I thought I understood the equation sin = death. So when Jesus died my sins were paid for. Done deal. His resurrection was a bonus, but not necessary. Certainly it was an encouragement for his followers but how was it important to me? In a very strange way it is easier for me to celebrate the cross than the empty tomb. Although I have just begun to understand the importance of the resurrection, let me offer this Bible passage as a starting point…
Romans 6:3-14
3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
This passage tell us that when Jesus paid for our sins on the cross it was much more involved than the simple signing over of a debt. We, in a very real and mysterious way, were crucified with Christ and buried with him. So where does that leave us? We are left in the grave, dead. Sin cannot reach us there. However God’s plan was not just that we remain sinless. He had bigger plans.
God did not simply want us dead to sin but alive without sin! He made that possible through giving Jesus physical life after death. Just as our separation from sin is completely dependent on Jesus’ death our free and victorious life is completely dependent on Jesus’ resurrection. As we celebrate Easter we must move past the death of Christ and focus on his resurrection. It is not just that we can live a victorious life but that we are living it right now. If you have put your faith in Christ as your Savior then you were crucified, buried, and resurrected. Done deal.
Enjoy the resurrected life.
God did not simply want us dead to sin but alive without sin! He made that possible through giving Jesus physical life after death. Just as our separation from sin is completely dependent on Jesus’ death our free and victorious life is completely dependent on Jesus’ resurrection. As we celebrate Easter we must move past the death of Christ and focus on his resurrection. It is not just that we can live a victorious life but that we are living it right now. If you have put your faith in Christ as your Savior then you were crucified, buried, and resurrected. Done deal.
Enjoy the resurrected life.
RSS Feed
