The price Jesus paid for man's sin was graphic and horrendous—so much so that the prophet Isaiah looked in the Spirit and described Jesus as "…marred more than any man…" (Isa. 52:14). This was the darkest moment in human existence, for the punishment for sin was being inflicted on Someone who did not deserve it—Someone who had never sinned, had never crossed the line, had remained righteous every moment He was alive.
Yet Jesus was willing to bear that punishment so the benefits of His righteous life might be extended to us. You and I deserved that punishment. But because of our faith in Jesus and in the sacrifice of His life for us, we are now righteous in the eyes of God. The price has already been paid.
God is a triune Being—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and He designed us as triune beings in His image and likeness. Therefore, the life that God gives us is not just physical life. This verse is talking about being alive in Him—spirit, soul, and body.
The First Man and Woman: Reborn Out of Life Into Death
Divine life was the kind of life God always intended for man to enjoy on this earth. But when Adam and Eve sinned, an immediate separation between God and man took place.
God had told Adam and Eve that two trees of significance stood in the Garden: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then He commanded them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning them, "…In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Gen. 2:17).
In the end, both Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. The question is, why didn't they drop over dead the moment they disobeyed the Lord's command? God's words were very clear. He said, "…In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
The truth is, Adam and Eve did die spiritually at the moment of their disobedience, although they remained physically alive. At the very moment they ate of that fruit, they went through a major change—literally being reborn out of life and into death.
Multitudes of people are walking on this earth today who remain dead, even though their bodies are still alive. Until a person connects with God and makes Jesus the Lord of his life—until God's resurrection power lives on the inside of him—that person is just a walking dead man.
Thus, the story of the gospel is the story of God's commitment to mankind to provide a way for man to escape the destiny of eternal death and to once more be able to experience His divine life. Jesus went all the way into death so He could come all the way out of death into everlasting life. But Jesus didn't come back into life all by Himself; He made His divine life—the most powerful force in this universe—available to every man and woman on the face of the earth!
Rising Up to Resurrection Life
More powerful than a mighty thunderstorm or a raging hurricane is the light that pierced the darkness in the pit of hell and delivered the crucified Jesus. Now as a believer, you have that resurrection power dwelling on the inside of you!
Consider this question: What kind of results could you obtain in your life if you ever discovered how big God really is on the inside of you? Are you spending all your time trying to get victory over your temper, depression, a troubled marriage, or the pile of bills on your desk?
Certainly God is interested in delivering you from all those hindrances. But if those are the kinds of faith challenges you've been focusing on, you have been struggling with low-level problems from which Jesus has already set you free!
Whatever "tomb" you are in, resurrection life means you are coming out of it. The tomb can mean a lot of things, whether it is a chronic illness, an emotional prison, or a stronghold of your own making. The tomb refers to anything that reeks of death in your life.
What is the tomb in your life? Maybe it's a dead relationship or a dying marriage. Maybe your hope for the future is dead. Whatever the tomb means to you, you need to know this: You may be in a tomb right now, but God created and designed you to come out of it in victory!
You Have a Big Friend To Fight for You!
Romans 8:37 says, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Paul has just listed all sorts of things that can come against us in life: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword. Yet in all these things, Paul declares, we are more than conquerors!
Do you know what it means to be more than a conqueror? It means that Someone else does your fighting for you! All you have to do is enjoy the benefits of having a big Friend.
Whenever you're facing a difficult situation and you know that you're just not big enough to handle it on your own, you just have to remember that you know the right Friend! The Bible says that you have a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24)—His name is Jesus!
Jesus conquered death, hell, and the grave so you wouldn't have to face them. That doesn't mean you won't one day die a physical death; it means you won't have to face death in fear, wondering, "What's going to happen to me now?"
This is what you and I can know: We are able to conquer every challenge we face today and every challenge we will face tomorrow. Jesus, our big Friend, has already conquered our enemy on our behalf and given us resurrection power to live life more abundantly!
Since 1979, Dennis Burke has led multitudes of believers into the biblical principles of faith, healing, love, prosperity, and righteousness. Through the Insights: the Way to a New Life magazine, books, eBooks, CDs, and mp3 resources, Dennis has brought revelation knowledge on the truths of God's Word. He has taught Christians everywhere to know God more deeply and overcome the challenges life brings through faith in God's Word.
