Hope Through the Resurrection of Christ

April 22, 2019

Hope Through the Resurrection of Christ

Filed under: Christianity - Devotions — paulthinkingoutloud @ 5:33 pm
Tags: being in Christ, Easter, eternal hope, resurrection

by Russell Young

The hope of all who will dwell eternally with the Lord is accomplished through his death and resurrection. Peter has written, “Praise be to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade.” (1 Pet 1:3) The word “through” is “a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act.” (Strong’s Greek Dictionary) That is, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the channel that gives new hope into an eternal inheritance; his resurrection does not accomplish the inheritance but gives hope for it. This makes sense when considering other texts.

Before his crucifixion the Lord said, “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (Jn 16:7) The Lord had to be resurrected to send the Counsellor or Spirit and it is the Spirit who gives life. (Jn 6:63) The resurrection of Christ is “the channel” through which God’s gift, the Spirit, is given. Paul taught now that “we have been released from the bondage of the law we serve in (are in bondage to or are a slave to) the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” (Rom 7:6) It should not be mistaken! Having been released from the law the confessor is now in bondage to the Spirit who was given through the resurrection of Christ.

The New Covenant is a covenant of the Spirit (2 Cor 3:6) and the hope of every confessor rests in his or her commitment to keeping it. Peter wrote of the need to be on guard against the “error of lawless men.” (2 Pet 3:17) Lawless men teach the absence of law; however, the law of the New Covenant is the Law of the Spirit of life (Rom 8:2) or the law of Christ (1 Cor 9:21). This is important! The confessor’s living hope comes through the resurrection of Christ and his provision of the Spirit so that his law might be honored.

Some understand that the believer’s eternal hope is accomplished through being raised with Christ– that those who confess belief have been raised with him and remain with him. Paul wrote, “Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set you hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (Col 3:1) “Raised” means “roused or revived in resemblance” to Christ. (Strong’s Greek Dictionary) With the cleansing provided by Christ’s blood offering the confessor has been freed of sins (“past” Heb 9:15) and resembles Christ in purity. The confessor is not raised and seated with Christ but has been made pure. He or she has been given a “living hope” so that as Paul says, “we may live a new life.” (Rom 6:4).

Paul has addressed the security that comes from being “in” Christ. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 8:1) This thought should provide comfort and induce commitment. It is the dead in Christ who will be raised first at his return. (1 Thess 4:16) The problem is that not all confessors (possessors of the Spirit) will not remain in Christ. The Lord warned that those who do not produce fruit would be cut out of him. (Jn 15:2) John wrote, “But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” (1 Jn 2:5−6 Italics added)

Even Paul declared his lack of certainty about being resurrected (Phil 3:11−12) and that he wanted to become more like Christ in his death (to sin); he still had more living to do which would bring more opportunity to sin and continued need to overcome. A person’s resurrection to life or damnation will be based on his or her “doing” while in his or her body. (Jn 5:29)

Easter Sunday commemorated the resurrection of Christ and it is through him that the Spirit is given that we, too, might have a living hope through the defeat of sin by the power of the Spirit. The resurrection of Christ is the channel of the believer’s hope. “Christ in you, [your] hope of glory” (Col 1:27) and Christ is the Spirit. (2 Cor 3:17, 18) Believers must continue to use all that has been provided to “work out (complete, finish) their salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 2:12) Without the resurrection of Christ there would be no Spirit, and without the Spirit their would be no life and no hope.

Russell Young’s column appears here on alternate Tuesdays. His book, Eternal Salvation: “I’m Okay, You’re Okay” Really? is available in print and eBook in the U.S. through Westbow Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble; in Canada through Chapters/Indigo.