“He that believeth in me — though he were dead — yet shall he live!” Jn.11:25
With these words — our Lord utters something of a mystery. For how can any one who is dead — believe? Obviously this is a gospel truth — or, Jesus would not have said it. But, what does He really mean by this?
He already taught from Jn.6:63 — that it is the Holy Spirit who quickens unto life. So, the answer must in some way include Him — the Holy Spirit — in the working out of this matter. Indeed — a regenerated sinner — is a true believing sinner. And, a living soul who has been quickened by the Spirit of Christ — in essence — is a living
“dead man”! You may say, how can this be? There is a mysterious mysticism about this. We can be quickened by the Holy Spirit — where all we once were — was dead in our sins! According to the “law of Moses”– we are — in these bodies of dust — still on a course to keep an appointment with death — even though we have been blessed with God’s grace of saving faith. Now, we are just true believing sinners — saved by grace! “For by grace — are ye saved through faith — and that not of yourselves.”
Jesus tells us that it is the work of God — that we believe in Him — whom the Father sent. And, it is because of this grace of faith — that we call upon the Name of the Lord — and seek the Lord daily, in our living out our lives while still in this world. It is by faith — that we hunger and thirst after His righteousness — and experience being filled. It is by faith we look — not at the things which are seen — for they are temporal — but, at the eternal things which are not seen. We focus our thoughts and our perspective opinions on the blessed things of the person and work of the eternal Son of God!! And, dwelling upon these wonderful things — we are content — even though we still traverse — through the darkest of trials.
In doing this — we become fixed on our risen Savior — who is our very life…even though we are very dead. Col.3:1-3 puts it this way: “If ye then be risen with Christ -seek those things which are above — where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. (2) Set your affection on things above — not on things on the earth. (3) For ye are dead — and your life — is hid with Christ — in God!”
This is knowing Christ — and the power of His resurrection — as described from Phil.3:10. Which occurs by being blessed with a regenerating revelatory realization that is spoken of from Eph.2:6. Quickened to believe that you have been raised up together with Christ — and made to sit together in heavenly places in Him. Indeed, our resurrected Lord — is made to be unto us a life quickening spirit. [1Co.15:45]
In this way, therefore, we — by the grace of faith — see the connection between the resurrection from the dead of our Lord Jesus Christ — and our experience — in Him — of putting away the dross — of our dead, worthless flesh!
