Resurrection is a big theme in Scripture. In several striking passages the Old Testament promises resurrection to the righteous. Isaiah 26:19 states “your dead will live; their bodies will rise.” (NIV) Daniel 12:2 prophecies “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will wake; some to everlasting life, other to shame and everlasting contempt.” See also. 25:8; Dan. 12:3, 13; Hos. 13:14. Then in the New Testament the resurrection of the body becomes the prominent hope for believers. I Corinthians 15 is the classic passage on our bodily resurrection.
But there is something more about resurrection in the New Testament. Ephesians 2:6 states “[God] raised us up with him [Christ] and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (ESV) What an incredible statement! How is it that we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies? When I look around myself I don’t see Christ in the heavenlies. I don’t feel like I am sitting in the heavens. Yet Scripture makes it clear that we are. We have a spiritual resurrection now. Col. 2:12 teaches “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him.” (ESV) Col. 3:1 states: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” (ESV) And in this spiritual resurrection we see that God did the same for us that he did with Jesus. He raised Jesus and seated him at his right hand. This is what he also did for us.
Then consider how this changed the spiritual world. Eph. 1:20-22 “[God] raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church.” Now that Christ is raised and seated with God he is above all other powers.
We are also raised and seated with Christ so we also are above all other powers and authorities. This is not because of our greatness but because we are also seated with Christ. We are part of his body; he is the head. This is why we have ultimate victory over all forces that come against God and his goodness. We are already in a position of superior power that no other power can overcome. Our victory on earth is to be godly no matter what comes against us. Even if we are killed we are victorious through the love and humility we show to our killers.
When Christ returns he will complete our resurrection by giving us new bodies and setting us free from all corruption. God will judge all and the righteous will live victorious in eternity.
