“The POWER of His RESURRECTION”

As Resurrection Sunday approached, when the entire Christian world celebrates Jesus Christ being raised from the dead, I asked the Lord what He would like me to share at The Gathering.   He spoke to me Philippians 3:10-11, the desire of Paul’s heart: “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Paul’s greatest and deepest desire was to KNOW the Lord, but much more than mere acquaintance.  The Greek word translated “know” in English is ginosko, which means to have deep intimate relationship with Christ, even as a wife knows her husband.  When Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to the Christ Child, she said, “How shall this be, seeing I know (ginosko) not a man (Lk.1:34).”

Paul understood the order of spiritual things.  Knowing the Lord intimately enables us to KNOW and PARTICIPATE in the miraculous dunamis power of His resurrection.  From there we can KNOW and PARTICIPATE in the fellowship (koinonia) of His sufferings.  Then, I can be conformed (summorphoo) to His Death.  Summorphoo means to take on the same form.  In this case it means I must finally stop trying to “save my life” and lose it to become one IN and with Christ.  Christ sacrificed His life unto death that He (and we IN Him) may attain (katanoeo – to perceive fully) the resurrection from the dead.  The final step in our complete salvation process, which culminates in resurrection, is “perceiving” which involves CHANGING and RENEWING OUR MIND to understand it.  Notice the context of Paul’s words:

Philippians 3:2–11  2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!  3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.  7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have SUFFERED the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found IN Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (NKJV)

NO SINNERS SHALL ENTER HEAVEN!

Ephesians 5:5–7  5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.  6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. (NKJV)

You must DIE as who you were and be RESURRECTED as a New Creation!

Romans 6:1–14  1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  2 Certainly not!  How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?  3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  7 For he who has died (that’s us IN Christ) has been freed from sin.  8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  11 Likewise you also, RECKON YOURSELVES TO BE DEAD indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.  13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.  14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. (NKJV)

The POWER of HIS RESURRECTION!

Colossians 3:1–11  3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.  9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. (NKJV)

Luke 9:23–24  23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. (NKJV)