Pastor’s Pen Pulpit – Charles Covington

Easter Sunday 2001

“THE BENEFITS OF HIS RESURRECTION”

Romans 6

We are all familiar with the teaching of I Corinthians 15 and other New Testament passages which show clearly that because Jesus was raised bodily from the dead, all Christians will one day have a glorified body like His. That is a fact settled in Heaven.

However, let us look briefly at His bodily resurrection as it benefits Christians today. In Colossians 3:1 Paul writes:

If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

This is a blanket statement of fact. We have to go to that familiar sixth chapter of Romans to see the details.

He begins in verses 1 and 2 by saying that because we died together with Him, then it is unthinkable that we can continue to live in a pattern of life habit of sin. Paul says we have been baptized into His (Christ’s) death, identified completely with Him in death so whatever happened to Him on the cross, happened to believers in God’s eyes. Then verse 4 follows logically - if we have died with Him, we live with Him because He was raised up from the dead by the glorious power of the Father. We are identified with Him in death and identified with Him in resurrection. The resurrection power of the risen Christ lives within each true believer in Christ.

Because of that fact, sin no longer reigns in our lives - leading us down the same old path we once trod. Paul punctuates that fact in verses 6 and 7:

Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for He who has died is freed from sin.

Beloved, that is the present application of the resurrection. Believers have no need to yield and keep on yielding to anger, pride, gossip, and all the things that go with the sin nature. Spiritually you are as much alive with Christ today as you will be throughout all eternity. Claim this truth for yourself and experience the true Easter message. All truth is relevant for today.

God bless each and every one of you this Easter Season. I challenge you to seek those things which are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Love to you all,

Charles

The two italicized portions of this pen-pulpit are the beginning of my message for tomorrow, May 1, 2022. I felt it appropriate to share Pastor Charles thoughts …

As he poured his life into me, so I pour out mine to you.

Pastor Dale