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The Lord Has Broken The Cords
Matthew 28:1-7
A cord is composed of “a string, or small rope, composed of several strands twisted together. Like the one that Rahab let down the spies by a cord through the window. Joshua 2. It means “to bind with a cord or rope; to fasten with cords.”
Psalms 129:4 “The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.”
Christ cut these “cords” when he rose from the grave.
The Devil wants to bind us, the Lord frees us.
The Devil wants to tie us up; the Lord wants to loosen us.
Psalms 140:5 “The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.”
Ecclesiastes 4:12 “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Christ has cut the cords that bind us when he rose from the grave. The stone was rolled away not to let Him out, but to let us in. To let us see that Christ lives therefore we live. Yet we still allow our sinful flesh to bind us day after day.
There are five cords that bind us:
I. Cord of Darkness
Since the beginning of time God has been putting distance between Light and darkness. Genesis 1:4-5 “And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”
Darkness and light cannot dwell in the same place. They cannot have the same home. (2Cor. 6:14)
John 1:5 “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
David said in Psalms 18:28 “For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.” Also in Psalms 112:4 “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.”
Jesus comforts us with these words concerning our darkness in John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
Christ has commanded us to walk in light in 2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Paul encouraged the Church at Ephesus to walk in the light. Ephesians 5:8 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:” Also to the Church in Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 5:5 “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”
II. Cord of Defeat
1 John 4:4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Christians walk around every day in defeat when all the while they could have the victory. Being defeated is in the mind. The difference between victory and defeat is a decision. Romans 8:37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
2 Corinthians 6:16 “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Romans 8:31 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
III. Cord of Doubt
Proverbs 5:22 “His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.”
1. Salvation
The word “know” or some form of it is found 33 times in the book of I John alone, not to mention all of God’s Word.
God wants us to have faith and not doubt what he has promised to do.
2. Self
Moses doubted himself. A bad self image is not God like. We are to be humble about ourselves but not think of ourselves as trash. Doubt is a cord that can strangle us to death. James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
The opposite is also true, we are not to be puffed up and proud either. 1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
We are to have a healthy balance that allows us to realize we are “the sons of God”, yet we need God’s help in improving ourselves.
IV. Cord of the Devil
Acts 26:18 “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”
The next time the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.
Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
V. Cord of Death
A little boy was seen taking a short cut across a cemetery lot just about dark. He was later asked, aren't you afraid. He answered, "No, I only cut through here to get home." Death is only a short cut to home.
Luke 20:36 “Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.”
The old song goes, “Because he lives I can face tomorrow.”
Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
1 Corinthians 15:54-58 “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
THE CALL OF DEATH
What is this that I can't see?
With icy hands taking hold of me?
"I am Death; none can excel,
I open the doors to heaven and hell.
"I'll fix your feet so you can't walk,
I'll lock your jaws so you can't talk,
I'll shut your eyes so you can't see;
This VERY HOUR come go with me."
"O Mother, come to my bed,"
She placed a cold towel on his head,
"My head is hot, my feet are cold,
Death is putting shackles on my soul."
"You heard God's people sing and pray,
You would give no heed, but you walked away,
You would not give your hand and bow your knee,
But now you MUST come and go with me."
"Oh, Death, consider my age,
Please do not take me in this stage,
My wealth is all at your command,
If you'll just lift your icy hand."
"The old, the young, the rich, the poor,
They all alike with me must go;
No land, no silver, no wealth, no gold,
Nothing satisfies me but your soul."
"Oh, Death, how you are treating me,
You are shutting my eyes so I can't see,
You are stretching my limbs, you're making me cold,
You are robbing my body of my soul."
"Oh, yes, I come to get your soul,
To rob the body, and leave it cold,
To drop the flesh from off your frame,
The earth and worms both have a claim."
"Too late! too late! to all farewell;
My doom is fixed, I'm forced to tell,
As long as God in heaven shall dwell,
My soul, my soul shall burn in hell."
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