"Resurrection Benefits" 4/15/25

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ means that we have a living hope. As Christians we often talk about the facts and the importance of the resurrection, especially around Easter, but we don't seem to talk as often about the benefits of Jesus' resurrection.

Question 45 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks:

Q. "How does Christ's resurrection benefit us? 

A. First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the righteousness he obtained for us by his death. Second, by his power we too are already raised to a new life. Third, Christ's resurrection is a sure pledge to us of our blessed resurrection.

In other words, Jesus' resurrection ensures:

1) we will stand before God justified or declared righteous in His sight. 

2) We will live a new God-honoring life by His power. 

3) We may be assured that we will be raised just as Jesus was raised. 

The Apostle Paul addresses these themes in Romans 5-6.

First, he links our hope of justification (receiving a verdict of 'righteous' in God's sight) and reconciliation (being restored to friendship with God) with Christ being raised.

He writes, 8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (Romans 5:8-11). 

Christ's resurrection silences any doubts regarding the position of the believer before God. His life is the salvation of all who believe in  Him.

A few verses later, Paul links the death and resurrection of Christ, to the believers' regeneration (new life), sanctification (growth in holiness), and glorification (when the Believer in Christ shall be united to a new and incorruptible body).

He writes in Romans 6:1-13, 1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7  For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8  Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13  Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Do you see how Christ's resurrection changes everything? In Jesus' life (by faith in Him) we are given new life and the power to say "No" to sin. In Jesus' life, we have the hope of eternal life with Him. In Jesus' life and power, we are called to present ourselves to God to serve Him doing what is good. 

This is good news. Our JUSTIFICATION, our SANCTIFICATION, and our GLORIFICATION depend completely upon the Resurrection as the guarantee of what Christ accomplished on the cross. 

So then, let us "Rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:11) and "offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God", to do His will (Romans 12:1).

In Christ who is our life,

Matt