Originally posted on April 12th 2020
This is the second post I have written this Easter on living the Christian life, the first being “Walk Before Me and be Thou Perfect” (of 4 days ago).
The two should be read together as they compliment each other!
The former is concerned with the principle governing the Christian life. The present post is concerned with the power to live the Christian life; it will have its focus on the Easter message!
The apostle Paul quoting a piece of very early Christian tradition in 1 Corinthians 15, says:
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised* on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. 1 Cor. 15,3-4
The Starting Point and the Power to live the Christian life, come from the events of Easter; the Cross and the Resurrection.
IDENTIFIED WITH CHRIST
Paul, explaining the meaning of baptism in the letter to the Romans says:
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. Rom. 6,3-5
In other words, God reckoned us as dead with Christ – dead from our former way of life without God, and risen with Christ to a new life with him! The full argument of Paul is to be found in Romans chapter 6.
We are identified with Christ in his death and resurrection!
CHRIST LIVES IN ME!
In the extremely important letter of Paul to the Galatians, written before Romans, we read:
19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal. 2,19-20
It was the very best of Judaism that put Jesus on the Cross. And it was the very best of Judaism (the Jewish Sanhedrin – see Mk. 15,1) that stood condemned when God raised Jesus from the dead, and thus vindicated his Son. The very best of Judaism, included people like the Pharisee Paul. See Phil. ch. 3 e.g. Hence, for Paul the Pharisee, now a Christian, the law is no longer the way whereby he (or anyone else) may seek to be justified before God: Through the law, he is now dead to the law, that he may live for God; being dead to the law, he is now alive to Christ!
Indeed, Christ lives in him, and the life he now lives in the flesh (i.e. his new bodily existence) he lives – not keeping the law, but by faith in the Son of God!
Galatians 2,19-20 succinctly sum up Paul’s post-conversion conviction. It is the result of his own theological pilgrimage; his own experience of keeping the law (see Phil. 3,1-11), and his newly found faith in Christ. But as such it is for all Christians everywhere. This is a scripture which every Christian might with profit commit to memory and diligently reflect upon.
THE POWER TO LIVE IN CHRIST
God has therefore according to Paul, reckoned us into Christ’s death and resurrection. We are dead from our old life without God, and alive to the new life with Christ – new life in the Spirit!
And the last phrase – “in the Spirit”, gives us the key to the next step:
For, being reckoned in Christ, thus being justified in him, having all our sins forgiven – where does the power come from to live the new life?
THE POWER COMES FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT!
I quote here from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power (**δύναμις/dynamis) for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. Eph. 1,15-20
It is the resurrection power, the power by which God raised Jesus from the dead, the power of the Holy Spirit, that energises the Church; that energises the believer!
His power enables us to believe!
His is the power by which we suffer adversity!
His is the power by which we love and hope!
His is the power by which we tell others about Christ – the power to witness – see also Acts 1,8
His is the power by which we live the Christian life!
GOD´S PLANS FOR YOUR FUTURE!
I want to end this post by sharing a verse of Scripture from the prophet Jeremiah:
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jer. 29:11
NOTES:
* Nb! The verb translated “was raised”, is another Greek perfect (passiv), i.e. denoting an action completed in past time, the consequences of which are still being felt! Diagramatically: • ——————
I.e. we still now know and experience the result of the Resurrection of Christ!
**The word for “power”, δύναμις/ dynamis, is the word we get “dynamite” from.
Encouraging to listen to👍😊