Death and Resurrection
The path to righteousness is through death and resurrection.
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)
The above verse describes the victorious Christian life. We are to account ourselves as dead with Christ on the cross. We also are to account ourselves as risen with Christ and walking in a new life of righteous behaviour.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (Romans 6:5)
The verse above parallels Philippians 3:11. If we are willing to be conformed to the death of Christ, then, when the Lord comes, we will be raised into a body like His resurrected and glorified body. It is our willingness to be conformed to the death of Christ that makes a place for us in the royal priesthood, among those who are to be raised when the Lord appears.
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6)
We experience death and resurrection so we no longer will behave in a sinful manner. We pursue death and resurrection in Christ so that we may behave righteously and thus be eligible and competent to fulfill all that God has spoken concerning man.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11)
The Lord promised us that if we would believe in Him we would never die. The victorious Christian enters both the death and the life of Christ each day of his pilgrimage.
Every day the Lord tests us concerning our love of the world, or our love of sin, or our self-will and rebellion against God. Every day we are required to choose whom we will serve. Either we yield to our worldliness, or our sinful passions, or our intense desire to possess or achieve something, or else we put our sinful nature to death and yield to the eternal life of Christ.
If we seek to save our adamic nature we will die. But if we are willing to put to death our carnal nature with its lusts, murder, and guile we will enter eternal life in the Lord Jesus.
If we do not gain the victory over the world, sin, and our self-will we shall succeed in slaying our own resurrection, that is, we shall not enter the joyous Life of Jesus when we are raised from the dead.
We already have pointed to the difference between the first resurrection and the second resurrection. The first resurrection is that which will take place when the Lord appears. Each participant in the first resurrection already has been judged by the Lord. He has walked through the Divine fire until every element of his personality has been reconciled to God by means of death and resurrection. He already has been judged and his sentence is to be with the Lord Jesus in glory forever—ages without end.
Every individual who does not attain to the out-resurrection, the first resurrection, will be called forth at the termination of the thousand-year Kingdom Age. He will stand before God and be judged according to his works while on earth. The Scripture does not state at this point what shall happen to him when he is raised. But we do know that every individual whose name is not found in the Book of life will be cast into the lake that burns with fire and sulphur.
Participation in the out-resurrection from among the dead is a prize well worth seeking. In order to attain to this first resurrection we must lay aside all else and come to Christ with a perfect heart. If we do He will enable us to attain to the resurrection of the royal priesthood.
Our inner, spiritual nature is born of God. However, our physical body must be adopted.
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23)
When the spiritual enemies of our personality have been overcome, then we are ready for the Lord to adopt our physical body in order that we may be redeemed completely—spirit, soul, and body.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thessalonians 5:23)
Whoever would seek to be like the Lord Jesus at His appearing must purify himself as a necessary act of preparation.
And every man that hath this hope [of being like the Lord] in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (I John 3:3)
Compare:
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (II Corinthians 7:1)