During the Easter Season, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is a good thing because resurrection shows the amazing truth that there is more to our life than passing moments. Scripture notes that at our last day in this temporal life, as “in a moment…in the twinkling of an eye…(we) are raised incorruptible,” free of decaying corruption! (a) [see endnotes for scripture]
While this verse refers to the freeing status of our next life, it also speaks of a resurrection we can experience today. During the twinkling of our natural eye, we can arise out of our corrupting perceptions and live in an improved way of living. So, what is Scripture’s resurrection life?
Arising From Inactivity
Since our Bible and hundreds of thousands of recorded near-death experiences confirm that our consciousness continues beyond this life, the reality of the eternal realm is not a debatable issue.
During our beginnings in the Garden of Eden, God said: “For in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” (b) The Hebrew wording actually says: “For in the time that you partake from it you will be dying.” Rather than an immediate or eventual death, ignoring God’s guidance keeps us subject to the ways of death and submitting to a dreadful fear in our conscious awareness. (c)
When Adam and Eve ignored our Eternal Father’s input, they broke their relational fellowship with God and became subject to the ways of corruption. The first and original sin was a decision to ignore God and seek wisdom from the “good and evil” activity of natural life. (d)
The Prodigal Son story Jesus shared illustrates life with and without God’s insightful fellowship. (e) Jesus spoke of this separating lifestyle when he said: “allow the dead to bury their own.” (f)
Resurrection is widely acknowledged as a release from the limitations of natural life. When Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life (zoe – spirit life),” (g) he related resurrection life to our spiritual awareness. The Message version says it this way: “You don’t have to wait for the end. I am, right now, resurrection and life.” What is the “current” resurrection life that Jesus spoke of?
The word ‘resurrection’ is in our Bible’s New Testament 39 times. It comes from the Greek anastasis, which means “to arise, get up.” Resurrection is a contrast to remaining inactive. Instead of living as inactive dead people, we are invited to arise into a life improving spiritual awareness.
Spiritual life (Greek zoe) is not just reserved for eternity. By ignoring God’s input and relying just on the “good (productive) and evil (destructive)” activity of natural life, we short-change the quality of life that God’s guidance makes available to us during our natural experience.
Spiritual life is not just reserved for eternity.
Rebirth of Relationship
Our first stage of life begins in a mother’s womb where we are formed, fed, nurtured, and prepared for the expanded experience of the natural world. In the womb, many features form that help us further grow and mature in this second stage of life. Much like our time in a womb prepares us for this second phase, our life today prepares us for eternity, the enlarged third stage.
Scripture encourages us to “Arise, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (h) When we are “born again,” (i) we spiritually awaken and become aware of the abiding presence of God, who invites us to interact with Him. As we consciously wake up and arise from our spiritual inactivity, we receive clearer perceptions of God’s intention for us in this life.
When we respond to the insights 
God shares, we in-truth experience God’s Kingdom reign and become more godly minded people. (j) God wants to help us receive and be better expressions of His Love and Light. (k) As we respond to His insightful presence we partake of resurrection life.
While Scripture speaks a few times of a resurrection that comes after we physically die, more often than not, it speaks of us arising out of our spiritual inactivity. We are not intended to die before we partake of resurrection; we can arise and partake of many of its qualities in this life.
Christ is God’s anointing presence that comes to awaken and empower us to arise and be active. “God…according to His own purpose and grace…has been revealed by…Christ Jesus, who… brought life and immorality (Greek – incorruption) to light.” (l) “This is eternal life; that they may know (by experience) Thee and Jesus Christ.” (m) Jesus reveals what uncorrupted life is like.
As we respond to God’s presence and relate to Jesus as His example for us to follow, we actually partake of many features of spiritual life. The Fruits of Spirit that we can know and experience are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (n)
Christ is God’s anointing presence that comes to awaken and empower us to arise and be active.
Arise With Christ
When Jesus was resurrected from the grave, his natural body was included to show to the natural eye that he was not dead. The anointed man they had known now began appearing to them as a spiritual presence. This illustrated how he would never leave and would always be with us. (o)
Scripture declares, while “you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world…God, being rich in mercy…even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ…and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places.” (p) Yes, even while we are in our dying conditions.
We can all wake up, arise, and partake of a more heavenly mindset. When we are open to receiving the improving insights God shares, we can arise and live in more heavenly places, day by day. (q) We really can live in resurrection life today and be as “seated with Christ – God’s anointing.”
God can come to us today as a felt presence, as a messaging angel, an immersing Spirit, or as the personage of Jesus. (r) God offers to restore us from our separation and dying perceptions while we live in this world. He invites us to arise from this world’s captivating ways: “Arise, shine; for your light has come…the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (s)
A repentant attitude allows God to assist our delivering release from bad behavior. We can mature into better images and likenesses (reflections and resemblances) of God’s heart. (t) We really can live by the everlasting insights and perspectives God shares with us, in our day. (u)
The extent to which we experience resurrection life today can depend on how well we interact with God-in-Christ. This is true for us as individuals, families, communities, and nations.
Jesus said, “You don’t have to wait for the end (of life), I am, right now, resurrection and life.” Why wait? Let’s arise into resurrection life today and live above the fray of this temporal world.
God offers to restore us from our separation and dying perceptions while we live in this world.
a) 1 Corinthians 15:52; b) Genesis 2:17; c) Genesis 3:9-11 Romans 5:12-21; d) 1 John 2:16-17; e) Luke 15:11-32; f) Matthew 8:22; Luke 9:60; g) John 11:23-26; h) Ephesians 5:14; Isaiah 60:1-3; i) John 3:3, 6-8; j) Romans 14:17; 15:5-7; Like 17:20-21; k) 1 John 1:5; 4:8; l) 2 Timothy 1:7-10; m) John 17:3, 6:47; 1 John 5:11; n) Galatians 5:22-23; o) Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5; p) Ephesians 2:1-6; q) Ephesians 1:3; r) Luke 24:14-16, 31; Acts 26:15-16; s) Isaiah 60:1; John 1:33; t) 2 Corinthians 3:18; u) John 12:49; 6:63, 68; 8:47, 51
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder
When We Arise And Shine author