JESUS IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE
By W. G. Guy
John 11:25 – Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
We who know Jesus as our Savior and LORD understand that there is coming a time of the resurrection of the dead. However we also need to understand just WHEN does this resurrection life begin. We do not have to wait for the resurrection of our dead physical bodies for this resurrection life to take place. This resurrection life begins at our new and spiritual birth; when we are born again! Why? Because we are all spiritually dead without Christ in us.
Romans 6:6-11 – Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Please understand that all of mankind are sinners, that we are all spiritually death to God. We are lacking the righteous Spirit of God, (His image, character and nature), the spiritual life that was lost due to sin that originally occurred in the Garden. Genesis 3 records that eating the forbidden fruit was a death sentence; Adam and Eve died spiritually; they lost the spiritual image, the character and nature of God, when they submitted to the ploy of the devil. They instantly died spirutally when the Spirit that God breathed into them departed. They did not die physically until hundreds of years later. There is a spiritual death, and there is a physical death when a person’s soul and spirit leaves thire body.
James 2:26 – For as the body without the spirit is dead,……
Thus there is a spiritual resurrection and a physical resurrection. Resurrection life begins when we receive the Spirit of Christ in our hearts as we believe on Him, and turn our lives around from sin and live unto righteousness in Him. He is the RESURRECTION and the LIFE that lives in us now if we have believed and accepted what Jesus did for us on the cross and His resurrection.
John 20:22 – And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
Jesus breathed His Spirit life into the disciples after His tresurrection: just as God breathed His Spirit into man when God created him form the dust of the earth.
Genesis 2: And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
This restored resurrection life should be seen in each and every one of us who are truly born-again! Are you living the resurrected life according the plan, purpose and will of God? Or are you living according to your own carnal life? Remember what Jesus said:
Luke 9:23 – And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
The evidence is obvious! Dying to self-will and its lusts prevents you from succumbing to the tempting of the devil and the lustful things of this world,
Galatians 5:24-25 – And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
This was the testimony of the apostle Paul:
Galatians 2:19-20 – For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
What is your life like? Do you have His resurrection life, or are you doing your own thing, living for self? Is your “self” crucified with Christ?
