom

Colin Melbourne

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Victory from Defeat, Life from Death. Perfect Integrity and Righteousness: God's Way of Doing Things

The promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring. Not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written:

'I have made you a father of many nations.'

He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed. The God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not, as though they were.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him;

'So shall your offspring be.'

Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old, and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

This is why '... it was credited to him as righteousness.'

The words 'it was credited to him' were not written for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness for us who believe in him who raised Jesus from the dead.

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we (believers) have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. Holy Bible Ro. 4:16-25, 5:1-2 NIV

One starlit night, not so long ago in the Middle-East (Ur in Iraq), God led a childless man out of his tent, and made a promise.

Count the stars, if you can. God told him, So shall your offspring be! Gen. 15:5

Plenty of people claim to have heard from God, especially crazies in caves, hermits in holes, and trigger-happy tyrants. But Abraham did hear God, and the proof is, God kept His Word of Promise.

To ensure Abraham's trust was genuine, God made things tough for the old guy. For one thing, He waited until Abraham's body was; As good as dead. and his wife, Sarah's womb was dead. Ro. 4:19

He was 100 years old, and Sarah 90.

Abraham fell face down; he laughed and said to himself, 'Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?' Gen. 17:17

Pretty late in life to begin a family don't you think?

God wanted it this way.

A ninety year-old barren womb that had never borne life, was chosen by God to bring forth nations, kings, peoples, and ultimately, The Christ.

That's God's way of going about things.

God convinced Abraham that he hadn't 'just imagined' the encounter, and Abraham chose to believe God's Word. He did not doubt, but trusted God to fulfil His Word by His Power.

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. Ro. 4:20-21

And because Abraham believed, on that basis alone, God credited righteousness to him. (Don't miss this, it's a foreshadowing of the New Covenant available to you today.)

Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Ro. 4:3; Gen. 15:6

What a Gift. What a Deal Guess what? That dead, shrivelled womb brought forth Isaac, Father of the Patriarchs, just as God had promised. Nations, kings, peoples, and Jesus Christ came as a result of one man expecting God to keep His Promise. That inspires me to trust God's Word the same, and not wobble in doubt and unbelief.

Just think what you and God can do together, when you trust His Word.

Do you know that God died?

His Word IS His Bond

When you learn to trust God's Word above all else, you have understood His integrity. It simply cannot ever fail.


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In every sense of the word, Jesus Christ who is Almighty God in the Flesh, died. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually, Christ suffered total death. He had to, in order to fulfil God's plan, and to be our Perfect Substitute.

Jesus cut no corners. He took the full punishment we deserve. The rejection, ridicule, shame, sin, pain, beatings, sicknesses, anguish, infirmities, emotional suffering, mental torture, Hell's horrors, and death's demonic clasp.

But the worst thing He experienced was spiritual death.
Being cut-off from His Father, even though He had never sinned

God wanted it this way. He thought it was a price worth paying to have you, and me back as His friends, and children.

Jesus was The Prototype on an untested production line.

He was the Firstborn from among the dead. (Col. 1:18) Not just raised from physical death, God had done that before, Lazarus for example, but also raised from Spiritual death.

Brought back from sin's clutch, and Satan's dominion into oneness, fellowship, with the Father. (Remember, Jesus forfeited these on our behalf upon the Cross)

Jesus saw the plan foreshadowed in the type of Jonah. (Mtt. 12:39-40)

He also read the resurrection prophecies in the Scriptures; and believed God's Promise.

Jesus was the test case, the guinea-pig in an untried system. He gave up everything He had, and staked His all upon the integrity of God's Word.

Have you done that yet?

He didn't do it for status or money. He didn't do it because He had to. He did it for the joy of having His creation back like before we sinned in Paradise.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame. Heb. 12:2

Need a Hero?

There's none greater than the Lord Jesus Christ.

When they sealed Him in that tomb there was no life in Him. Nothing but death, darkness and defeat. Not a flicker of life of any sort. He died a sinner's death for you and for me.

Almighty God in Human Flesh, died for us.

(Satan must've been doing cartwheels.)

How can a barren womb nurture nations?

How could a dead crucified Christ, in a death-chilled tomb redeem God's creation?

Surely it is impossible, past human comprehension, unimaginable.

For mere men, yes, but for the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Word made Flesh, who lived His whole life believing God's Promises. Nothing is impossible.

Are you in darkness? Spiritually cold or dead, far from God? Does your situation look beyond redemption? Yes?

Wonderful!

This is your opportunity to experience the power of trusting God's Word, and refusing to let go.

Discover what God has said about your problem. Find His answer in His Word, the Holy Bible. Believe it with all your heart. Say it, shout it in the face of all contrary evidence.

Abraham did, David did, Jesus did.

Never deny what God has said. Don't contradict the truth, and God will bring to pass what He has Promised.

Abraham believed, and received. You can too.

Jesus gave up all He had trusting that God would keep His Word to redeem all who believe He is the Christ.

Even in agony on the Cross, when His Father deserted Him because He bore our sin, Jesus did not sin by doubting God's integrity.

Alone in Hell, Jesus of Nazareth looked Death in the eye.

No longer one with the Father, no longer anointed by the Holy Spirit. He stood in His own righteousness,• and against all hope believed and said,

It is written, 'You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. Ps. 16:10 Give me those keys Satan, you've had them long enough.

And Death and Destruction yielded to Him.

They had to, because He believed God's Promise.

Father looks down, and declares,

It's enough. Let Him up!

Eternal Life returned to His Body. Resurrection power fulfilled the Scripture on the third day. Angels rolled away the stone, and the Living God walked out from that tomb.

Jesus proved God's plan works.

The Tomb is still Empty. Go and see.

God will raise all who trust in His Word, The Lord Jesus Christ, exactly the same.

Just as God credited righteousness to Abraham for believing His promise, so;

Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ (God's Living Word) to all who believe. Ro. 3:22

That's the message of the Gospel. The New Covenant. The Promise that terrifies Satan.

The fact he tries to stifle, distort, and smother with religion.

Receive Christ... God in the Flesh: Accept Him into your heart as Saviour and Lord

Trust that He paid your sin debt in full once and for all, then God will credit righteousness to you forever. It is God's Promise, Gospel Truth, Heaven's Boast and Satan's Doom

• NB. Only Jesus can stand in His own righteousness. Trust in His righteousness given to you as a Gift, not in your own.