(March 30, 2018) Mike Shreve reminds readers of eight great truths in respect of Jesus’ resurrection …

Most believers view the resurrection of the Lord Jesus either through a historical or a prophetical lens! They tend to either look backward to Jesus’ victory over the grave or look forward to the resurrection of believers at the conclusion of this age.

But seldom do believers grasp the present tense benefits that have come to us as a result of this spiritual conquest.

Here are eight powerful ones:

1. Deliverance from spiritual death
‘But God . . . because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ’ (Ephesians 2:4-5).

When Adam fell, he died spiritually and began dying physically. But when Jesus came out of the grave, believers were delivered from spiritual death right then When we received the resurrected Saviour in our hearts, the resurrection process began.So those who repent and turn to Jesus are first resurrected spiritually on their way to complete physical resurrection at the coming of the Lord. We are given a ‘new spirit’ (Ezekiel 36:26).

2. Restoration of spiritual breath
After Jesus arose from the dead, he appeared in the upper room and ‘breathed’ on his disciples, saying, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’ (John. 20:22).

This was a restoration of what Adam lost in the beginning. The ‘Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [a living soul]’ (Genesis 2:7 NKJV).

After the rebellion, Adam and Eve became dead souls: alive physically, but dead spiritually. Jesus came out of the grave with a passion to infuse his own with this divine indwelling again.

3. Justification and righteousness
Romans 4:25 reveals that Jesus was ‘delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.’ To be ‘justified’ mean to be legally acquitted of all guilt, and reckoned righteous, just as if we never sinned.

What an amazing truth! ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us’ declared Psalm 103:12. Now Jesus has made us righteous in God’s sight, given us ‘the gift of righteousness’ and even named us ‘the righteousness of God in Christ’ (Romans 5:17, 2 Corinthians 5:21).

4. Hope
Peter launched his first epistle with the praise-statement: ‘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’ (1 Peter 1:3).

Once we had ‘no hope, without God in this world’ (Ephesians 2:12). Now believers have boundless hope – in every situation through ‘the God of hope’ (Roman 15:13).

5. Healing
Malachi 4:2 prophesied of the resurrection with wonderful imagery, ‘But to you who fear my name the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings.’

Jesus was a healer before the resurrection, before the complete price was paid for our deliverance. Surely he arose with an even greater passion to heal his people completely: body, soul and spirit. He is the Great Physician who still says, ‘Do you desire to be made whole?’ (John 5:6.)

6. Peace
After Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to his disciples a number of times, always greeting them with the word, ‘Peace.’ This is a rich term with multiple meanings including: peace, rest, welfare, health, wholeness, happiness and prosperity.

Isaiah 53:5 prophesied that ‘the punishment that brought us peace was on him [Jesus]’. He went through the mind-piercing pain of Calvary, crowned with thorns, so we could enjoy ‘peace with God’ and the ‘peace of God that passes understanding’ (Ephesians 2:14, Philippians 4:7).

7. Daily renewal
Paul wrote, ‘Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day’ (2 Corinthians 4:16).

The cells in our physical bodies are constantly renewed by fresh blood removing death-dealing toxins and infusing every cell with life-giving oxygen from the lungs and nutrients from the digestive system. And so it is with our spirits!

The blood of Jesus flows through us constantly, removing the toxin of the lower nature and infusing us with the resurrection-life of the word and the Spirit, constantly renewing our status of victory and righteousness. No wonder that ‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper’ (Isaiah 54:17).

8. Ultimate victory and total dominion
Let’s end with the verse after the scripture we began with, the declaration that God ‘has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus’ (Ephesians 2:4-6).

This describes a supreme privilege, to be enthroned on high with the Lord Jesus Christ in a position of power, authority, rest, victory and dominion. He has made our enemies our footstool.

This is the restoration of the dominion Adam and Eve had in the beginning, and this speaks of absolute victory over every negative we face – not just futuristically, but right here, right now!

 

Mike Shreve pastors The Sanctuary in Cleveland, TN. Founder of Deeper Revelation Books publishing company, he has authored 13 books, including the best-selling 65 Promises from God for Your Child and the Our Glorious Inheritance series. Links: www.shreveministries.org / Mikeshreve@aol.com.