RESURRECTION IN THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
[p. 406] RESURRECTION IN THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
Romans 1: 1 - 7; Romans 4: 23 - 25; Romans 6: 1 - 4; Romans 7: 4; Romans 8: 11
The first passage brings out the power that deals with death, the complete victory over real death. The second relates to justification, which is an outstanding feature in the presentation of the gospel, being connected directly with the resurrection. The third bears on our wilderness position, involving the glory of the Father in the resurrection. The fourth passage brings in the fruit for God. Finally in chapter 8 we have what God thinks of us as being a dwelling-place for His Spirit.
These scriptures involve a very wide range of truth, but there is a need for it so that we might be established and not be cast about by current things. Sonship was a known thing at the baptism of Christ, but in Romans 1 we have presented the qualifications in power, which marked Him off as the Son of God. There was no surrender of holiness in His dealing with death; the Spirit of holiness was maintained in all His acts of power and certainly in His resurrection. Essential holiness runs right through His path, and resurrection is associated with moral power as well as with spiritual power. We see what God has in Christ. In the operations in Genesis 1 only God is mentioned, but we are on known ground in Romans, and the qualifications are in the Lord Jesus. Holiness is not found in Genesis 1, but a Person is in mind here. We are on known ground, for God is known in Christ who is marked out as God’s Son because He deals with death. It is in view of the service of God: “The living ... shall praise thee” (Isaiah 38: 19).
The true Aaron is seen here. Aaron was referred to as the ‘holy one;’ here the true Aaron brings [p. 407] in living response. Even in administrative matters we are to maintain holiness; it is essential in dealing with matters relating to evil. The demons recognised Him and owned Him to be the “holy one of God”. The Holy Spirit would then be in power among us as we move administratively; in fact He came down in an administrative setting at Pentecost, and Peter in speaking in Acts 5 to Ananias of lying to the Holy Spirit emphasises that side. Peter was maintaining the spirit of holiness and so dealt with this evil matter in power. The most powerful opposition is met by the spirit of holiness. The gospel is often presented without it, but it should not be so. The gospel as received into the soul is the potentiality of everything for God; fulness is in it. As the Mediator, Christ laid His hand on God and on us. We know Him thus; He is of the seed of David, but He is marked out God’s Son in dealing with the power of death, establishing the victory on which everything is to be eventually accomplished. The assembly is the fulness, for she is to be the vessel in which all this power is known. Death was an affront to God’s majesty, but the Lord Jesus was revealed in view of dealing with this adverse power. God’s thought is life.
Chapter 4 sets out the great divine consideration for us and it should touch every one of us, to the youngest, that the Lord Jesus was delivered for our offences and raised for our justification. It is to establish confidence in God. Abraham is a characteristic believer and this chapter is to make believers, so that Abraham’s children should come to light. God raised up our Lord Jesus Christ for our sakes, and peace with God results in chapter 5. Confidence in God is thus established. In Luke 13 the woman was bent double, but the power of Christ operated to liberate her from such a state, so that as lifting up herself she might see the One who effected her deliverance. Confidence results and she is called a “daughter of Abraham”. The generation of Abraham comes to light in Luke as the result of the activities of grace. Zacchaeus is another such; he is called a “son of Abraham”.
It is necessary for us to learn that death is upon everything here. The best in nature has to go, and we must face this before the truth and power of resurrection can be known by us. The last enemy is met by Christ and completely annulled. What a victory He has wrought for the believer! In John 11 Jesus says of Lazarus, “Let us go to him”. He loved Mary and Martha, but Lazarus is definitely in mind here; it is a special matter and it is teaching for us. The power of Christ is emphasised, for corruption had set in; he had been four days dead, but he is raised. It is important to see that every believer’s death is a special matter; we are in good hands, for, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. In every believer’s case Jesus is concerned, He puts us to sleep. Death is dealt with peculiarly in relation to believers; God will bring us with Christ in resurrection power, so Romans 4 establishes confidence in God in everything.
Sarah is the first person in Scripture whose burial is recorded, and much is made of it in order to help us. There is special care of each believer and not one is haphazard. How touching it is to know, when we lose our brethren, that God had to do with it and it was a special matter to Him. Hezekiah feared, but Paul says, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” That is 1 Corinthians 15, where we are on known ground again; but he has also to say, “Some are ignorant of God;” that is a solemn thing and this chapter would help us to be free from such a charge. Jacob and Joseph also refer much to the matter of death, and doubtless they had learnt from the instruction as to Sarah. Also Stephen “fell asleep” and was carried to his burial;
[p. 409] God was interested and so was Jesus, whom he had seen. Romans is the opening up of Genesis 5 — the life line.
Chapter 6 brings out the Father’s part in the act of resurrection. It is our identification with Christ in death in view of likeness to Him in resurrection. In our case there is to be something to correspond with Christ’s resurrection, so that every believer’s resurrection involves the Father’s glory. Our walking in newness of life is connected with our knowledge of the Father. The Father’s affections entered into the resurrection of Christ. He could say, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hades, nor wilt thou give thy gracious one to see corruption” (Acts 2: 27). He ever knew the Father’s affections and had this confidence. Why then should we not have that confidence? The Father’s voice at His baptism, and on the mount of transfiguration, and in John 12, all enter into this matter of Christ’s resurrection and we are to know something of its meaning. On the cross He said, “My God”, quoting from Psalm 22, but in the assembly He addresses Him as “Father”. He committed His spirit to the Father, so that newness of life links on with the Father.
‘God’ is stressed in Romans 6, implying our responsibility and going as far as judgment (verse 23), but grace is to permeate everything for us, so the Father’s glory and newness of life are put together. Peter speaks of invoking the Father, but of fearing God, and we read in Hebrews that “our God is a consuming fire;” so that we accept all that God is as God, but we also know Him as Father.
“Resurrection from among the dead” means a selective one; Lazarus being called by name in John 11 proves this. Affection enters into it, for it is not all the dead. Unbelievers will be raised as an evidence of authority, but the saints are raised as an evidence of affection. In Luke 16: 19 - 31, the [p. 410] rich man has no name at all, but Lazarus has the same name on earth and in Abraham’s bosom. This implies the affectionate interest of heaven in every saint, of which resurrection is the crowning witness.
Chapter 7 speaks of marriage and is to give us complete deliverance from any other claimant. We may be full of religious thoughts even at the Supper, but we are to be delivered, to be to Him who is raised from the dead. It is to bring in the moral element, to free us from all legal, sentimental, and religious thoughts which mark us naturally. Fleshly and religious thoughts have no claim over us now and we are entitled so to regard ourselves and to lean on the arm of our Beloved in coming together. It is a newness of life and walk in chapter 6, but in chapter 7 the service of God is in view and fruit to Him, involving in its fulness the assembly. I believe that the truth of the Lord’s supper enters into this, and this chapter entitles us to dismiss all connected with the old dispensation. In John 20 Mary turns completely round to look at the Lord. This verse includes what we were and what we are. A new bond is formed; the old is dispensed with. “To be to another” is a very strong idea and the affections are called into it; the old things must be dismissed.
In chapter 8: 11 we have a dwelling-place for God, a place for the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus. Both ‘Jesus’ ‘Christ’ are mentioned: the first involving God’s personal relation to Him, the second the testimony side. As anointed He is Christ in view of testimony and we also are viewed as in the testimony. The great value of our bodies to God is in mind; they are necessary for the testimony. He loved Jesus personally and He loves us personally, but He also loves Him in relation to the testimony, and He loves us too in that respect. How much do we know of this? The first is inward, the second is outward; the first is seen in the shittim wood, the [p. 411] second in the gold covering. The first is seen in a praying Saul of Tarsus, the second in his preaching the Son of God. The treasure is in earthen vessels — that is the value of our bodies. In John 4 the Lord refers to the Holy Spirit as living water and the woman apprehends that her body is serviceable and is to enter into the testimony. So she leaves her waterpot, and then she shines in the city in testimony, saying to the men, “Is not this the Christ?” She was operative in relation to the testimony, and was characteristically a vessel for the Holy Spirit. We are now viewed as persons in that dignity, having the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus. We are marked off as sons, and there is evidence spiritually that this is the case. God shows how He will finish the work begun in the gospel. We are thus to be lovable and serviceable to God. It is seen in Caleb and Joshua — men of another spirit. The Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus involves the glory of the Father. Thus all God’s thoughts are to be accomplished. As we consider Jesus, what He was to God, we are concerned to correspond with Him, for that Spirit is to be in us. In the Acts they took knowledge of the disciples that they had been with Jesus; there was moral correspondence with Him.