Length: 8 Minutes

We’ve already been over many scriptural proofs, but for anyone who believes scripture, this is the simplest and most profound proof that physical resurrection is a part of our inheritance. 

If we want to understand whether physical resurrection of the dead (or anything else) is included in our inheritance, we first need to ask ourselves, “How do we, as Christians, define our inheritance?” How do we know what Jesus provided or didn’t provide? Is there a list somewhere of all the things that Jesus paid for? Well, sort of. But the Bible defines a Christians inheritance easily with one term. Ready? Here it is: “The glorified Jesus.”

The Bible sums up every Christians inheritance by simply saying that we have everything that Jesus has in His glory. If Jesus, has it then you have it. If He doesn’t have it, then you don’t have it either. The Bible calls it being a joint heir with Christ. That means that you have received everything that Christ received from God.

Romans 8:17 (NKJV) and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him [persecution] that we may also be glorified together.

I wish that more Christians understood this simple truth. It would settle so many arguments about what we have or don’t have. A joint heir means that we have inherited the same things jointly with Jesus (including the hatred that He continues to receive from the ungodly). And so, if there was any question about our inheritance, the only question we would have to ask is, “Does the glorified Jesus have it?” If He does, then it’s ours as well. If not, then it doesn’t belong to us either. It is so straightforward and simple. 

1 John 4:17 (NKJV) …because as He is, so are we in this world.

We have inherited the same things that Jesus has. In fact, our inheritance is so much like Jesus’s, that the Bible actually advocates for us to look at Him to define what we have. The Bible even calls Jesus our mirror, because we need to look at Him to see who we are.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV) But we all… beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory…

Why does 2 Corinthians tell us to look at the glory of Jesus “as in a mirror?” Well, the Bible defines a mirror as something you look at to see yourself (James 1:23–24). Knowing this, when 2 Corinthians tells us to look at Jesus as our mirror, it’s telling us to look at the glorified Jesus to find out who we are.

Doesn’t that just make sense? Doesn’t all of that just fit together seamlessly? If we are inheritors together with Jesus, then wouldn’t it make sense to look at what Jesus has to see what you have? If He has it in His resurrection, then you have it as well. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that 2 Corinthians tells us to look at Jesus to define ourselves.

And take note: what version of Jesus are we to relate to as our mirror? The crucified Jesus or the glorified Jesus? Noticed that it says that we behold “the glory of the Lord as in a mirror.” That means that we specifically need to look at Jesus in His glory and resurrection to define what we have today, as believers.

This may be the most profound thing you hear all day, so listen closely to this: What you see at the cross is everything Jesus was setting you free from (Romans 6:6). What you see in His resurrection is what you have today.  That is not a metaphor or an analogy. That is literal. What you see in Jesus is what you have living inside of you right now.

There is so much more we can say on this topic, but assuming you really understand what I just said, that is the most definitive scriptural proof that our inheritance includes physical resurrection for the dead. There it is.

Some people may still be wondering how that is definitive proof. If you truly knew that we define our inheritance by what we see in the glorified Jesus, it’s simple. Whatever He has is what we have. That being true, let’s look at the state of the glorified Jesus, our joint heir, to define what we have, shall we?

Romans 6:9 (NKJV) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

Let’s not talk about our life, our neighbors experience, or our feelings right now. Let’s just talk about the glorified Jesus. Romans 6 names some characteristics of him:

1) He has been raised from the dead (physically, of course, with nail scars to prove it).
2) He will never die again.
3) Death no longer has dominion over Him.

These are all qualities of the glorified Jesus, which you can find written all through scripture. No Christian is going to disagree with you on that. But you would have to deny that you are a joint heir with Christ to not apply those qualities to yourself as well. If you are a joint heir, then if He has it, you have it. 

If Jesus has received power to be physically raised from the dead, then our inheritance includes power to physically raise the dead. If Jesus lives and dies no more, physical death no longer having dominion over Him, then it has no more dominion over us either. 

We have the same power that worked in Him when His own physical body was raised from the dead. 

Ephesians 1:19-20 (NKJV) and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead…

We have power in accordance with what? With His crucifixion? No, but with His resurrection. We don’t look at the crucified Jesus to relate with what we see there. We look at the resurrected Jesus and relate to what we see in Him.

If anyone disagrees with this right now, your disagreement is not with resurrection. Your disagreement is with being a joint heir with Jesus. Because once you truly believe you are a joint heir with Him, it is impossible not to apply all of His qualities to yourself as well. 

These things are inside of you right now. It may be more than you ever imagined before. It may be far bigger than you thought (which is to be expected — 1 Corinthians 2:9), but once you truly believe that you are a joint heir, it’s indisputable that we have the power to physically raise the dead, and the power to not die to begin with. Otherwise, you are not a joint heir with Christ. You are something else.

All of this may sound strange to some Christians, but on the contrary, it would rather be strange if we didn’t have the same things as Jesus, while still calling ourselves joint heirs with Him. What exactly is a joint heir if you haven’t inherited things jointly with the resurrected Jesus? 

You see, if we are just comparing ourselves amongst ourselves, looking at what Peter or Paul experienced, or looking at what our friends have experienced to define our inheritance, we are going to be very confused. And truthfully, much of the church is still very confused as to what they have in Christ. But once you stop looking at everyone else, and start looking at the glorified Jesus to define yourself, it takes all of the guess work out of it. If He, has it, you have it. If He doesn’t, then you don’t either.

The fact that our glorified Jesus has been physically raised from the dead is our definitive proof that we have that power as well. That may be simple. That may not be the theological argument you were expecting to hear, but for all its simplicity, it is the gospel truth. Nothing up our sleeve. No tricks being played. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that He has this power, therefore we have it too.

Our glorified Jesus has been physically raised from the dead, He dies no more, and death no longer has dominion over Him. My advice? Likewise reckon yourselves!

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