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Articles
on this subject:
The Law of Moses and the Gospel of Christ
The Law of Moses Done Away
The Law Nailed to the Cross
Spiritual Adultery
Is There Moral and Ceremonial Law?
The Purpose of the Law
The Duration of the Law
Consequences of Gong Back to the Law
Usage of the Old Testament
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The Last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ.
By Mark E.
Larson
Introduction: Do You Have a Will Written in the
Event of Your Death?
A. How many of you have a will?
1. Too often, people wait until they are
much older to have one written on their behalf (James 4:14).
B. Most understand the concept of a will. It is
a common practice in our society.
1. Thought we may not understand every
legal detail like a lawyer does, most people understand what a
will is and generally how it works.
C. The practice of people leaving a will and
testament is not a modern development, but an ancient practice.
I. The Definition of a Will (Heb. 9:15-17).
A. “Testament” (covenant / from diatheke):
“The last disposition which one makes of his earthly possessions
after his death, a testament or will.” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).
1. The testament or will specifies
who will receive the legacy of a person – the amount of money
or property left behind by the person.
B. For every will (testament) there must be a
“testator” who made the will (Heb. 9:16).
C. A will (or testament) cannot be written
unless the person has a “legacy” (i.e., money or property to pass on
to others) (e.g., Ps. 105:7-11).
II. Jesus Has a Wonderful Legacy to Pass On to
Others!
A. The Legacy of Forgiveness of Sins.
1. Jesus had a grand legacy! – He has
eternal blessings to pass on to us!
2. After the cross, His people would be
given the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:46-47; Acts 2:38; 3:19).
a. No greater legacy (or gift) could
have been left to another than the forgiveness of sins!
(1) When a person finally closes his eyes in death,
there is nothing on earth that this world contains that would be more
important than having his sins which stand between himself and his maker
to be forgiven! (To be totally forgiven! - Heb. 8:13).
(2) Sin separates us from God (Isa. 59:1-2) and
without forgiveness there is a separation from God for all eternity (2
Thes. 1:8-9).
B. The Legacy of Eternal Life.
1. Linked to forgiveness is the promise of
eternal life in Heaven with God (Heb. 10:19-23; 1 John 2:25).
2. The greatest legacy that could ever be
imagined -- passed on to us!
Example: When there
is the death of a very rich person, people will go around for weeks and
say: “I sure hope my name is in the will!” – In some cases, people will,
for years afterward, fight and quarrel over whose name is in the will,
and whose name is not in the will.” Many people desiring to be in the
will because of the earthly possessions and riches they may acquire.
3. Not all the riches of the earth could
begin to compare with the eternal riches that the Lord Jesus
gives us! (Eph. 1:3).
III. Jesus’ Will (Testament) Went Into Effect
at the Moment of His Death.
A. In every will, the testator must die (or
blood must be shed) for the will to go into effect (Heb. 9:16-17).
B. When Jesus died upon the cross, a “New
Testament” (or new will) went into effect (Col. 2:13-17).
C. The New Testament (will) replaced the Old
Testament (will) with all of its laws and regulations (Jer.
31:33-34; cf. Heb. 8:10-13; 10:9).
D. To follow the Old Will (testament) in
addition to the New Will (Testament) will cause a person to be “cut
out of the will” (Gal. 5:1-4).
IV. The Conditions of the Will.
A. In every will, there are conditions that
must be met in order for people to inherit the person’s legacy
(e.g., to inherit a ranch in Texas, the son must live in Texas)
(Rev. 21:7).
B. The testator (author of the will) has the
absolute right to make whatever conditions he wants to make
(Mat. 28:18-20).
C. The Lord Jesus passes on His legacy to only
those people who are His children.
1. When people die and leave a will, it is
most often the children who are the heirs of the parents
legacy.
2. In many wills, this is the only
condition that a person must meet to be a recipient of a will –
be one of the testator’s children (Rom. 8:16-17).
D. To be one of His children, each person must
be adopted into the Lord’s family or be “born again” spiritually.
1. We are not the natural born children,
but we become a part of his family through adoption (Gal.
4:4-7).
a. We are not outsiders, but we become
legitimate, intimate, members of God’s family
2. A person cannot be physically or
naturally born into God’s family; A person must be “born again”
spiritually (John 3:3-5).
V. How May a Person Be Adopted Into God’s Family
and Thus Become an Heir of Christ?
A. By the grace of God found in Jesus Christ
our Savior, a person may become an heir of Christ (Titus 3:5-7).
B. To gain access to His grace, each
person must believe in Christ (Mark 16:16), confess his faith in Him
(Rom. 10:9-10), repent of his sins, and be baptized into Christ
(Acts 2:38) as specified by Jesus in His will.
C. Only those who are baptized into Christ are
children of God and thus heirs of eternal life (Gal. 3:26-29).
D. To remain an heir of Christ after baptism, a
person must maintain an obedient faith unto the Lord to the very end
(Heb. 6:11-12).
Conclusion: Are You an Heir of Christ? Meet the
Conditions of the Will of Christ and You Can Become One Today!
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