If Ye then be Risen with Christ - Ye Shall be Free Indeed.

• Freedom from Sin and Satan - Jesus tells us in John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. What is it that enslaves us, so that we need to be “free”? The Jews of Jesus’ day responded by asking Him a similar question in John 8:33. In this account, we immediately sense the Pharisees’ blindness to their own sinfulness. Such hard-heartedness is evidenced in many places in the Bible and is a characteristic of everyone who is not saved. The Bible clearly reveals in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”. These same enticements are the bases for our sin, which is rooted in our own selfishness. They also form the foundation of how unsaved man thinks, speaks, and acts. That is why the Bible states in John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do ...”. Jesus continued to explain that they were in bondage to their own sin; but in spite of this, they remained incapable of seeing their wretched spiritual condition. The most fundamental deception of sin denies the very existence of sin itself. 1 John 1:8 declares, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”. The Biblical notion is that all sin is based on deceit, or based on a lie. Deceit is the opposite of truth and is, therefore, the opposite of the Word of Truth, the Bible. The Lord Jesus makes the point twice in John 8:32 that it is the Truth that makes one free and in John 8:36 He states that it is the Son that sets a person spiritually free. Here Jesus is emphasizing the fact that He is the Truth, as He clearly states in John 14:6: “… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”. God saves His people through the truth of His Word, as we read in Jam 1:18: “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures”. The word “begat” means to be “brought forth”, or to be spiritually “born from above”. When that happens, the new believer goes from being a slave of sin to being a slave of righteousness, or a slave (servant) of Jesus Christ. Rom 6:18 declares, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness”. Eph 6:10-13 explains who the real enemy is in this spiritual warfare, and states that a believer is to “put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”. 2 Cor 2:11 tells why this is: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices”. Eph 4:14 also highlights the deceptive teaching that is rampant in our day. Eph 6:10-18 highlights the objective for wearing the pieces of armor, which are defensive in nature – except for the Sword of the Spirit (or the Word of God) which is the only offensive weapon in the Christian’s armory. This weapon – the Truth as revealed in the Word of God, the Bible – along with all the rest of the armour of God can overcome Satan’s Deception.

John 8:32-36 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Rom 6:14-18 “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

Eph 6:10-18 “... take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day [judgement day], and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

• Freedom from Second Death - We see in Jam 1:13-15, man is enticed by his own lust, and it is lust that “bringeth forth” sin, and sin “bringeth forth” death. Actually, these verses highlight man’s enslavement to sin and to Satan and, unless saved, his final destiny – eternal damnation in Hell. That is why the Bible has so much to say with regard to our sinfulness. From even a casual reading of the Bible, we are brought face to face with not only our innate weaknesses and inadequacies but, more importantly, with our sins that are sending us pell-mell to eternal damnation. We read in 1 Cor 15:56 that “the sting of death is sin …” In this verse, as well as many others in the Bible, we notice that God is linking death to sin. Because of this fact, we know that God is not referring to physical death but to spiritual death, which is ultimately the eternal second death”, in Hell. Rom 7:5 declares, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death”. To be “in the flesh” signifies that we are not saved; however, to be “in the spirit” is language that refers to somebody that has become a child of God. In John 3:6 the Bible declares, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” and verse 7 continues, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again”. This “new birth” is referred to as “first resurrection” in Rev 20:6. It is God’s grace that provides salvation for every child of God through the work and the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Acts 20:32 affirms. We must never forget the enormous price that the Lord Jesus had to pay to secure salvation for each Christian. In reality, the Lord Jesus voluntarily became sin; and, consequently, He was guilty of us violating the Laws of the entire Bible and had to endure the penalty of eternal Hell, which is demanded by the Law of God – the Bible. Christ’s death served to free the true believers from their bondage to sin, the world, and Satan as Heb 2:14 declares, “… that through death he [Christ] might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil”. Rev 20:6 declares, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection [born again]: on such the second death hath no power”.

1 Cor 15:54-57 “... Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead [spiritually dead] , yet shall he live [have eternal life]: 26And whosoever liveth [born again] and believeth in me shall never die [shall not taste second death in hell] ...”

Heb 2:14-15 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

• Freedom from Law of Sin and Death - Rom 4:15a informs us that “… the law worketh wrath”. In other words, the wrath of God abiding on a person can also be described as being eternally “under the curse”. This means that because we cannot obey every commandment in the Bible perfectly (Jam 2:10) – only Christ did that – we are subject to the greatest curse imaginable unless God, in His great mercy, grants us everlasting forgiveness. I cannot emphasize enough that the Lord Jesus Christ had to become sin – He had to become cursed – in order to pay the punishment that the Law of God, the Bible, demands – eternal damnation in Hell. Think about this: God the Son, Who is perfectly holy, harmless [innocent], and undefiled became unholy, guilty, and defiled in paying for the sins of each Christian. Thus, God was forsaking God at the Cross! God was cursing God! God was punishing God in Hell! The reason the Law (which is the whole Bible) is called “the strength [power] of sin” is because the Bible, as the Law of God, is designed to expose our sin and guilt before God and condemn our sin, “... I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet” (Rom 7:7). Moreover, it drives God’s elect to see their overwhelming need for a Savior, as Gal 3:24 explains. In essence the “Law”, or the “book of the Law”, refers to the whole Bible – the “sword of the Spirit”. The two edges of that “sword” signify its roles of either inflicting eternal damnation by the law of sin and death, or providing eternal life by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, as seen in Rom 8:2. These are the two main messages of the Gospel of Christ. Rom 8:2 declares, “...the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death”.

Gal 3:11, 13 “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”

Gal 3:24 “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster”

Rom 7:4 “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

1 Cor 15:54-57 “… Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

• Saved to Serve as Servant of Christ - Our spiritual bondage to sin and subsequent salvation by the work of Christ is illustrated by the Israelites, who were slaves in Egypt for over 400 years until God delivered them out of Pharaoh’s hand using Moses as chosen instrument. The Christian, by God’s grace, has been set free from that bondage: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” (Col 1:13). Acts 26:18 pictures the transfer of power and spiritual metamorphosis that occurs when one experiences birth from above to become a servant of Christ: “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me”. In the incisive passage, Rom 8:5-8, God is making the distinction between the two kingdoms we have been discussing. The phrases “after the flesh” and “carnally minded” describe the nature of one who is unsaved and in the kingdom of Satan. On the other hand, the language “after the Spirit” and “spiritually minded” illustrate the nature of a true Christian – one who has become a citizen of God’s kingdom. The words of 2 Cor 5:17-21 depict the wonderful salvation that God has provided by His infinite mercy and grace. Those who have been redeemed are the servants of God, and they live to do His divine bidding, to be “ambassadors for Christ”. True believers have been raised from spiritual death to life and have an insatiable desire to be obedient to the Word of God. Rom 6:12-13 becomes part of the new “marching orders” (the whole Bible) the believer now follows.

Rom 8:6-9 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

2 Cor 5:17-21 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Rom 6:12-13 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

If Ye then be Risen with Christ - If any Man be in Christ, He is a New Creature

• In Adam All Die - How did God create man? For the answer to that question we must turn to Gen 1:26, which is one of the most astounding verses in the entire Bible: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…”. It staggers our puny imaginations to think that man – the apex of God’s creation – was fashioned in the very image and likeness of the eternal, Triune God. Beyond the marvel of God’s creative ability to take a lump of clay and form a living human being is the even greater wonder that God would design a creature who would be privileged to enjoy the highest blessing imaginable – that of knowing God intimately, fellowshipping with Him, and serving Him perfectly. God tells us in Gen 1:31 that Man was created “good”, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good ...”. Since man was created in the image of God, he is responsible for his sin and is accountable to God. Thus, man’s sin resulted in spiritual death immediately, and ultimately in eternal death, or Hell – the second death (Rev 2:11; 20:6). Because of the original sin of Adam and Eve, not only was all mankind cursed with this “second death” they also lost the fellowship with God. Sin also caused man to lose his divine nature – so that all of our first parents’ progeny, the whole human race, are born spiritually dead and continue in that state unless God intervenes in their lives to give them new-birth – eternal life. Eph 2:2 reveals that all who are unsaved are under the spiritual domination of Satan, who is called “the prince of the power of the air”.

Gen 1:26-27 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

Eph 2:2-3 “Wherein in time past ye [believers] walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience 3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

• In Christ shall All be Made Alive - This fact is emphasized by 1 Cor 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”. The first “all” refers to all mankind, and the second “all” comprises all of God’s elect – “they that are Christ’s” (1 Cor 15:23). Jesus often called Himself the “Son of Man” because as the “Last Adam” (or the “Second Man”) He represented the human beings He came to save and endured the equivalent of eternal damnation for them in the Atonement at the Cross, as we read in 1 Cor 15:45-47. The divine nature we lost in First Adam, we again inherit from the Second Adam – Christ,  in Salvation. He is the only one who has ever perfectly possessed both a divine nature as fully God and a perfect human nature as fully man. The Scriptures advise us in Col 2:9, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”. Once someone has become saved, he has God’s promise of eternal life, which can never be taken away. 2 Pet 1:3 clarifies that everything we need spiritually – characterized by “life” and “godliness” – is given by God and is found in “all things”. So, what are “all things”? They refer to the Bible itself. God has enabled us through new-birth to escape the corruption that is in the world, and be fruitful. Christians are not immune to the temptations; but, because they have regenerated souls, there is an innate battle between their redeemed souls and their unsaved bodies. 2 Pet 1:3-4 assures the true believer of the necessity to rely upon God’s Word entirely. Increasingly, the child of God realizes his utter dependency on God’s strength and grace as Php 4:13 proclaims, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”.

1 Cor 15:45 “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man [Christ] is the Lord from heaven.”

Eph 2:4-6 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

2 Pet 1:3-4 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

• If any Man be in Christ, he is a New Creature - 2 Cor 5:17 declares, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. Only God can give a person new-birth – eternal life. God must draw the elect to Himself and grant them repentance, spiritual understanding, faith to trust Him, and a capacity to love and obey Him. Only God can create a new eternal soul, or “heart”, and make a “new creature” of a person, as we read in Eze 36:26-27. God is teaching that regardless of a person’s ethnic, cultural, or religious background he becomes a “new man” when Christ saves him and makes “peace” between God and that person and establishes a new relationship between that individual and God, where previously hatred or enmity existed: “when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Rom 5:10) . We also learn from Eph 4:24 that the “new man” is “created in righteousness and true holiness”, in the likeness of God Himself. Col 3:9-10 reiterates that indeed, the child of God has been clothed with the very righteousness and holiness of Christ Himself:  “... seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him”. Thus the “new man” can only be referring to a person’s soul, which is where salvation initially takes place. This is an astounding concept that mortal, sinful, depraved man could become as holy and pure as His Creator; and yet God has instituted this requirement in order for man to inhabit Heaven. Now we are new creature created in Christ’s righteousness, renewed by indwelling Holy Spirit, so that we do not serve sin. This is all possible only “by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us, and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).

Eze 36:26-27 “A new heart also will I [God] give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

Eph 4:22-24 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Rom 6:4, 6 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

Gal 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Col 3:1-4 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

• If Christ be in You, the Body is Dead because of Sin - The apostle Paul, under divine inspiration, reveals in Rom 7:25 the Scriptural assessment that a child of God must constantly keep in mind, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin”. This internal dualism is the true Christian’s greatest spiritual struggle, bar none, as Rom 7:24 pinpoints, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”. This is a good way to “examine” ourselves as to whether we are saved or not. If our sin does not grieve our hearts, it may be evidence that we are not truly saved. Because a believer must live in an unsaved body, he is engaged in a constant internal struggle between his sinful flesh and his new, resurrected soul. The deliverance that Paul refers to is found in the words of 2 Cor 5:1-4, which expresses the believer’s yearning to be redeemed and forever clothed with his glorified spiritual body. Gal 5:16 instructs us “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh”

Rom 7:22-24 “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

1 Cor 9:27 “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

Rom 8:1-2, 6-10 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 6For to be carnally minded [unsaved] is death; but to be spiritually minded [saved] is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

Gal 5:16-18, 24-25 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh [our bodies]. 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law… 24And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Col 3:5-9 “Mortify [put to death] therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 8But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;”

2 Tim 2:21-22 “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 22Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

If Ye then be Risen with Christ - Being Made Conformable Unto His Death

• Being Made Conformable Unto His Death - “… Being made conformable unto his death…” relates to the fact that the believer is to follow the pattern outlined in Rom 6:11, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord”.  The elect are “… conformed to the image of his Son…” and “… fashioned like unto his glorious body…”. The first verse refers to believers' receiving the Spirit of Christ and the desire to obey God's commandments, patterned after the Lord Jesus Christ. The latter verse refers to believers’ receiving their glorified spiritual bodies on the Last Day, or Judgment Day, which will be the end of this sin-cursed universe and the end of time. The former verse describes the salvation that God has orchestrated, according to 2 Cor 4:3-4. To be thus “conformed” is to be wholly identified with Christ, Who has become our very life as Col 3:4 indicates. Let’s examine two successive verses: In this citation we are confronted with the marvelous reality of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus, Who is eternal God – and Who took on a human nature, became sin, and suffered the equivalent of eternal damnation for His enemies, as Rom 5:10 highlights.

Php 3:10-11 "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."

Rom 8:29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Php 3:21 “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned [confirmed] like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

2 Cor 4:3-4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Col 3:4 “When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

Php 2:6-8 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross.”

Rom 5:10 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

• Reckon Ye also Yourselves to be Dead Indeed unto Sin, but Alive unto God  - Why is One Made “Conformable unto His Death”? -  But why does Php 3:10 state, “… being made conformable unto his death”? After all, don’t we read this in John 5:24, that we "...passed from death unto life.”? While this is certainly true, I believe that Rom 6:3-11 provides the answer: Just as Christ died and rose again, someone who has become “born from above” experiences the same as what Rom 8:10 clarifies, dead to sin but alive unto God. This is the reason a child of God is instructed in Luke 9:23, "deny himself, and take up his cross daily".

John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

Rom 6:3-11 “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Rom 8:10 “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

Luke 9:23 “… If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross [the instrument of death] daily, and follow me.”

Col 3:5-11 “Mortify [or put to death] therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:  11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”

• I might Attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead -  Now we want to consider Php 3:11, “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” Nearing the end of his life, Paul, under divine inspiration, utters the words in 2 Tim 4:6-8, "... there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness...". It should be noted that a “crown of righteousness” is not an additional reward of some sort; but it is a reference to the precious gift of eternal life. It is God Himself, Who is both a believer’s hope and reward. The resurrection of the dead will occur on the Last Day, or Judgment Day, which coincides with the end of this world, the end of time, and the ushering in of eternity for both the saved and the unsaved,"... they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation...".

Php 3:10-11 "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."

2 Tim 4:6-8 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

1 Cor 15:20-24 “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.”

Rev 20:11-15 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

John 5:28-29 "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

1 The 4:13-18 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

If Ye then be Risen with Christ - I may Know Him, and the Power of His Resurrection

• I may Know Him - To “… know him…” (or experience) has everything to do with salvation, as Luke 1:77 states. To know God is to be known of Him, or to be saved, as we find in Gal 4:9. Paul’s (representing all believers) desire was to “know” (or experience) God in the most intimate way possible. Of course, such a desire is the direct result of God working both to will and to do of his good pleasure in our life, as Php 2:13 says. This desire to know God  is not merely an emotional response, but it is the true Christian’s fervent desire and willingness to obey the Bible implicitly, according to 1 John 2:3. The greatest and most perfect example of this is the Lord Jesus Himself, who testified in Heb 10:7, "...I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God”.

Php 3:10-11 "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." 

Luke 1:77 “To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins.” 

Gal 4:9 “But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God…” 

Psa 42:1  “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” 

Psa 73:25  “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” 

Isa 26:9a  “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early…” 

Php 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” 

1 John 2:3: “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” 

Heb 10:7 “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

• I may Know The Power of His Resurrection - To know (or experience) “… the power of his resurrection…” has to do with the greatest display of God’s power as He raised the Lord Jesus from the dead, even as He raises His elect from the dead spiritually. In 1 Pet 1:3, the phrase “… begotten us again unto a lively [living] hope…” is referring to being “born again”, or “born from above”. This is also referred to as "first resurrection" for a believer. This is a result of spiritually “hearing” the Gospel, as Rom 10:17 indicates. In fact, the Lord Jesus is intimately identified with the resurrection, as John 11:25 teaches.

Php 3:10-11 "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."

Rom 6:5 “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:”

1 Cor 15:20-24  “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.”

1 Pet 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively [living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”

Rev 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

Rom 10:17 “So then faith [or salvation] cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Rom 1:16  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power [dunamis] of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

• I may Know the Fellowship of His Sufferings - The Greek word for “fellowship” (koinonia:G2842) is found throughout the New Testament and relates to the salvation that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit establish for each of God’s elect children. All three Persons of the Holy Trinity are intimately involved in an individual’s redemption as 2 Cor 13:14 states. In Php 1:4-6 we also learn that our fellowship is “in the gospel”, or in the Word of God – the Bible. We discover another aspect of fellowship, or salvation, in 1 John 1:6-7. Here God highlights a vital facet of the Christian life as walking (or living) in “the light” as opposed to walking in “darkness”, which was our spiritual status prior to salvation. To identify with the “… fellowship of his sufferings…” is a prerequisite of the Christian life, as Rom 8:17 reminds us and is an Important Part of a Christian’s Life.  God uses adversity as a means for the child of God to “grow in grace”. Naturally, this process is by no means easy, as Heb 12:11 underscores. Yet, Rom 8:18 gives us much hope: It is noteworthy that even the Lord Jesus had to suffer both physically and, more importantly, spiritually as He endured the equivalent of eternal damnation in Hell for His people, as Heb 2:10 reminds us. 2 Cor 1:5-7 also reveals that God uses our own hardships to encourage others, who will one day face similar trials.

Php 3:10-11 "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." 

Rom 8:17 “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” 

1 John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” 

Php 1:4-6 “Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he [God] which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” 

1 John 1:6-7 “If we say that we have fellowship  with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 

Heb 12:11 “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” 

Rom 8:18  “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” 

1 Pet 4:13 “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” 

Heb 2:10 “For it became him [Lord Jesus], for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” 

2 Cor 1:5-7 “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.” 

2 Cor 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ [God the Son], and the love of God [the Father], and the communion [fellowship - koinonia:G2842] of the Holy Ghost [God the Holy Spirit], be with you all. Amen.”