We Are Risen with Christ

Romans 6:4 – “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.”

One Monday morning following an Easter Sunday, I picked up a newspaper and saw this headline: “Entire World Celebrates the Risen Christ.” Yet on the same page under smaller headings were stories of death in war, of clashes between races, and of an ultimatum issued to the United States by a hostile nation. As I read those discouraging news releases, I thought, how contradictory!

The major headline declared that the entire world celebrates the risen Christ, but the balance of the page tells of people disregarding the blessing and grace Christ provided by His resurrection. What a way to “celebrate” the risen Lord! Of course, the first headline meant millions of people around the world had flocked into the Churches on Easter Sunday. Tragically, however, many who attended those services neither believed in the historical truth of His resurrection nor its true spiritual significance.

On this Easter Sunday we too may err by simply going through the motions of expressing our faith in the cross and the empty tomb without acknowledging our identification with Christ. In Romans 6, Paul said that we have been crucified with Christ and have died to sin. But we have also been raised with Christ so that now we can “walk in newness of life.” That’s why the apostle said, “If ye, then, be risen with Christ……set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth.” (Col.3:1,2).

Having been crucified with Christ, we are now privileged to live for Him. As we do live for Him, we are showing our gratitude for His sacrificial death for our sins. May God help us not to remember Christ only on Easter – but to serve Him every day wherever we are.