- Overcomer Literature Trust
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
THE RESURRECTED LIFE
By The Editor
As we look at our world, we are reminded of what our Lord and Saviour clearly told us, as recorded in Scripture that, “you will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come” (Matthew 24 v6). It is incredibly important that we, as the Bride of Christ, cling to the Gospel message in these days. This means living everyday in the light of the resurrection and in the hope of the Lord’s return. To this end, we will look at a few examples of how the victory of the Cross allows us to walk as overcomers.
Scripture reads, “remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2 v12-13). For, “a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code” (Romans 2 v29). Paul gives us our first example of resurrection victory, we can overcome “through the righteousness that comes by faith” (Romans 4 v13), making us heirs to all God’s promises.
Secondly our Lord’s resurrection means that, “through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit” (Ephesians 2 v18). Meaning that it is because of our Lord Jesus Christ that we can, through the Holy Spirit, be seated in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2 v6), and so at any time gain access to our Father. Jesus promised that, “all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You” (John 17 v21). Now, “this is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of Him” (1 John 5 v14-15). We must thank the Lord Jesus that because of His resurrection our Father now hears our prayers, we are “no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household” (Ephesians 2 v19).
Thirdly, the Bible promises that our enemy death is destroyed and that we can be free from the fear of death because of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We read that, “since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death, that is the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2 v14-15).
Even the worst of punches from the enemy can be overcome by grace through Christ, because of His resurrection victory. The sting of death is no more and the authority of the believer in life is the key to resisting the enemy. We now have authority to submit to Christ so that the enemy will flee, and ultimately he will also flee when we pass from this life into eternity because of the Blood of the Lamb. Our Lord Jesus Christ's rising again to give the believer new birth has secured the grace for each of us to make the right choice in our lives daily. That choice is, of course, giving all our troubles, thoughts and worries to Him in prayer, and true guidance will then come from Him, through the Holy Spirit.
Our Lord Jesus’ resurrection is good news for the lost, and for the believer saved by grace it is the source of our joy. When He appeared to His disciples, “Jesus met them, saying, ‘rejoice’” (Matthew 28 v9). Ever since this event, Christians throughout the centuries have written and sung innumerable hymns and choruses to express their joy and thankfulness to their Saviour for His victorious death and resurrection. Now the redeemed can receive, not only joy, but also the fruit of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5 v22).
Finally, we must not forget that our risen Lord is seated at the right hand of the Father, “His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God” (Revelation 19 v12-13).