Living the Resurrected Life
Part I
Therefore if any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
“...but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:11b
“...hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved)” – Ephesians 2:5
“...and hath translated us into the kingdom of our dear Son.” – Colossians 1:13
“...to take out of them a people for his name.” – Acts 15:14
“..ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father.” – Romans 8:15
Behold, all things are become new! Wow! Can you imagine that! What could be more wonderful? God saves us from the penalty of sin, forgives us, adds us unto the body of Christ, to gives us gifts… but best of all He makes us a completely new creature- the old man is dead! Crucified, dead, gone, buried, to be remembered no more! Romans 6:6 “Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed...”
I’m not the old me. Yes, my name hasn’t changed, I have my memory of my life before redemption, however I don’t identify with him anymore; he’s dead! God redeemed me to be whom He desired me to be before the stain of sin.
You see, since I’ve been adopted into the body of Christ and been made an heir, Jesus Christ is my past, present, and future! God is my heavenly Father; my Abba Father. He is my sufficiency, my redeemer, my refuge, my deliverer, and my strong tower. I’ve been given a rich inheritance to enjoy now and in the ages to come! Ephesians 1:18 – “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.”
Moreover, I’m a saint! 1 Corinthians 1:12 - “...to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints...” No, no, no; not the false, worldly/religious idea of one who did so-called “miracles” and had to wait five years after death to be declared a “saint” by men; but declared righteous and made a saint by God in salvation! Praise God!
Now, no believer boasts in that; we know Jesus did all the work on the cross and we did nothing to earn it, but we certainly are to be thankful and rejoice in it! I’ve often remarked, there’s only two kinds of people in the world- sinners and saints- which are you?
And on top of that… He chooses to remember our sin no more! Psalm 103: - “As far as the east is from the west so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.” Why would I want to remember something God chooses to forget? I’ll walk in the freedom He won for me on the cross and rejoice!
1 Thessalonians 5:6 - “Rejoice evermore.”
Habakkuk 3:18 - “I yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
I don’t know about you, but I want to live the resurrected life every second! Who cares about the old me? He’s dead and gone. God wants me to live on victory, love, mercy, and joy!
How do I do that? By faith! Galatians 2:20 - “...I live by the faith of the Son of God...” Even though I’m still in my earthly tabernacle, living in this temporal world, struggling with issues in my flesh, day to day, I can have victory. 2 Corinthians 2:14 - “Now thanks be to Gods, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ...” Romans 8:37 - “...we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
God gave me a very curious mind and so during college I read more outside of my major than in it. I also learned to read quickly and comprehensively so I was like a sieve soaking up knowledge. I had a good life but not a redeemed life; I had fun but not joy; I had friends but not fellowship; I was moral but not righteous; I was living but not quickened. As good as that was it wasn’t living the resurrected life, by any stretch of the imagination.
Now that I’m redeemed I’d rather walk in the newness of life (Romans 6:4), put on the new man (Ephesians 3:24), set my affections on things above (Colossians 3:2), do everything for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), and rejoice!
As I’ve walked in the light received (Psalm 119:105, Proverbs 4:18), God has enabled me to heed Romans 12:1-2, Proverbs 3:1-10, 4:4-5, Psalm 119:,9-11, 1:1-3, 2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Timothy 4:13-16 and the Holy Spirit has renewed my mind by reading, studying, and meditating/abiding on Scripture, resulting in it dwelling richly in me (Colossians 3:16). Reacting to every thought and event in our lives with the mind of Christ gives us victory in the heavenlies! And whatever fruit God bears here down on earth I’ll rejoice in, knowing the glory and blessings to come!
So put on the Lord Jesus Christ! Put on the mind of Christ! Walk by faith that you may keep the eternal perspective, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ!” - Titus 2:13
“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever” – Jude 1:24-25