BECAUSE I LIVE-YOU SHALL LIVE ALSO (The Resurrection) John 14:19

The resurrection of Christ was God’s demonstration to Satan and the whole world that the Spiritual Life that was in Christ Jesus had openly triumphed on the believers’ behalf over the law of sin and death that was in the flesh. That’s what the means when it says, “If the same Spirit dwell in you that raised Jesus from the dead, He shall also quicken (or make alive) your mortal body by His Spirit that dwells in you.”--Rom. 8:11. There is a principle in all flesh that the Bible calls the law of sin and death. This is man’s heritage from Adam. No one has escaped it. No one! It is called sin in the flesh. But it was this very principle or law that Christ overcame in the believers’ behalf when God had quickened Him and made Him alive from death.

The law of sin and death that was in all flesh was triumphed over and overcome for all mankind by the Christ (the anointed). A new law was enacted when God raised Jesus from death. This new law or principle is called the law of Spiritual Life that is in Christ Jesus. It is this law that has made the believer free from the old law of sin and death in his members. “Through one man’s disobedience (Adam) many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one (Christ) many have been made righteous.”

The Bible says that all mankind was born in sin and shaped by iniquity that which is contrary to God.

The law of sin and death that is in the flesh (Adam’s heritage) opposes the law of Spiritual Life so that we can not do the things that we would. “The good that we would we do not, the evil that we would not, that we do.”--Rom. 7:19

But we (the believer) are born again. We have a new Life. In the mind of God, when Jesus became sin, he also became representative man--He died for the sins of the whole world. Jesus again became representative-man when God raised him from death. In God’s mind, all of humanity had died and been raised in Him, but only those who believe partake of His Life.

The law of sin and death that is in the flesh has opposed the law of Spiritual Life; but the law of Spiritual Life (God’s) threw back the powers of darkness and triumphed over all resistance (Col. 2:15). Death has always been in opposition to Life. But Life defeated death just for the benefit of the believer. When I speak of Life, I do not mean physical life. talking about God’s Life which is a Divine Spiritual Life. God considers no life to be real Life but His very own. Adam was dead in trespasses and sins. He was dead in his flesh. All mankind has been born dead in and after Adam’s likeness.

These were the principalities and powers that were spoiled as God made an open show of them triumphing over them in it. When He raised His son from spiritual death, He deprived Satan of his power over the whole human race. Satan was defeated right then because sin in the flesh was destroyed. That very day death died and Life Lived. The Christ proved beyond doubt that where sin had abounded Grace or God’s Life did much more abound!

The death of Christ was simply the death of all flesh. Sin was in the flesh-- that’s why Jesus susbstituted in our behalf and became flesh. When God had Jesus crucified, sin was crucified, and the sinner was crucified. Sin was put to death in Christ. The sinner was put to death in Christ. Sin and sinner could not be separated until man could have a birth of new Life.

Sin in the flesh, or death in the flesh, could not hold God’s Son captive. When He arose, He stripped off every principality and power. He defeated the prince or the god of this world. Death was swallowed up in victory. The prince of the power of the air was dethroned from his reign over mankind. When Jesus died, death died with Him; and because He died to sin once, death has no dominion over him or over us! Because God placed all mankind into Christ, all mankind died a total death. Therefore, in the mind of God, all men were set free. This is the good news--the .

Suddenly there came from heaven the sound of a rushing mighty wind with all the power that was inherent within the Almighty God. He spoke the Word and Jesus was raised from the dead and the believer also with Him. “Even when we were dead in sins, God has quickened us together with Christ and has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”--Eph. 2:5-6. “And you has he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.”--Eph. 2:1

Principalities and powers have held all of mankind captive to spiritual death; but that glorious resurrection morning, Jesus led captivity captive and gave gifts (endowments) to men. Free at last! Free at last! A new creation of men was born that day. Jesus was the first born from the dead that in all things He might have the preeminence. His death was our death! His burial was our burial! His resurrection was our resurrection! His victory over Satan was our victory! His new birth was our new birth! His ascension was our ascension! His Spiritual Life was and is our Spiritual Life! Identified with us, He condescended and became all that we were in our poverty of spiritual death-- our state of flesh and blood. Identified with Him, we ascended by grace and became one with Him. All that He was, and is, in His wealth of Spiritual Life we are now in Him.

Spiritual death in the flesh was rolled back by the mighty power of the Father. He displayed His son openly to the principalities and powers of the dark rulers of the underworld and the lower nature of flesh and blood. The Satanic nature of unkind mankind was replaced by the Divine nature of the Father in the ultimate triumph over the anti-Christ--the carnal mind (flesh and blood) which shall not in¬herit the kingdom of God.

Is it any wonder that man must have a new birth into the nature of God and a transformation by the renewing of his mind? “The carnal (flesh-mind) is death, but the Spiritual mind is Life and Peace.”-- Rom. 8:6

Because the believer now has a new Life in Christ, he no longer owes an obligation to the flesh! He is born out of it into the realm of God. “But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be the Spirit of God dwells in you.”--Rom. 8:9. The flesh can no longer legally hold the believer captive and earthbound. He Lives in the heavenlies with Christ being his Life. “If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection (attention) on things above, not on things on the earth because you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.”--Col.3:1-3

It must be clearly understood that death is in the flesh. Jesus didn’t come just to set mankind free from physical death only to transport him to some distant future star. He came and died voluntarily so as to willingly demonstrate that in his death (spiritual death), which had held us captive died with him! Death was put to death! It is flesh and blood that does not understand and does not seek after God. Flesh and blood is the natural mind and does not nor can it understand the things of God’s Spirit (1 Cor.2:14). It is flesh and blood that is contrary and unwilling and rebellious! Man’s spirit was hopelessly bound to it. The only way he could possibly escape it was to die and then to receive a new birth of God’s Life. This he did in Christ!

In conclusion, the new birth is the resurrection of Christ. The resurrection of Christ is the new birth. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”--1 Peter 1:3 “If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus (say what God says) and believe in your heart that God really did raise Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved!” You shall receive a new birth! You shall be quickened! You shall be raised from the death and spiritual unresponsiveness of your flesh into newness of Life! You will see that you too in Christ have been raised with Him through the faith of the operation of God who has raised Him from the dead (Col.2:12).

It’s a miracle! Warren D. Rogers