Raised Up With Christ - Romans 5:10

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. - Romans 5:10

    For many people the understanding of Christ’s crucifixion hinges on the idea that “Christ died for our sins.” Beyond that fact, the theological implications elude most. Yes, Jesus did indeed die “for our sins.” It was the only way that we as sinners, transgressors of the law, could be reconciled to God. “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.” - Colossians 1:21-22.
    As fallen sinners, there was no way for us to regain a righteous standing with our heavenly Father. No good works, no serendipitous awakening or enlightenment, and certainly no “grading on a curve” could do for us what only the death of Christ accomplished. Jesus lived His life in perfect obedience to His heavenly Father, something we have never been able to do. His perfect life is our salvation, but He needed to reconcile us with the Father first!
    The reason is simple: we are born in alienation from God and without the loving self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ we remain in the sinful state of spiritual death until or unless we believe in Him as our Lord and Savior. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 6:23.
    At the Last Supper, Jesus took each of us by the hand and reassured us -“For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” - Matthew 26:28. Christ reconciled us to His heavenly Father through His atoning death. His death and His alone was powerful enough to end the threat of death for those who come to believe in Him.
    But there is a second aspect to Christ’s death; one that does more than reconcile us with God; one that blesses us with eternity in heaven, without which we would remain dead in sin - His resurrection. “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:21-22.
    On this Resurrection Day, let us all be grateful for the atonement provided for us by the one true Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” - Ephesians 2:4-6.
    Lord almighty, let us all be humble enough to admit our need. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus . . .” - 1 Timothy 2:5.
    May we all have a joyous Easter!