That Same Power!

Most of Christendom celebrates the Lord’s resurrection on this specific Sunday called Easter; I’m not sure when the tradition started. It was originally a feast of the goddess Austron, the goddess of fertility and sunrise, which was celebrated at the spring equinox. I don't believer there is anything inherently wrong with remembering Christ in that way on a certain day although the Scripture does not command us to observe those types of days in any way. In our lives, Christ’s resurrection is to be remembered everyday for it is the same mighty power that raised Him from the dead that works in us.

Ephesians: 1:18- 20 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places”.

This power is toward those of us who believe and is exceedingly great, working in us. This mighty power is manifest in the work of our conversion and our faith as by this power we, who were dead in our sins, have been raised up new creatures. We are new creatures that have a heart of flesh and new life. It is a sufficient power for us in all things, in our understanding, in our knowledge of Him and we are kept by the same power (1 Pe 1:5) unto salvation.

Colossians 2: 11-13 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are raised with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead, and you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. 

Circumcision of the heart made without hands (Col 2:11), the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the baptism that is without hands; it is an internal reality in regeneration; when our stony heart is removed and we are given a heart of flesh. We are buried with Him in that Holy Spirit baptism and raised up unto new life, our first resurrection, wherein now we walk in newness of life, life in Christ. See how exceedingly great the power is to raise a dead sinner to life, to make us partakers of the very life of Christ. 

1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 

We have been ‘begotten again’, caused to be born again in regeneration unto a lively (living) hope. The hope that is two-fold. It is the hope of every believer that is sure and guaranteed in Christ, the living hope that we have daily as we look to Christ who has already accomplished our salvation. The hope that is not in dead works but in a living Christ, in His shed blood and His righteousness that is ours. It is a living hope because we trust the Living Christ.  

It is the hope we look for everyday, our eternal home with Christ. We would not have regeneration, not been raised to newness of life nor would we have an eternal home less Christ be raised from the dead. As Paul told the Corinthians; "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain, ye are yet in your sins" (1 Cor 15:17) 

Hallelujah Christ is risen!