We who are resurrected with Christ

[Romans 6:1-14]

                After Christ's death there is a resurrection.  Death without resurrection is meaningless.  There can be no resurrection without death.  The death and resurrection of Jesus are like the front and the back of the coin.  Just as the front and back sides of a coin cannot be separated, the death and resurrection of Jesus cannot be separated.

                Look at Romans 6:4 – “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”  There are two translations of the word “dead” here: (1) the original Greek word is ‘from death’, and (2) the Korean Bible for ‘from the dead’.  Whether Jesus Christ was resurrected “from death” or “from the dead,” which translation is more appropriate?  The Korean Bible chose the translation ‘from the dead’.  The reason is because the translation of ‘from death’ may not know whether there are dead or not, but the translation ‘from the dead’ tells us that there are the dead.  The Apostles' Creed also says "from the dead".  In conclusion, Jesus Christ rose from the dead.  The word “the dead” is used elsewhere in the plural of “the dead.”  Look at Romans 1:4a – “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, ….”  Look at Ephesians 1:20a – “which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead ….”  Look at  1 Corinthians 15:20 – “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.”  Here in I Corinthians 15:20, both the singular “the dead” and the plural “asleep” (ie, “the dead”) are used at the same time.  The saying that Jesus Christ became “the firstfruits” of the “those who are asleep” (the dead) implies that there will be more (resurrection) fruits after Jesus, all of which will be resurrected at the second coming of Jesus.  Because of the resurrection of Jesus, those who are asleep in Christ (the dead) will also be resurrected [“newness of life” (Rom. 6:4)].

                Then who raised Jesus Christ?  It is God the Father who raised Jesus Christ.  How did God the Father raise the Son Jesus Christ from the dead?  According to Romans 6:5, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of God the Father, that is, by the power of God the Father.  Heavenly Father's power here refers to the supreme/great power.  Such amazing supreme/great power comes from love.  Heavenly Father loved His Only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, supremely, not only with words, but with devotion.  In this way, the power of God the Father is limitless, but God the Son also has no limit.  Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (Jn. 11:25).  Also, Jesus said, “…I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again” (10:18).  The Son Jesus Christ overcame the power of death and rose from the grave.  Even the Holy Spirit has no limit in his power.  The Holy Spirit resurrected the dead Jesus Christ (Rom.1:4).  Look at Romans 8:11 – “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

                What was the purpose of God the Father raising the Son Jesus from the dead? [“as Christ was raised from the dead” (Rom. 6:4)]  Look at Romans 6:10 – “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.”  Here, “to” in “to God” can be translated “for”.  In other words, the fact that Jesus Christ lives means that He lives for God.  Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, lived for God even when he was on the earth for 33 years, died, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven to be for God in heaven.  Jesus Christ lived for our salvation on earth and is working for our salvation in heaven.

                The resurrection of Jesus Christ is our resurrection.  We are resurrected with Christ.  Look at Romans 6:4b – “…  so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”  We have been resurrected to newness of life by the power of the Holy Trinity.  What does that mean?  Look at Romans 6:5 – “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.”  We are resurrected in the likeness of Jesus Christ.  Here, “likeness” means that there must be true nature.  If there is no true nature, then there cannot be the likeness.  For example, the Pastor Emeritus Kim we see through online worship videos is not the real him but the same likeness.  The reality of the Pastor Emeritus Kim is at home.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the reality, and we who have been resurrected with Jesus Christ are the same likeness.  We, in the same likeness have been resurrected to new life (v. 4).  The resurrection of Jesus is the resurrection of the body (just as Jesus died a physical death for our sins).  The buried body of Jesus was resurrected.  Our resurrection is not the resurrection of the body (the resurrection of the body will be at His second coming), but the resurrection of the soul.  Look at Ephesians 2:1 – “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (KJV).  Here, “And you hath he quickened” means that God has given us a new life (regeneration/born again).  Our resurrection is our inner man, our souls died in our trespasses and sins, so we did not follow God, but followed Satan the devil. Because we died with Jesus Christ and resurrected with Him, our dead souls came back to life.  Although the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the reality, was the resurrection of the body, our resurrection is not the resurrection of the body, but the resurrection of the soul, like Jesus, so our resurrection is not the reality but the same likeness.  Look at Romans 6:8 – “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”  Here, “we shall live” refers to the life in which we live to new life and continue to be sanctified, finally to eternal life.  Also, “we believe” here means to believe completely.  In other words, it refers to a firm belief that is not shaken in the slightest.

                Look at 1 Corinthians 15:58 – “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”  The reason we must stand firm in the faith and live a life of faith without wavering is because our labor is not in vain in the Lord.  That is, because we will go to heaven and receive a reward from the Lord.  Look at Romans 6:11 – “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  We are the ones who have to live for God.  We must not live for ourselves.  Because we are those who have been resurrected with Jesus and live for a new life, we will also enter the kingdom of heaven, so we must live for God.  Look at Romans 14:7-9: “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.  For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.”  We do not live for ourselves.  Even if we live, we live for the Lord, and even if we die, we die for the Lord.  For this the Lord rose from the dead.  As long as we are alive, we can live for the Lord.  But what does it mean to die for the Lord even if we die?  It means that after we die we will live in heaven and live forever only for the Lord.  Therefore, if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord.  We do not live for Satan and ourselves as we did before, but now that we have become new people, we must live only for the Lord.  Then, even if we go to heaven, we will live forever only for the Lord.