Resurrection -

That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection

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

Do we really know him (Christ) and the power of his resurrection? How can we experience the power of Christ’s resurrection? The apostle Paul is pressing into Christ, being made more like Christ. Most Christians have just made it past the point of being saved by faith in Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Many have not pressed in further to really know Christ and the power of his resurrection. The Bible speaks of continued growth for those who are saved, and this growth involves the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, and being made conformable unto His death. At least this is what the Apostle Paul is stating in the letter to the Philippians in Rome while he was in prison. “To live is Christ, to die is gain,” stated Paul in Philippians 1:21. The Apostle Paul wants to experience the power of Christ’s resurrection. The Hebrew word [tequmah], meaning resurrection, is restoration, standing, or rising before our enemies. It is the power to stand strong.

Our standing is in Christ, and our rising up from the dead is in Christ also. Jesus said that He is “the resurrection and the life,” [see John 11:25]. Our own life is made possible through the power of Christ’s resurrection. This resurrection power gave the victory over the power of death. It was the devil that had the power over death [see Hebrews 2:14] until Christ’s death and resurrection gave all those who believe a new standing over the power of death. The resurrection is also a part of our inheritance as Christians for that future date, when Christ returns. Now we have the down payment of our inheritance through the promised Holy Spirit, who helps us in our walk and conformity to Christ. The apostle Paul counted all things as loss to know Christ more. Paul did not look at his personal possessions; his focus was on Christ and pressing on towards that high calling in Christ. Paul was reaching forward to his future as a citizen in heaven [see Philippians 3:14-20].

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12

The apostle Paul is following after Christ to know and understand Him as Christ has known us. We should have the mind of Christ. We should press forward in the calling of God in Christ Jesus and forget those things that have bound us in sin. Our citizenship is in heaven, and our body will be fashioned after His glorious body [see Philippians 3:21]. We are to be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let our request be known to God [see Philippians 4:6]. This is how we receive the peace of God. Our prayers and supplications, which pass all understanding, will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Our minds are to think on what is good, whatever things are honest and pure. This is realizing spiritual growth towards perfection in Christ.

The Apostle Paul’s journey in life is to know Christ, to fellowship in Christ’s resurrection power, and to be conformed to His death. Have we as Christians really thought about the fellowship we have with Christ and being made conformable to His death? For many, this is not what they had in mind, nor even conceived. Any talk about being made conformable to Christ or his suffering is far from what they think a Christian is. Some just want the easy life, but this is not the reality of Christ. Today, there are a great number of humans who are suffering from all kinds of pain. What can we gain in life when the outcome is death? Can we have the mind of Christ? The answer is, Yes. But we must press toward the mark with the Apostle Paul for Christ. We must ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. We need the Holy Spirit’s help in becoming more like Christ, in love, patience, and holiness. We need to continue our walk towards spiritual maturity and understand our standing in Christ. We have forgiveness for our sins, and the Holy Spirit of promise to continue our walk as followers of Christ. Not that we have attained righteousness on our own, for it is through Christ that our position is in righteousness, and this is through faith in Christ only.

Charles Spurgeon expressed it this way: “that the less you value your own righteousness, the more will you seek after true holiness; the less you think of your own beauty, the more ardently will you long to become like the Lord Jesus.” The way to the mind of Christ is to know Him in a more personal way. Christ emptied himself of his status and took on the form of a servant [see Philippians 2:7]. The mind of Christ is to have love for one another, tender mercy, and compassion. As Christians, we are not to create strife by arguing, quarreling, or seeking self-glorification. We are to esteem others better than ourselves [see Philippians 2:3-5]. Our future is assured through Christ. Jesus said that if you believe in him, you have everlasting life, and He will raise us up at the last day [see John 6:40]. This is the power of his resurrection to gain victory over the evil one and be brought out of darkness and into His wonderful light. We barely know Him and the power of His Resurrection. Let us press in to know Him more. If you want to read more about this subject, click on the link below to read Charles Spurgeon’s take on the power of his resurrection, written in 1889.

Charles Spurgeon, Power of His Resurrection

I am the Resurrection, and the Life

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? John 11:25-26

Do you believe in the resurrection and the life? Some do not believe in the resurrection, and some believe that it has already happened. Yes, it happened with Jesus, but there will come a time when believer’s will be caught up into heaven when Jesus comes again in the future. That has not happened yet. Christ resurrection from the cross is the power of God. That power he gave to men who are saved to do greater works. Jesus told Philip;

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” John 14:12

Jesus is saying that we should be doing greater works, because He has gone to be with the Father. Yet, we as Christians would not even think about doing these greater works without some proof of credentials. To do the greater works requires faith. Faith in Jesus. Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of God and is our high priest. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Resurrection is coming back from death to life. It is revival from death. The Greek word is “anastasis,” which literally means to stand again. Jesus was standing on the right hand of God when Stephen was martyred in [Acts 7:55-60]. Standing to receive Stephen, and He will be standing to receive those who belong to Him.

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:52

The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised. This is the victory Jesus gave us on the cross. I would have loved to witness the dead raised in the 19 Century under Smith Wigglesworth ministry. Through His faith in God, 14 people have been raised from the dead. Is this not greater works for the glory of God? Jesus raised Lazarus in John chapter 11, verses 38 to 43, so that those who witnessed it may see the glory of God and believe in Jesus. This is the power of God towards restoration of the whole body. Can we envision the resurrection of our own body? The body being changed, restored, revived for the glory of God.

Some say that the church has only believed for salvation and not for healing. But, through the cross, Jesus has provided complete healing for the body. Let’s look at Isaiah chapter 53, verse 3, the Berean Standard Bible translation.

“Surely, He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.”

If Jesus bore/took up our infirmities/sicknesses, why are we still carrying them? It is our unbelief that keeps us from seeing the truth of the resurrection of a restored body. We would rather believe that Jesus was struck down by God and afflicted than seeing him raised up from the grave victorious. “O death, where is thy sting?” How far would you travel to receive healing in your body? There have been many people who traveled across the country just to be healed from all kinds of sicknesses. I have watched Kathryn Kulman televised healing services and also have gone and witnessed people healed during the Benny Hinn healing crusades. It is not the individuals themself who receive the applause for doing great works, but the fact that God used them for His glory in order that people may believe and be healed in the name of Jesus.

It is the prayer of faith that people are saved and healed.

“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” James 5:15

We must grow our faith and believe in the resurrection power of Jesus to be raised up out of our own sickness into a newness of life. Restored from death is to see the glory of God. To be called a child of God and to have communion with God. Listen to what the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians.

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 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 15:12-14

Our faith is not in vain when we place it in Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. The resurrection of Jesus from the cross gives us the victory over sin and death. Jesus paid the price on the cross for you and me. Listen to the story of the song titled “The Cross” recorded live at the Bread of Life Mission in Seattle, Washington.

The Cross

Jesus stood on trial before the people.
They accused him of sin and wanted him crucified.
Jesus did no wrong, he had no sin.
They let a criminal go, instead of Him.

Chorus
And the tears flowed down upon His face.
The tears of his love for you and me.
And the tears flowed down upon His Face.
The tears of his death for you and me.

For you and me [repeat 3 x]
He bored the Cross.

The crown of thorns was placed upon His head.
They mocked saying, "Hail the King of the Jews."
Jesus carried His cross burdened by its weight.
They nailed Him upon it with two other thieves.

Jesus cried, "Father forgive them,
They know not what they do."
People stood watching him upon the cross,
Not knowing the price, He paid to free their sins.

Written by Inge Schultz
© 1985

May you be blessed in the name of Jesus as you grow in faith to believe in doing greater works, for He is the resurrection and the life.

The Law of the Spirit of Life

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:2

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed us from the law of sin and death. What does this really mean for Christians today? What is the law of the Spirit of life? I can remember some leaders say that being a Christian isn’t a bed of roses, for roses have thorns. It goes without saying that life itself has thorns that prick and can make us bleed. This becomes the acceptable fact of life due to Adams sin which brought condemnation into the world. The consequence of Adams sin made us all sinners, and this brought moral breakdown upon all humanity. This is the universal state of man’s nature which brings the moral state of fallen humanity. We inherited this nature from Adam’s sin. God’s grace through Jesus Christ changes us because of the blood sacrifice on the cross. Jesus himself being righteous in the father’s eye gave us a new inheritance that brings us life instead of death. The apostle Paul affirms this in the following scripture.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Romans 5:12

The apostle Paul was explaining the difference between justification and condemnation. We are justified by the blood of Jesus. The death of Jesus made it possible for us to live under God’s grace. Christ death has reconciled us back to God. This is the condition where Adam had fellowship with God before he sinned. Just look at verse 17, in Romans chapter 5.

“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:17

The law of the Spirit of life is in Jesus Christ and sin should not reign in our mortal body. Jesus Christ was raised up from the dead and the dominion of sin and death has been abolished. All that we were in Adam has been crucified through Christ. We are now to take on the new nature of Christ in all its fullness. This is the new creation in Christ Jesus. Christ is being formed within the Christians heart, soul, and mind. The apostle Paul told the Ephesians that we are not to walk in the vanity of our mind, but we are to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness [see Ephesians chapter 4 verses 17-24]. This is the walk of a believer through the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Let not sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, [Romans 6:12]. The struggle is between the spiritual and the natural man of sin. Many Christians struggle between the sin nature and the nature of Christ. We try to do it ourselves and fall short of the glory of God. We forget that the law of the Spirit of life is where the power of God is. It is through His son Jesus.

The law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus is the accepted way back to God for our sins. Remember the three in one in first John chapter 5 verse 7 states, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” We must believe in the work of the Holy Spirit who will manifest God’s power in our mortal bodies. This includes our fear, shame, old nature, and any sickness. It is Jesus’ death and resurrection that broke the power of sin and death in our mortal bodies. This is what changed my life of looking for love in all the wrong places to a genuine love that only Jesus could give. This love was worked through others who gave their life to God in full surrender. This is the law of faith in Christ Jesus working in each human being. The conflict of the old nature and the new nature will always be with us. It is faith in who Jesus is that will raise us up together in Christ Jesus. Just look at Romans chapter 8 verse 11.

“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

Do you believe that the Spirit of Jesus dwells within you? Have your mortal bodies been restored to new life? We must walk in faith and continue in the Holy Spirit and not in the flesh. Walking in the flesh is to be carnally minded and that brings death. To be spiritually minded is to have life and peace. Those who walk in the flesh cannot please God. To walk in the Spirit is to walk in the faith, for this is the law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus. This excludes self-righteousness because all righteousness is through Jesus alone. The same Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead shall quicken our mortal bodies. This is the work of the Holy Spirit to impart God’s life in our weak bodies. We put to death the deeds of the body in faith through Jesus Christ. As a Christian we do not fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, but rather we reprove them, [see Ephesians 5:11]. The works of darkness is quarreling, jealousy, and greediness along with sexual immorality.

It is Jesus who said, “if you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed,” [John 8:31]. The word is the truth, and it shall set us free. Look at verse 34 of John chapter 8, where Jesus said, “whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” A servant does not abide forever in the house, but the son does, [see verse 35 of John chapter 8]. What a revelation this is and speaks to our wonderful inheritance we have through Christ Jesus. As a child of God, we have an inheritance, but a servant does not, because the servant has not yet been adopted into the family. Think about your own position. Are you a servant of sin, or are you a child of God? Remember it is the work of the Holy Spirit that delivers us from the law of sin.

We are born into the life of Christ as God’s children, and we are joint heirs with Christ. We have been adopted into God’s family and have the assurance that he hears us when we cry out to the Father God. We do not have a mind of the flesh any longer but of the Spirit of God through Christ Jesus. We pray in faith for the Spirit to change our mind to the law of the Spirit of Christ who has made us victorious over sin and death. The apostle Paul affirms this in the following verses in chapter 8.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
Romans 8:12-14

Our position in Christ has brought us the adoption as children of God. It is the Spirit that will guide us on to maturity as a child of God. This is the continuous work of law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that forever will keep us free from the law of sin and death. Do you believe this? This is the gift that God has given us through His son. Reconciliation, adoption, and everlasting life. No more bondage in fear, but adoption and heirs of God.

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
Romans 8:17