Christ is Risen!

Romans 8:1, 11, 33-34:

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.

¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

³³ Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

³⁴ Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

It’s Easter. A time we remember and meditate on Christ’s death and resurrection. Not that we don’t at other times, but this weekend is dedicated to these glorious events. Romans 8 is a really comforting chapter for every Christian. I've taken the liberty to meditate on a few verses related to Christ’s resurrection.

The chapter starts with a great declaration: There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Even though God is an entirely just judge, we are entirely damnable sinners and entirely guilty no charge can be laid against us. How does that work?

Look at verse 33: No-one can bring a charge against God’s elect because God justifies. The great and perfect and righteous and just judge has declared us innocent. Then we raise the question: how can a just and righteous and perfect judge declare guilty people innocent?

Now look at verse 34: It doesn’t matter if someone condemns us because “it is Christ who died… who also makes intercession for us.” The condemnation that was on us has been put on Jesus. Christ died in the place of us, sinners, and thus His perfect obedience has been put on our account. That’s how there is no condemnation on us, members of Christ.

So Christ has paid for our guilt and we are perfect by His death. What is the purpose of His resurrection then? Why does Paul include those words in verse 34: “[Christ] furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God”?

This isn’t the only place Paul highlights the importance of Jesus’ resurrection. He writes to the Corinthians: “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (1 Corinthians 15:17). Why? Because Christ’s resurrection overcame death (HC Lord’s Day 17). If Christ had died but not risen then death would have had the final say over our redemption. Death cannot defeat God. Thus Christ had to rise from the dead.

It’s a great comfort for us. Christ has justified us by taking our sins upon Himself. He has also defeated death, so we can be assured that death can have no hold over us and so we can receive a resurrection promised us.

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).

What a comfort! We are justified. We cannot be condemned. We are assured of our own resurrection. All we have to do is believe. John 20:31: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

I encourage you to “lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of you” (Philippians 3:12).

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3).