To live from Christ’s life is to live from Jesus’ actual historic life (the one in the Bible). We cannot separate Christ from Jesus. This means that we want to understand and appropriate the Incarnation, Perfect Life of Suffering, Death, Resurrection, and Glorification of Jesus.
Resurrection.
Christ was raised from the dead to new life in a “spiritual” body. In this apocalyptic act he was vindicated by God. His sacrifice for us was accepted, and he was judged as righteous. The sin he once bore has been forgiven and paid for, once for all time.
In Jewish thought, the resurrection happens at the end of time just before the judgment. But in Christ, it has already happened. The future is already set and guaranteed. He has already been raised and judged. He is not guilty. His perfect life out weighed the curse of sin that he took upon himself at the cross.
Romans 4:25. [Jesus] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Romans 6:4. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:9-11. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Our union with his resurrection brings us this same new life. Because of the resurrection we can have the zoe life of God- NOW. The power of sin is broken by our new life in Christ.
His life is now ours through faith. We are completely loved and accepted by God. Now the power of all idols can be broken by resurrection power. Beyond this, we also have received the power to love and live for him and by him in this world. In Christ, we have everything that has been given to Jesus after his resurrection.
The resurrection doesn’t just guarantee our physical resurrection some day. It guarantees our union with Christ right now, today! It is because of the resurrection and it’s immediate spiritual effects that we can say “to live is Christ.”
To Live is Christ 