Raised

22 November 2011 by Daniel

Q. 51. What was the estate of Christ's exaltation?
A. The estate of Christ's exaltation comprehendeth his resurrection, ascension, sitting at the right hand of the Father, and his coming again to judge the world.

Q. 52. How was Christ exalted in his resurrection?
A. Christ was exalted in his resurrection, in that, not having seen corruption in death, (of which it was not possible for him to be held,) and having the very same body in which he suffered, with the essential properties thereof, (but without mortality, and other common infirmities belonging to this life,) really united to his soul, he rose again from the dead the third day by his own power; whereby he declared himself to be the Son of God, to have satisfied divine justice, to have vanquished death, and him that had the power of it, and to be Lord of quick and dead: all which he did as a public person, the head of his church, for their justification, quickening in grace, support against enemies, and to assure them of their resurrection from the dead at the last day.

Q. 53. How was Christ exalted in his ascension?
A. Christ was exalted in his ascension, in that having after his resurrection often appeared unto and conversed with his apostles, speaking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, and giving them commission to preach the gospel to all nations, forty days after his resurrection, he, in our nature, and as our head, triumphing over enemies, visibly went up into the highest heavens, there to receive gifts for men, to raise up our affections thither, and to prepare a place for us, where himself is, and shall continue till his second coming at the end of the world.

It is a stale theological fact, for some, that Christ was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God. The bible says it, they believe it, and that settles it. But to allow this truth to sit as an unapplied fact is a tragic waste of this precious truth.

Listen: The exaltation of Christ is the lifeblood of assurance, and any Christian who acknowledges Christ's exaltation without applying it to the reality of his own faith is suffering needlessly.

Though I am redeemed, and my salvation certain, yet the body in which I now live has yet to be redeemed. In other words, as a believer the work of sanctification has begun in my life, but this isn't a work that will end in this life. The desire to do what I want, rather than what I ought, will always be with me. In Christ I am granted victory over that desire reckoning myself dead to it, and alive to Christ, but however mature I may become, my walk is not perfect, and I will fail at times to rest in Christ.

The guilt of some sin will assault me, and I shall examine myself in its wake: My flesh will gladly entertain the notion that God accepts me when I am obedient, but when my obedience wavers, and some long dead tendril of works-righteousness is revived by my guilt, it will surely begin to whisper anew that God is my secret Enemy until such time as I can make amends for my failure through even greater feats of obedience. In the slippery pit of this despair, for all my theology, I shall writhe until I remember that I am in Christ, and Christ is risen.

You see, when God raised Christ from the dead, the scriptures tell me that I was in Christ. When God raised Jesus, He raised me. If even one sin was able to separate me from God, then Christ could not have been raised, for I was in Him - united together with Him. In order to raise Christ, I had to be acceptable to God. The fact that Christ was raised is a declaration of my acceptance to God. His exaltation is God's undying declaration of my acceptance - the root and font of my assurance in times of trouble.

God has exalted Christ; it isn't an empty doctrine - it is the declaration of our acceptance - worthy of all praise and remembrance. Do you want your heart to swell today in love and adoration? Think on these things.