Phil. 3:10 says -"that I may know Him and the power of His Resurrection" -
Living with or in the power of Christ takes a great deal of power and effort and discipline and yet , it is all up to the Holy Spirit.
The resurrection of Jesus validates His life. Through it is the conquest of sin and the devil.
When I become a Christian, I am sealed with the Holy Spirit - this is guarentee of salvation and life. Ephesians 1:13 says we 'hear' and 'believe' and are 'sealed' with the promise of the Holy Spirit who is our guarentee of our inheritance..
The whole first chapter of Ephesians is so wonderufl about our spiritual blessings in Christ!! as is 1 Peter 1:3
Eph. 1:3 - '...who has (past tense) blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus.."
Therefore, I HAVE - ALL - I need. I could go on and on about this!!! but I want to share a thought I heard at a conference recently - it has continued to resonate in my thinking.
To really understand the blessing of the Resurrection, we can be reminded about the story of Mary of Magdalene who was freed from seven demons. Thus the village of Magdalene is known as a village of evil - or evil-haunting. Mary was 'evil-haunted' and thus shaped by it - they affected her beliefs, actions, thoughts, emotions, etc. Those were the voices she lived with and which determined her daily life. How awful!!! I may not have a demon, but I allow myself to listen to wrong voices and am just as bad as she was. I still do, apart from walking with Christ.
What voices do we listen to and allow to determine how I live? good question!!
One day Jesus came and set her FREE!! and now her love for Him eclipsed everything.
How do we learn to let our love for Him eclipse all other voices we hear?
Back to Mary - Mary has been forever known as Mary Magdalene. She is known by what was wrong with her and who she 'was.' Why would God want her to remember her darkness?
Because remembering her darkness highlights Resurrection power!!! She knew where she came FROM and rejoiced in her freedom.
Scriptures from old to new testaments tell us to 'remember.' Why? Because if we don't, we get to thinking that we are pretty good or can handle this - Also Luke 7:47 teaches that 'he who is forgiven little, loves little.' We NEED to know and really believe just how much we are forgiven!! TOTALLY. it is so easy to think there is still some goodness in us. there isn't!
Resurrection power is everything!!
The same power that raised Christ from the dead is within me through the person of the Holy Spirit. I have the same Holy Spirit and power that Jesus did when He was on earth!! WOW!!
How much is that. Can I - not yield to sin? YES can I love another? YES - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!!"
Remember who I was
Know who He is
with humble strength - who I am
How?
Behold Him - Look unto Jesus - Consider Him