If Ye Then Be Risen
To experience the resurrection, we must be really dead to our old life and seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the transformative power of being risen with Christ, urging believers to seek higher spiritual realities and embrace the new life that comes from resurrection. He highlights that Christ is always present, ready to greet those who seek Him with open hearts, and that true resurrection means a complete departure from the old life. Simpson reminds us that our lives are hidden with Christ, and only by fully dying to our old selves can we truly live in Him. The message calls for a deeper commitment to spiritual growth and service, encouraging believers to look beyond earthly concerns.
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God is waiting today to mark the opening hours, for every ready and willing heart, with a touch of life and power that will lift us to higher pleasures and offer to our vision grander horizons of hope and holy service. We shall not need to look far to discover our risen Lord. He was in advance even of the earliest seeker that Easter morning, and He will be waiting for us before the break of day with His glad "All hail" if we only have eyes to see and hearts to welcome and obey Him. What is His message to us this springtime? If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1, 3).
It is not just risen with Christ, but resurrected.
It is not rising a little higher in the old life, but it is rising from the dead. The resurrection will mean no more than the death has meant. Only so far as we are really dead shall we live with Him.
Sermon Outline
- The Risen Lord
- The Call to Rise
- The Reality of Resurrection
- It is not just rising a little higher in the old life, but it is rising from the dead
- Only so far as we are really dead shall we live with Him
Key Quotes
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” — A.B. Simpson
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1, 3).” — A.B. Simpson
“Only so far as we are really dead shall we live with Him.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- We must be willing to let go of our old life and seek a new life with Christ.
- Our life is hidden with Christ in God, and we must seek to live in that reality.
- The resurrection is not just a spiritual experience, but a new way of living that requires us to be dead to our old life.