Resurrection Life
It is sad when the idea of resurrection is limited to a historical fact celebrated once a year instead of a spiritual reality that can empower the church daily and is central to the gospel message.
Acts 4:2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead.
Acts 4:33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all.
Acts 17:32 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.”
Resurrection is meant to be a pinnacle part of the gospel we preach. A gospel that is the power of God unto salvation.
The apostles did not simply preach that Jesus was crucified to pay for sins; they preached that He was perfect, crucified, and raised from the dead, then ascended and will return soon. They gave the whole message and made resurrection a major part of the good news they delivered to people.
The promise of resurrection rests on the promise of being made righteous. Power is displayed in the resurrection that is to be tapped into by a believer in Jesus.
Philippians 3:7 However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yes most assuredly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death; 11 if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
A failure to walk in the revelation of imputed righteousness unearned by works but rather received by faith will leave a person in an unrighteous condition no matter how morally good they try to live.
Jesus paid for the whole world’s sins at the cross, and His being raised from the dead proves His sacrifice was final and complete. Only by faith in Him can a person be made righteous and maintain righteousness. Without God’s brand of righteousness, there is no resurrection power. Without the resurrection power revealed in the new life, a life we receive when we believe as we should, all other attempts are useless and wasted.
You can be a great rule-keeper and be just as unrighteous as the worst rule-breaker you have ever heard about. In fact, those who live in that way are the worst sinners because they reject the true righteousness God offers through His Son according to faith and seek to establish their own brand of righteousness according to the law.
Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
New life, resurrection life, is ours only through faith in Jesus Christ. It is how God makes us righteous with His righteousness, and we become new creations in Christ. We then have the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwelling in us to quicken our mortal bodies.
I encourage you to tap into the resurrection life received by faith in Jesus. It empowers us to live our lives fueled by His power at work within us. It is the power that has overcome.
