Last Sunday we celebrated the resurrection.

The empty tomb.

The defeat of death.

The victory of life.

Jesus, who had died, who was buried…came bursting forth….too powerful for death to hold.

The first-fruit of new life.

The guarantee of God’s future.

Trampling Satan. Disarming him of his most potent weapon…death.

Releasing Satan’s grip.

Because of the resurrection, what was no longer has to be.

The old has gone.

The new has come.

Folks, what’s the big deal for you and for me? How do we experience the resurrection now?

Probably all sorts of ways we could answer that, but I want to focus on one.

Bear with me….

Sin affects us in all sorts of ways.

We sin because of our choices. Because of our rebellious hearts.

But sin is far more than our one-off actions. Sin is an attitude. Sin is a posture. Sin is on-going.

And Sin enslaves. And captures. And controls. And corrupts. And blinds. And deafens. And numbs.

There is sin which we are conscious of. And I think there is sin that maybe we’re not quite as aware of.

Patterns that we find ourselves in. Attitudes. A direction in life.

We don’t necessarily know how or why we got there. We just are. It just is.

A marriage that is not going in the right direction.

A friendship that is unhealthy.

Family dynamics from our past that still hold sway over us.

Addiction. Obsession. Thought-patterns.

Arrogance. Pride. Selfishness. Impatience. Unkindness. Anger. Hatred.

Sin wraps its ugly tentacles around us in all sorts of ways. Weaving. Ensnaring.

Sin and its affects are complicated and messy and devious and deceptive.

But sin in all its ways and shapes and forms belong to the old. Sin is what was. It no longer has to be what is.

Sin no longer has to wrap and ensnare and control.

Sin no longer has to keep leading us towards death.

Sin no longer has to have mastery over us.

No longer has to define us. Describe us.

Why?

Because of the resurrection!

Because Christ came bursting forth from the tomb!

Because Christ trampled all over death!

The price has been paid. And declared sufficient.

The hold of sin has been broken. For good.

Folks, hear the invitation afresh.

The resurrection is for you. And me. To walk in.

To receive. To embrace. To know. To experience. To live in light of.

What has been ensnaring you, no longer has to.

What has been influencing you, no longer needs to.

What has blinded you or deafened you or clouded you…the darkness of death has been chased away by the glory of Life.

Relationships can be reconciled.

Minds weary from dark thoughts can enjoy God’s light.

Hearts hurting from life’s pain can enjoy release.

Marriages breathed new life into.

Unhealthy patterns…addictions…broken.

Hear the words of Paul….

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here.

Hear that?

The old.

Has gone.

The new.

Is here.

Folks, from me to you….(and tweaking Paul’s words ever-so slightly….)

I want you to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.