Last night during small groups, I spoke to the kids and the youth of Fellowship Bible Church about how to make the cross the central focus of ones life. I told them that it does not simply involve thinking back on the details of those famous events that took place 2,000 years ago. Centering on the cross involves understanding what Christ’s death and resurrection means for Christians.

First, because of Christ’s death and resurrection, the penalty of sin has been removed from the people of God. Those who are trusting in Christ for salvation have been declared righteous by the merits of Christ. Paul states that believers have been “justified as a gift by (God’s) grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith” (Rom. 3:24-25). In other words, God’s justice has been satisfied by Christ’s sacrifice making it possible for him to forgive sinners.

Second, the power of sin will be removed for all who are trusting in Christ for salvation. There will come a time when sin will be completely removed from the life of a believer. For now, however, God’s people still struggle with sin and its affects, which is why Paul says that believers currently “groan within (themselves)” (Rom. 8:23). This groaning is a result of continued sinfulness in the life of a believer. Paul does promise, however, of a time coming when sin will be completely removed because God’s people will be like Christ. He says, “For those whom (God) foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His son…and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30).

Finally, because of Christ’s death and resurrection, the presence of sin will also be removed when He returns. Scripture is clear that Christ is not only going to restore us back to the way God intended us to be—holy, happy and without sin—but is also going to restore creation back to the way He first created it to be. Paul promises his readers that, “Creation itself will also be set free from its slavery to corruption” (Rom. 8:21).

So when we think about the death and resurrection of Christ, we should be reminded of and thankful for the fact that we who are in Christ are free from the penalty of sin and will one day be completely free from the power of sin when we are “conformed into the image of (God’s) son” and the presence of sin when God restores all of creation back to the way He intended it to be.