The Power of the Resurrection Life
Christianity is Christ.
It is centered in a historical person who lived, died and rose from
the dead. This truth is the most important fact in history. It is essential because it
demands a life saving response in faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10).
What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ accomplish for us?
Because Christ rose from the dead all who are united to Him by
faith are secure in their own resurrection and eternal life beyond the grave. Before
He died on the cross, Jesus promised His disciples that He was going to prepare a place
for us. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I
would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may
be also” (John 14:2-3). Because Jesus rose from the dead just as He said He would do,
we know His promise is true for every believer. He is now preparing a place for us in
heaven to be with His Father.
We know this is true because the resurrection proves that Jesus
Christ is God. His resurrection proves that He is equal to God and that God would
raise Him from the dead three days after He died. The resurrection was God’s way of
authenticating Jesus’ claim to deity. The resurrection of Jesus is the Father’s
seal on the Son’s claims. Jesus was “declared with power to be the Son of God by
His resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4). Jesus demonstrated God’s perfect
love for us by dying on the cross and rising again (John 3:14-16).
Moreover, the resurrection proves that God has justified the
believing sinner by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus “was delivered over to death for
our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). Jesus gave His
life as a ransom for us. He was the sinless One who died for sinners. Because He rose from
the dead we know that God is true to His divine will to save sinners. The resurrection
proves that Jesus was our sinless substitute who made atonement for our sins and God has
justified us by faith in Christ.
The resurrection of Christ also proves that the believer enjoys a
vital union with his Savior (Galatians 2:20). R. A. Torrey explains: “When Jesus
died, He died as my representative, and I died in Him; when He rose, He rose as my
representative, and I rose in Him; when He ascended as my representative and I ascended in
Him, and today I am seated in Christ with God in the heavenlies. I look at the cross of
Christ, and I know that atonement has been made for my sins; I look at the open sepulcher
and the risen and ascended Lord, and I know the atonement has been accepted. There no
longer remains a single sin on me, no matter how many or how great my sins have been”
(The Bible and It’s Christ, p. 108).
The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us a settled assurance and
perfect security of eternal life (John 6:37-40, 44, 54-56; 10:18, 27-30). Because
Christ lives, we too, shall live with Him for all eternity.
We serve a living Savior who died on our behalf and rose again.
Because Christ rose from the dead the Holy Spirit now abides in
the heart of every believer (John 16:7-16). The resurrection assures us that we have a
supernatural victory over sin in our daily lives. Because of our union with the living
Christ, He gives us Himself to live His life through us. We have supernatural power
available to us to live the Christian life. “Therefore we have been buried with Him
through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory
of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). The living Christ
makes Himself available to us by faith. Victory in the Christian life is assured because
He rose from the dead and gives us His resurrection power.
In His resurrection body Jesus Christ lives, seated at the right hand
of the Father where He intercedes for you and me right now (Heb. 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1
John 2:1).
One day the same risen Lord Jesus will return to gather us in
that same resurrected body and we will have resurrected bodies just like His! (1 John
3:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18)
Because Christ is alive today
He offers this same resurrection hope to all who will call upon His name to receive
eternal life. Do you know Him in His resurrection power?
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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