The Resurrection Life is a New Life

A New Kind of Life  (Ephesians 2:4-7)

We were once dead in transgressions and sins, separated from life with God.  We are now with Christ: alive with Christ, raised up with Christ and seated with Christ as objects of God’s grace for all eternity.

Alive with Christ: God made us alive with Christ. We were dead spiritually. He put His Spirit in us when we believed. Christ is now dwelling in us. As a result the whole new life in us is Christ’s eternal life.

Raised up with Christ:  Our union with Christ means that not only did we die with Christ on the cross, not only was our old sin nature buried with Him, but when God raised Jesus from the dead, we were raised with Him to new life.   We are united with a living Savior. Because He lives, we will never die. 

Seated with Christ:  This picture of Christ being seated at the right hand of God is rich with significance: it means that his sacrifice for sins is done. It is finished. God has accepted it. The writer of Hebrews spells this out specifically when he says: Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Hebrews 10:11-14  

A New Source for Life   (Ephesians 2:8-9)

We were once by nature objects of wrath.  We are now objects of grace.  Our new life is all the result of God’s work for us.  We did nothing to earn or deserve this life. It was His idea, His work, His gift to us in Christ Jesus.

A New Way of Life   (Ephesians 2:10)

We were once held captive to the ways and forces of the world: striving, boasting, craving after a life that could never satisfy.  We are now God’s masterpieces of grace, created in Christ Jesus for a new way of living.

We don’t work for our salvation. God did that work. It is done. But now we let Christ in us work for the good of others. What are those works? Think of it this way. As God’s work was all about serving and sacrifice – this is how He has rewired us for living. In making us His masterpieces of grace God has recreated us to be a people who live like Jesus – and Jesus was what? He was full of grace and truth. This then is the goal for being a gospel formed people: our new way of life is a life that will be characterized by works of grace.