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?