Phi 3 The power behind our Lord's resurrection, Part 1

The power of His Resurrection

We have looked at the first part of PHI 3:10 which says "that I may come to know Him, (and then the verb to know is still in view, so we would say and come to know) the power of (or behind) His resurrection."

The dynamics of occupation with Christ are given in the next phrase, "and the power of His resurrection."

There were two categories of divine power used in the resurrection of Christ.

1. The omnipotence of the Father which restored our Lord's human spirit in heaven to His body in the grave and thereby became an agent in the resurrection, Act 2:24; ROM 6:4; EPH 1:20; COL 2:12; 1TH 1:10; 1PE 1:21. LUK 23:46.

2. The omnipotence of the Holy Spirit which restored our Lord's human soul in Hades to His body in the grave and thereby became an agent in the resurrection, ROM 1:4; ROM 8:11 and 1PE 3:18-19 which says "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit or by means of the Holy Spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,"

The Lord Jesus Christ (TLJC) had a part in the resurrection, as it was a part of the Father's plan for the dispensation of the Hypostatic Union. Jesus Christ said He could raise Himself from the dead in JOH 10:17-18 "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." (Also see JOH 2:15-22).

This same divine power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is available to every Church Age believer to execute the Pre-designed Plan Of God (PPOG).

There are three categories of divine power.

1. The omnipotence of God the Father, related to our portfolio of invisible assets, through which, the believer fulfills the PPOG.

2. The omnipotence of God the Son, related to the preservation and perpetuation of human history. This means that Jesus Christ controls history COL 1:16-17, HEB 1:3 "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power."

Through His power TLJC controls the universe, PSA 103:19, the physical world, MAT 5:45, the affairs of nations,PSA 66:7, man's birth and destiny, GAL 1:15, man's successes and failures, LUK 1:52, and provides protection for His people, PSA 4:8.

3. The omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit is related to residence, function, and momentum inside the PPOG.

The utilization of divine omnipotence during the Church Age is the basis for becoming an invisible hero, and for coming to have occupation with the person of Christ. God's perfect plan runs on God's perfect power for imperfect persons because God is perfect DEU 32:4 "The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He."

The power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same power available to every believer in the Church Age to execute the plan of God. This is the same power that will resurrect every Church Age believer.

EPH 1:19-20, "And what is the surpassing greatness of His power to us who have believed for the working of His superior power, which He made operational by means of Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in heavenly places."

That is the power of our Lord's resurrection. This power creates its own solutions in the Christian life, the ten problem solving devices, something infinitely greater than human morality.

When PHI 3:10 says, "that I may come to know Him, and the power of [behind] His resurrection," it means that we first begin to know this mighty power of His resurrection and ascension when we see our scriptural position in our risen Lord. Since you cannot be resurrected unless you have something to be resurrected from, the foundation of all resurrection life is death, ROM 6:5, EPH 2:5, PHI 2:6.

We are new creations in Christ Jesus by the power of His resurrection. However, this is something that we have to believe and reckon. Our reckoning is to be based upon our position; we count ourselves alive unto God in Christ. Through our faith in this fact, the Holy Spirit makes this truth real in our condition resulting in our spiritual growth. We abide in Him above, and He manifests Himself in us below.

We are hopelessly taken up with the struggle for freedom, unless we are aware we have been cut off from the slavery of sin and self through our having died, with Him, on the cross. Until we know we are alive from the dead, we cannot yield to Him. We know the power of His resurrection in our position. We are realizing that power in our spiritual growth; we will forever know His power in our resurrection bodies.

Where is this power? 2CO 4:7 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves;"

How is this power perfected in time? 2CO 12:9 "And He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

What does this power have to do with my life? 2CO 13:4 "For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you."

What is the power of our Lord's resurrection? The direct power available to us is found in the filling of the Spirit and the indirect power available to us is in the metabolized doctrine that is circulating in our soul.

God has taken you and me, totally depraved individuals, and given us eternal life, 1JO 5:11-12; perfect righteousness, 2CO 5:21; made us His children, 2TI 2:1, sanctified us, 1CO 1:2; made us priests, HEB 10:10-14, and Royalty (Kingship), 2PE 1:11.

Once we know that we are alive from the dead, we can present the members of our physical body unto God. Our entire body can be presented unto God. Present yourselves to God, and if you're smart, you mind your own business and let God take care of His family! However, we do not present ourselves to God to become free, but to give meaning, purpose, and definition to our life ROM 6:4.

God gives us the ability to understand and utilize the power behind our Lord's resurrection because He demands virtue and integrity on the part of the believer. This results in the ability to handle the details of life and ultimately, to handle spiritual warfare. This is the subject of Eph 6:10. We all need virtue and integrity if we are to be victorious in spiritual warfare. In the spiritual realm, this refers to the spiritual strength to be faithful to the principles of Bible doctrine and living in the PPOG.

PHI 3:10 which says "knowing the power behind His resurrection, goes perfectly with Eph 6:10 which says "Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might."

Paul brings out the fact that the details of life are the training ground for future spiritual warfare. The word "finally" in Eph 6:10 should be translated "From now on." This phrase refers to some very important principles beginning inEPH 5:21 where Paul teaches the principles behind the Royal Family honor code. EPH 5:21, says "and be subject to one another in the fear or the respect of Christ." In EPH 5:22, the principles behind marriage, "Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord." The power of God will give the woman the ability to fulfill this command. EPH 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;" The power of God will give the man the ability to fulfill this command. EPH 6:1, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." The power of God will give them the ability to fulfill this command. EPH 6:4 "And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." EPH 6:5 "Slaves, [Christian labor] be obedient to those who are your masters [management] according to the flesh, with respect and maximum effort [not trembling but maximum effort], in the integrity of your heart, as to Christ;" EPH 6:9 "And, masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him."

Then in Eph 6:10 the apostle Paul writes, "Finally (from now on), be strong in the Lord, and in the strength or in the power of His might."

This doesn't tell you "how" to be strong in the Lord. It is actually a conclusion of the previous paragraphs concerning the Christian way of life. This is "picking up the pieces" and going forward in the spiritual life. There are many convicting principles taught in these verses concerning the Royal family honor code. Eph 6:10 is where all of us can pull ourselves up from the dust we were lying in because of conviction.

The implication of Eph 5:21-6:10 is very important, it is that we are too unstable and unprepared to handle spiritual warfare if we can't handle the details of life. It is in the details of life, where Satan and the kingdom of darkness will try to hinder us from entering into spiritual warfare. If Satan can cause problems in our relationships in life, then he can break down and destroy the unity God demands.

To combat this we operate in virtue-love, which is personal love for God the Father, spiritual self-esteem resulting in love for self, impersonal unconditional love for all mankind, and occupation with the person of Christ. We need divine power because Satan, as the ruler of this world, has maximum power that he utilizes for his policy of evil. This evil power is deceptive because it is often disguised with the facade of good works or religion and is often concealed by sincerity, which is really a manifestation of evil.

The enemy we face desires to wear us out! Satan is an organizational genius with a great organization of demons,EPH 6:10-12. Satan has one goal regarding the life of every believer, to lead all believers astray. Any area that you do not practice sound doctrine in is an area open to his deception, dishonesty and lies.

However, Satan's power is not greater than God's and this reminds us of God's grace. God has made available to us His power. The omnipotence of the Father in providing our escrow blessings, the omnipotence of God the Son who preserves the universe and history daily, and the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit who provides the power to execute the PPOG.

One of the functions of the devil as the ruler of this world is to express his antagonism, slander, and enmity, toward God and toward God's people. This is why we should not get our eyes on people because that is not where the true problems, lies EPH 6:12.

Satan has a power system that he uses to control others. This is why we need to come to and understanding of the power behind our Lord's resurrection. Satan has a strategy to control nations based on conspiracy and deceit. He is anti-military and pro welfare state, pro-communist and against free enterprise. He is against marriage and the family. Satan's power counterfeits of the plan of God in religion include a counterfeit:

1. Gospel, 2CO 4:3-4.

2. Ministers, 2CO 11:13-15.

3. Doctrine, 1TI 4:1.

4. Communion table, 1CO 10:19-21.

5. Spirituality, GAL 3:2-3.

6. Righteousness, MAT 19:16-28.

7. He has a counterfeit self-righteousness, MAT 23:13-36.

8. Counterfeit power and dynamics (miracles, healing, tongues), 2TH 2:8-10.

9. System of gods, 2TH 2:3-4.

When you are being deceived by the power of Satan you start to lose your spiritual senses and then your common sense. The devil holds believers captive by legalism, self-righteousness, arrogance, emotionalism, guilt, fear, condemnation, and manipulation. Satan's greatest strategy is the doctrinal attack on the cross and principle of salvation by faith alone, 2CO 4:4. Satan must obscure the fact that salvation is by faith alone. When we recognize the power of Satan, we see the reason we need the power of God and we appreciate that "greater is the power that is us than that which is in the world."