Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead],…

We have all heard sermons regarding Paul’s famous testimony in which he stated, “I have been crucified with Christ…” Gal. 2:20. But how many messages, or devotions have you heard, or read on being resurrected with Christ? This morning as part of my quiet time I read Oswald Chambers exhorting believers in the following way: “As the disciples were commanded, you should also say nothing until the Son of Man has risen in you— until the life of the risen Christ so dominates you that you truly understand what He taught while here on earth….We must have a oneness with His risen life before we are prepared to bear any particular truth from Him. Do we really know anything about the indwelling of the risen life of Jesus? The evidence that we do is that His Word is becoming understandable to us….[Jesus exhorted His disciples]“…tell no one….” But so many people do tell what they saw on the Mount of Transfiguration— their mountaintop experience. They have seen a vision and they testify to it, but there is no connection between what they say and how they live. Their lives don’t add up because the Son of Man has not yet risen in them. How long will it be before His resurrection life is formed and evident in you and in me?

If you haven’t had a very good death you can rest assured you will not have a very good resurrection (if you have any resurrection at all). For how can you raise something from the dead that hasn’t yet completely died? Or better yet, How can you raise something from the dead that isn’t convinced it’s dead? 

Years ago two young pastors talked about what they were doing to raise their plateaued churches to life. One pastor discussed all the difficulties he was having convincing the people to change, and the other was experiencing astounding success. The pastor of the difficult church asked the pastor of the successful church, “What’s your secret?” The pastor responded, with a wry smile on his face, “when you are in cardiac arrest you are not going to argue over how they resuscitate you.”

Are you living the resurrected life of Christ? Are you living like you have been raised to new life or are you still arguing over how He is trying to “raise” you? (Pun intended)  What would happen in your life (or in one church’s life) – if you began believing and behaving like you have been raised with Jesus? Are you convinced that you have died with Jesus? Are others?