That I may
know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship
of His
sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.
Philippians
3:10
Apostle Paul
spoke of spiritual power being experienced in two ways through Jesus:
That I may
know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His
sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. Philippians 3:10
Apostle Paul understood the spiritual reality of the resurrection [revival, restoration, resurgence]
power of Jesus Christ which indwells believers; and the power of the
fellowship of His suffering. There is not an awareness of God more hated by Satan than the
resurrection of Jesus because it shows Satan’s inability to defeat God more
than any other event recorded in the Bible.
After
His death for the sins of all mankind, Jesus was raised from the dead by God:
But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. Acts 3:14-15
Buried with
Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead. Colossians 2:12
Who by Him do
believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your
faith and hope might be in God. 1 Peter 1:21
The
account of Jesus’ resurrection can be found in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and
John 20. The
resurrection of Jesus is a powerful truth because it is fundamental to our
faith:
But if there
be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
And if Christ be not risen, then
is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain. 1 Corinthians
15:13-14
Believing
in the resurrection of Jesus is necessary to salvation:
That if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9
The
resurrection of Jesus confirms that believers are justified:
Who [Jesus] was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. Romans 4:25
The
resurrection means death is defeated:
The
resurrection of Jesus confirmed He is supreme over all created beings:
And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church. Ephesians 1:19-22
The
resurrection confirms Jesus as the Son of God:
And declared
to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the
resurrection from the dead. Romans 1:4
The
Bible speaks of a time in the future when this world as we know it will come to
an end. At that time there will be a
resurrection of all the dead. Those who have died as believers will be
resurrected to eternal life. Those who have died as unbelievers will be
resurrected, judged, and condemned to eternal punishment. These assertions about the future resurrections can be found in:
- 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:1-58;
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18;
- John 5:28-29;
- 2 Corinthians 4:14; and
- Revelation 20:4-6.
It
is true that those that have died will someday experience resurrection from the dead, but the
power of the resurrection is not reserved only for the future. Its power can be
experienced now by believers.
The
resurrection is the basis for spiritual power now because it gives you:
Ö A
NEW HOPE:
It
is through resurrection power that we have hope. Our life will not end with
the grave. We have eternal life:
Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant
mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3
Hope
is a powerful force. Without hope, people grow discouraged and weary. The power
of the resurrection keeps hope alive.
Ö A
NEW LIFE:
When we accept Jesus as Savior, we are resurrected from the spiritual death of sin
to spiritual life:
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Colossians 2:13
Spiritual
resurrection results in death to sin. Through resurrection power we can live a
new life. We do not live like we used to live. We are dead to the evil
things of the world and alive in Jesus.
We cannot live this new life by self-improvement. We cannot live it in our own
power. We live it through the power of the resurrection:
Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not
sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts
thereof. Neither yield ye your members
as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as
those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:11-14
The
struggles we face are between spiritual life and death working within us.
Resurrection power defeats the law of sin and death and frees us from bondage. Jesus said:
The thief
cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they
might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10
Not
only eternal life in the future, but abundant life in the present is ours
because of the power of the resurrection.
Ö A
NEW MASTER:
Spiritual
resurrection makes Jesus the master of our life. Instead of living for
yourself, we live to serve Him:
And that He
died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves,
but unto Him which died for them and rose again. 2 Corinthians
5:15
Power
comes from understanding our position because of the resurrection. We are a
servant of the living God. No longer are we a slave of Satan.
Ö A
NEW LIFE PURPOSE:
A
new life purpose results from spiritual resurrection. Instead of concern about
temporal things of the world, such as material gain, ambition, etc., our
attention is focused on eternal things:
If ye then be
risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on
the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the
earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3
The
material things of the world no longer control a believer who has experienced
resurrection power. The circumstances of the world no longer defeat us.
Experiencing the power of the resurrection gives us a new perspective and
purpose.
Ö A
NEW QUICKENING:
But if the
Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit
that dwelleth in you. Romans 8:11
The
word "quicken" means to make alive and to endue with life. God has
already quickened us from sin:
And you hath
He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1
But
He also wants to quicken our mortal body. God wants to endue our mortal body
with resurrection power:
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that
the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7
If we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and been filled with the Holy Spirit in accordance with the word of God, then
that same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us. That life flow
can quicken us NOW with the power of the resurrection.
The
source of this resurrection power in the life of the believer is Jesus. Jesus said:
Jesus said unto her, I am
the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live. John 11:25
Just
as natural life is in the blood, spiritual life is through the blood of Jesus.
Just as natural blood flows through our veins, resurrection life flows through our spirit. Are you walking in the power of His resurrection NOW? In your daily Christian life? In your
ministry? Tap into that life flow today!
(Biblical Studies)
03/21/15
04/25/16
05/15/17
02/04/20
06/27/22
