Yes — Christ's resurrection is the foundation of the believer's new life.
Because believers are identified with Christ in His death and burial, they are not left in the grave. Just as Christ rose, God quickens believers with resurrection life, and Scripture promises that those who died with Christ shall also live with Him. This resurrection power changes how believers live now and is the basis of their eternal hope.
Romans 6:8-9 — This is the key passage Les uses: if we died with Christ, we shall also live with Him, and Christ's resurrection ends death's dominion.
Ephesians 2:1, 5 — Shows that the same resurrection power that raised Christ is what makes dead sinners alive together with Him.
Romans 6:4 — Shows the believer's new walk is patterned after Christ's resurrection from the dead.
Scripture connects the believer's hope directly to Christ's resurrection. Romans 6:4 says, "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 6:7-9 declares, "For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him." The same resurrection power is God's work in salvation. Romans 1:4 says Jesus was "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." Ephesians 2:1 says, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins," and Ephesians 2:5 says, "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)." So the Bible presents resurrection not only as an event in Christ's past, but as the basis on which believers receive new life.
Les Feldick teaches that the resurrection is fundamental to our faith. Drawing from Romans 6, he says that if believers have died with Christ by faith, they will also live with Him. God did not leave believers in the grave after putting old Adam to death; He gave them resurrection life. Les says God could no more leave believers in the tomb than He could leave Christ in the tomb, and our faith would be for nothing if Christ had not risen. This resurrection life changes a person. Les says it totally changes a life — things we once loved we now hate, and things we once almost hated we now love. It is also how God makes dead sinners alive: those who were dead in trespasses and sins are quickened with resurrection power. Even though the old Adamic nature still wrestles with the believer, God has reckoned it crucified and placed it under subjection to a new nature, giving the believer the hope of resurrection to eternal existence.
Les explains that God saw every true believer in Christ when Christ hung on the cross, when He was buried, and when He rose in resurrection power. God did not leave believers in the tomb; He quickened them with resurrection life, just as He raised Christ from the dead.
When old Adam is crucified, the new nature takes over and the Holy Spirit takes residence with the believer's spirit. Les says the whole life is totally changed — the things once loved are now hated, and the things once almost hated are now loved. The believer still wrestles with the influence of the old Adamic nature, but it is defeated and placed under subjection to the new nature.
Les stresses that resurrection is unique to Christianity and is at the very core of everything we believe. Resurrection does not mean being brought back to earthly life like Lazarus; it refers to the believer's eternal existence through a Biblical resurrection. Along with that future hope, the hope of the power of resurrection begins now in salvation, when God makes dead sinners alive together with Christ.
Died with Christ, Live with Him
Les connects Romans 6:7-8 to the resurrection: after old Adam is put to death, the believer does not stay dead — he lives with Christ, and that changes everything about day-to-day life.
Shall Also Live with Him
Les shows that faith in the gospel means identifying with Christ's death, and because He lives, the believer's real life begins; Christ's resurrection means He dies no more.
Resurrection Is Fundamental
Les calls the resurrection fundamental to our faith and applies Romans 6:8 directly: those who died with Christ shall also live with Him.
New Life, Resurrection Life
Les says God did not leave believers in the grave after crucifying old Adam; instead He gives resurrection life.
Quickened with Christ
Les argues believers could not be left in the tomb any more than Christ could; God quickened us with resurrection power while we were dead in sins.
Resurrected in Newness of Life
Les explains that God saw believers in Christ on the cross, in the grave, and in resurrection; the old Adamic nature is defeated, though still wrestled with.
Resurrection at the Core
Les sets the whole question in 1 Corinthians 15: resurrection is the core of Christianity and the basis for eternal existence.
Power of Resurrection in Salvation
Les points to the power of resurrection as what makes dead sinners alive, using Ephesians 2:1.
Romans 6:4: 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.
Shows that the believer's new walk is patterned directly after Christ's resurrection.
Romans 6:7: For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Establishes that the one who is dead with Christ is released from the old Adamic sin nature.
Romans 6:8: Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Directly promises that believers who died with Christ will also live with Him.
Romans 6:9: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Shows that Christ's resurrection ends death's dominion over Him, which is the believer's confidence.
Ephesians 2:1: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Describes the sinner's dead estate, which resurrection power reverses.
Ephesians 2:5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Declares that believers are made alive together with Christ through resurrection power.
Romans 1:4: And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Shows the resurrection as the power by which God declared Jesus to be the Son of God.
Les says yes, a believer still has to wrestle against the influence of the old Adamic nature even though God has reckoned it as crucified. It is defeated and placed under subjection to a new nature, but in daily experience it is still present.
Not in the ordinary sense. Les emphasizes that Biblical resurrection is the basis for eternal existence. Someone like Lazarus was brought back to life, but the resurrection Paul writes about is the power by which believers will enjoy eternal existence with God.
It describes those under old Adam who cannot help themselves. God breaks that power by crucifying old Adam and then quickens, or makes alive, the believer together with Christ through resurrection power.
Watch the Teaching: Redemption Explained: From Law to Grace (Romans 3 & 6)