We talk a lot about the death of Jesus Christ in securing our salvation – and rightly so. But there is also an important connection between the resurrection of Jesus and our salvation, in particular, our justification (being made right with God).
Romans 4:22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
But what exactly is the connection between Jesus’ resurrection and our being right with God? Here are four elements to consider:
The Resurrection Prompts Faith in Us
It is the good news of Jesus’ resurrection that inspires us to believe in, trust, obey, and worship him. Who would place their faith in a dead Savior? How could we convince ourselves that Jesus’ death achieved anything for us if he was not alive? In this sense, Jesus’ resurrection is the source of the faith that is the basis of our justification: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, NLT).
It Vindicates Jesus’s Identity and Work
The resurrection of Jesus convinces us that he is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Prince of Life, that he fulfilled Scripture, that God was pleased with him, that the work of the cross was now complete, and that he had no need to remain dead. The debt was paid, and as a result, as a righteous man and the beloved Son of God, the Father was entirely just to raise Jesus. He had turned away God’s wrath, he had destroyed sin, our guilt could now be taken away, and we could be counted righteous. If the cross was Jesus’ payment for our sins, then the resurrection marked God’s acceptance of that payment.
It Has Justifying Power
Despite our usual understanding that the cross alone is responsible for our forgiveness, Paul is elsewhere very clear. “And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17, NLT). We share in the justification of Jesus. Because of his right standing with God, his people are made righteous too. Not only was our sin credited to Jesus, but his righteousness was credited to us. God declares his positive favor toward us, and as a result, we will ultimately never die.
It Allows Jesus to Apply Justification to Us
It is Jesus himself who saves the Christian. The two phases of Jesus’ saving work for us are described in complementary ways. It is the blood or death of Jesus that saves us, but we are “much more” saved by his life. Because Jesus is alive, he himself can continue to save us from the wrath of God.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Has the resurrection prompted your faith? Explain.
- Read 1 Corinthians 15:17. Why is faith useless without the resurrection?
- In what way does Jesus’ death “save” us? In what way does his resurrection “save” us?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
