Alive and Free, Raised to Life in Christ - The Crosswalk Devotional - April 26

Alive and Free, Raised to Life with Christ
By Lynette Kittle

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” - Colossians 3:1

Each year we celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It’s a time for us to celebrate how, with His rising, we have been raised too. Ephesians 2:6 explains, “And God raised us with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. “Once enslaved to sin and the things of the earth, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are now set free from sin to live a new life in Him. Romans 6:4 describes, “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” As we focus on our risen Savior, we often overlook how His rising raises us, too. 1 Corinthians 6:14 describes how, “By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He will raise us also.”

Raised and Made Alive
As Jesus rose from the dead, we are raised from being dead in our transgressions and made alive again. “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Eph 2:4-5) Being dead in our transgressions means we had no way on our own of being made alive again. Only through the resurrection of Jesus, can we be raised and freed from our sinful state. Romans 8:11 describes,

“And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.”

Raised and Freed from the Agony of Death
We rejoice in Jesus being raised from the dead and set free from death’s grip because it means we are also set free! Jesus defeated death for us, suffering on our behalf. “But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him” (Acts 2:24). Being raised with Jesus means we are set free from experiencing the agony of death, too. As John 5:24 explains, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”

Like death was unable to keep its hold on Jesus, so now because we are raised with Him, it is unable to have a hold on us. Our risen Savior has set us free from its deadly grip and like Him, we will be with Jesus and alive forevermore. 1 Corinthians 15:54 explains, “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, is your sting?’”

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Along with rejoicing in the death and resurrection of Jesus, remember to thank God for raising you, too. Ask Him to help you look past everyday distractions and show you ways to set your heart on things above. Look for ways to remind family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors of the benefits we receive through Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

Further Reading:
4 Powerful Lessons from Christ’s Resurrection

Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.