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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Which was more important: Jesus' death on the cross, or His resurrection from the dead?

In reality, they are equally important, and they cannot be separated from each other. Without Jesus' death, we have no hope of God's forgiveness -- and without Jesus' resurrection, we have no hope of eternal life. Like the two wings of an airplane, both are important, and both are essential.

Why is this? The reason is because our greatest need is to be forgiven of our sins. God is absolutely holy and pure, and even one sin -- just one -- would be enough to separate us from God. The Bible says of God, "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing" (Habakkuk 1:13). That's why we must be forgiven and cleansed of our sins, for apart from that, we have no hope of Heaven.

But we can't cleanse ourselves of our sins, no matter how hard we try -- and that's why we need Christ. He was without sin, but on the cross all our sins were placed on Him, and He took upon Himself the judgment and Hell we deserve. On the cross Jesus became the final and complete sacrifice for our sins, and by His resurrection Jesus broke the power of sin and death and Hell and Satan. Now we no longer need to fear what lies beyond the grave! Jesus' resurrection confirmed that God accepted His sacrifice, and by putting our faith and trust in Him we are saved.

In just a few days Christians around the world will be celebrating Jesus' death on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter. Do you trust Him alone for your salvation? The Bible says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

(c)2018 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.