Philippians 3:10
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…
By knowing the power of Christ’s resurrection here, the inspired author refers not to the event of being resurrected on the last day as such, although that is a given. Rather, he is talking about the POWER, or the cause, that which enabled Christ to rise again. That’s the power we should personally know intimately and experientially in the here and now. But what exactly is that power?
According to Romans 8:11, this power is the Holy Spirit: “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
It is God’s will for us to experience by revelation this “incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms “(Ep 1:19-20). It is the the power of the Holy Spirit–breathing new life within our souls, applying the finished work of Calvary in our lives and conforming us to Christ’s death.
Tragically, many Christians are not sufficiently acquainted with the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit’s continual empowerment, our lifestyles will not mirror our new creation identify. Our confession and our conduct conflict. Our character and our charisma will contradict. Our testimony is not credible and our influence for God is negligible. Lord have mercy!
Beloved, let us emulate Paul’s ambition to know Christ and His resurrection power more and more. Let us not settle for a dry spirituality. Let us reject a merely formal, political and ritualistic Christianity. Let us shun a purely intellectual faith. Let us be filled with the Spirit always. Let us daily walk with Him, hear His voice, enjoy His presence and glorify His name.
Pastor Josh