Romans 4:25 says, "Who was delivered for our offenses and was raised for our justification." Why was the Lord Jesus delivered? It was because of our offenses. If we had had no offenses, the Lord would never have had to be delivered. It was because of the offenses that the Lord was delivered to man. In the same way, His resurrection was because of our justification. In Greek the two clauses have the same structure. Jesus was delivered because of our offenses and was resurrected because of our justification. Some Bible translators have misinterpreted Paul's meaning. They thought that resurrection is for the purpose that man may be justified. They thought that it is first the resurrection of the Lord, then our justification. But Paul was saying and the Holy Spirit was saying that He was resurrected because we have been justified. To put it simply, it is because we have been justified that the Lord was resurrected. Some versions say that resurrection comes first, then justification. But the Holy Spirit says that justification comes first, then resurrection. First there is the matter of our offenses. Then there is the death of the Lord. In the same way, first there is our justification, then there is His resurrection. He was delivered because of our offenses, and He was resurrected because of our justification. This means that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is our proof of justification. Because we have been justified, God raised up the Lord Jesus. Since the Lord has satisfied God's righteous requirement, God resurrected Him.

My friends, tonight I have to announce to you some very good news. Although some have believed in the Lord, they are still in fear and trembling. They feel like they are walking on the edge of a precipitous cliff or on thin ice. They think that they have committed their souls, their lives, and their eternal future to the Lord's cross. They do not know whether this trust in the Lord will be safe or not. If they find out at a later date that this trust does not result in salvation, then they are in trouble. I may believe in the cross of Jesus for the redemption of my sins today. But if it fails me on that day, then I am in trouble. Today I may say that it is not a matter of doing good or of keeping the law and that all I have to do is rely on the cross of Jesus. But what happens if God says in that day that this is not all right? What shall I do? How do I know today that the cross of the Lord is sufficient? My friends, you should not look at the cross; you should not worry about whether the cross is sensible or not and whether it is right or wrong. All you need to look at is the Lord's resurrection. If the work of the Lord's cross was not proper or right, God would not have resurrected Him. Hence, He resurrected because we were justified. Because we are justified when we trust in the blood of Jesus, the Lord Jesus was resurrected.