Sharing in the Death & Resurrection (Part 3 of 3)

Our old self is dead.  It is no longer there. 

The reign of sin is gone.  It no longer has the authority it once had.

Now what?

The death of our old self and dethronement of the reign of sin is not the end.  We not only participate in the death of Christ, but the resurrection as well!  Christ’s resurrection is also our resurrection.  We are risen with him and given life (Rom 6:5-10)…but why? 

A boy is coloring a picture, and in his excitement handles the crayons a little too aggressively and breaks one.  He is upset because he needed that color, but now it is broken.  He looks at his mother as she reaches into the crayon box and pulls out another crayon of the same color.  Why is she giving the boy another crayon?  Is it so he can break it just like he did the last one?  No!  She is giving him one so he can use it for its intended purpose.  To color. 

Our lives were broken.  Sin destroyed us.  What did God do for us?  He sent his Son for us.  Jesus died for our sins, and then rose from the dead to give us life.  Does Christ die, rise, and give us a new life so we can break it again?  No!  He gives us a new life so we can live it out for its intended purpose: God’s glory!  Living out the power of the resurrection means living life the way God intends for us to live it, through the power of Christ’s finished work.  It means fearing God and obeying his commands (Eccl. 12:13).  He didn’t die and rise so you could be an observer.  He did it to give you life with him, life that participates in what God is doing.  He did it to change you.   The whole object of all that Christ has done in his grace is to deliver us finally and completely out of sin and death and to bring us into this new life, which is his own life, which is indeed the life of God.