THE RESURRECTED LIFE.

Ephesians 2:6 NET

And he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:21,22 NET

21. Far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

22. And God put all things under Christ's feet, and he gave him to the church as head over all things.

The resurrection is the foundation stone of Christianity. There is no Christianity without the Cross and the Resurrection. The one thing that distinguishes Christianity from all religions of the world is the resurrection. An elderly, and well respected Gospel Minister once said, "every religion had a founder who lived and died and was buried; but Christianity has a Founder who lived, died, was buried, and rose again." Hallelujah! Let that sink.

The empty tomb attests to the fact about Jesus' resurrection. 

Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is the expression of the God-kind of Life, and this Life is in a person: Jesus Christ! the One who conquered the power of death, and the grave through His death and resurrection! 

Before His death, Jesus indicated His willingness to lay down His Life for the salvation of mankind. He declared, "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again... " (Jn. 10:18), and He did exactly what He said He would do. Our Lord rose victoriously from the grave as the Master over death and the grave, having satisfied the claim of Justice by paying the penalty for sin, and the price for our full redemption with His precious blood.

Death, and the grave and all the host of hell put together could not stop Jesus from rising, they couldn't hold Him down! (Acts 2:24).

Jesus' resurrection is our resurrection. His victory is our victory. Here is the spiritual connotation: we were raised up with Him, and were made to sit together with Him in the heavenly realms far above every rule and authority and power and dominion (Eph. 2:6; 1:21). This is the true position of everyone who is in Christ Jesus today!

If the full import of Christ's resurrection ever dawns on the Church, we would arise and put the devil on the run!

We are not called to engage the devil in a fight or warfare; we are called to enforce his defeat from our position of victory in the heavenly realms. Satan is already defeated, he is under your feet if you are in Christ Jesus!

The resurrected life is the outward expression of the Life of the Risen and the Victorious Lord through the believer. "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John,... they marveled; they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). There was something unique about Peter and John which wasn't common with the religious folks of their days. They were demonstrators of the resurrected life!

IF THE FULL IMPORT OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION EVER DAWNS ON THE CHURCH, WE WOULD ARISE, AND PUT THE DEVIL ON THE RUN! 

The resurrected life separates a Christian from a religionist or a mere Church goer. A lot of Church folks knows nothing about the resurrected life because they have only religiously adhered to church rules and regulations all their lifes. They are yet to have a personal encounter with Him who is "... the resurrection and the life..." (Jn. 11:25), and thus they run from one prayer house to the other, hopelessly looking for help where there is none.

An encounter with the Prince of Life can turn a failure to a success; a victim to a victor, and a sickler to an epitome of health! "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE, AND THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY" (Jn. 10:10).

What The Resurrected Life Entails.

* Victory Over Sin. 

"... Consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. For sin shall not have dominion over you..." (Rom. 6:11,14 NHEB). The resurrected life was imparted to your spirit at the New Birth. You were set free from the bondage of sin. You were buried with Christ, and raised with Him so you can walk in the newness of life - the resurrected life. Sin shall no longer have dominion over you!

* Freedom From Fear.

"...and that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; AND DELIVER THEM WHO THROUGH FEAR OF DEATH WERE ALL THEIR LIFETIME SUBJECT TO BONDAGE" (Heb. 2:14,15. Fear is a spiritual bondage, and there are all kinds of fear. Fear over your family, your children, your finances, your health or your future. But Jesus defeated fear, and you don't ever have to fear again. Now you can live free from fear! "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2Tim. 1:7).

* Dominion Over Principalities And Power

"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion..." (Eph. 2:6; 1:21).

Our dominion over Satan, and all his cohorts is a present reality. We are not going to overcome them someday or sometime in the sweet bye and bye. We've already overcome them in Christ Jesus! The resurrected life is the true description and expression of Biblical Christianity.

And because you are risen with Christ, and seated together with Him in the heavenly realms, sin cannot hold you down! failure and defeat cannot hold you down! sicknesses and diseases cannot hold you down! ancestral spirits and family demons cannot hold you down!

"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give light." (EPH. 5:14).

             Emmanuel B. Afolabi

About Me: I'm passionate about helping people to know the Lord personally, and to relate with Him intimately