CHRIST AS OUR SUBSTITUTE DIED IN OUR STEAD. He died as a public person, representing His people; as our representative He rose from the dead. All His redeemed people are said to have died in Him when He died, and risen with Him when He arose. By virtue of this we are quickened by the Spirit of life, and we arise and ascend to Him in our newfound hopes, desires, and affections. His life now lives in us, and we are to make manifest the resurrection life of Christ in our bodies. We are to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is also stated of all believers that He has raised us up together, and made us sit together with Christ in the heavenly places. Christ and His people are one. They were represented by Him when He fulfilled the law, when He made the atonement, when He arose from the dead, and when He entered into the holiest of all with His own blood. They live through His death. They live in union to His person. They live for His honour and glory. Being risen with Christ, they should not grovel on earth; but as their head, their leader, and their life is in heaven, there their thoughts, desires, affections should ever be. All praise to God, we are risen with Christ!

For Meditation:
Believing souls, whom Jesus know,
If risen indeed, with Him ye are,
Superior to the joys below,
His resurrection power declare.