What the Resurrection of Christ Means to Us

Part Two of Two by Pastor R. Jordan
The import of the resurrection does not end with our justification, however, for it also

OFFERS A FORCE TO BE EXPERIENCED

     ".. .like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, EVEN SO WE ALSO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE" (Rom. 6:4).

This is the practical impact in the believer's life of the reality of Christ's resurrection. Rom. 8:10,11 declare:

"And if CHRIST BE IN YOU, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

    "But IF THE SPIRIT OF HIM THAT RAISED UP JESUS FROM THE DEAD DWELL IN YOU, HE THAT RAISED UP CHRIST FROM THE DEAD SHALL ALSO QUICKEN YOUR MORTAL BODIES BY HIS SPIRIT THAT DWELLETH IN YOU."

The resurrection life of Christ is a power, a force, to be experienced by every believer. The "newness of life" received from Christ means that He lives His life in us.

Christianity is not a religion--it is a life. It is Christ in us living His life through us. This is the essence of Christianity.

Have you ever found the Christian life difficult to live? If not, you will!  In fact, it is not only difficult, it is impossible. Only Jesus Christ can live His life--and He does just that as we simply walk by faith in His marvelous grace to us.

Experiencing this glorious freedom and power is the goal Paul set before himself and us:

"That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death:
"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (Phil. 3:10,11).

There is something else, too, which Christ's resurrection does for us. It

ASSURES A FUTURE THAT IS GLORIOUS

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him" (I Thess. 4:14).

The future of many things may be very uncertain, but for the believer it is only glorious. No matter how difficult things may be for us now, one day it will only be ''glory for me!"

One day soon our ever-living Savior will return for us and in that day He "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (Phil. 3:21).

May God help us to rejoice in the reality of the resurrection of Christ and all God has made it mean to us.

Truth can't be judged on the basis of popularity.