Knowing the Power of His Resurrection

by Timothy Keller

Photo by Mark Jones on Unsplash

Resurrection Power at Work

Many people believe the propositions. They believe the historical facts about Jesus, but their real agenda is personal success. So they go to Christ when they want to and need to. Paul says that a Christian is someone who has turned that all around so that personal success is defined by knowing him and the power of his resurrection. Everything else becomes second.

The minute you decide to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, the power of the Holy Spirit comes into your life. It’s the power of the resurrection—the same thing that raised Jesus from the dead

The more you know him, the more you grow into the power of the resurrection. The more time you spend with him, seek him, read his Word, the more you pray—the more it stirs up the resurrection power that is within you through the Holy Spirit.

There is one more thing Paul says here that he wants: “I want to know the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings.” To know the power of his resurrection and share in his sufferings, what does it mean?

It’s perfectly logical. If you go out into the world resembling Jesus by his resurrection power within you—if you turn the other cheek, if you love people who are unlovable, if you always tell the truth—what will happen? You will find his sufferings reenacted in your life. People are going to be unhappy with you. You’ll be taken advantage of. People will be offended.

Jesus said,

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die . . .” (John 11:25–26).

He was saying: The one who unites with me by faith becomes spiritually alive and is transformed from one degree of splendor to the next, and the process goes on and on forever and even physical death can’t stop it. Death actually moves this process on to perfection. When the body dies, our spirits burst into flame in his presence, and we burn bright with his energy, power, and goodness—all of his glory flowing in and out of us. That’s what we’re in for. We’ll be like him, and his resurrection power will be complete in us.

Taken from Knowing the Power of His Resurrection by Timothy Keller, Copyright © April 09, 2023. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org