Philippians 3; Ezekiel 23; Isaiah 51

“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,” (Philippians 3:10 NKJV)

Paul wanted to be sure that his righteousness depended on Christ and not on his own works. Why was that? He recognized what his life was like when he was doing all the “right” things according to Judaism. He considered all of those things to be nothing compared to the surpassing knowledge of his relationship with Jesus. He also knew that committing his life to Christ was a death sentence – if not actual physical death, at least a death to the old way of doing things. The end goal of our relationship with Christ and our righteousness being in Him is that we may know Him and the power of the resurrection which we’ll need to experience because we can be sure that we will suffer for our faith and ultimately die as He did.

We may not understand the intensity of that commitment in the United States where it’s relatively safe to be a Christian, but people who commit to Christ in many countries face persecution, imprisonment, and even death. While we may not have to deal with those threats, we still deal with complacency, apathy, and procrastination, among other attitudes that keep us from recognizing the urgency to experience the power of His resurrection. We need to understand and experience that power that conquered death as we live and work in the midst of this “crooked and perverse generation.” (See yesterday’s post) That power can take away our greatest fears as we deal with a world that’s becoming more hostile to the gospel every day. Today, may the power of His resurrection flow through your entire being and make you ready to be a witness to the love and grace of Christ. 

Lord, let me know and experience the power of Your resurrection as I live and work in the midst of this wicked and perverse world. May I overcome the temptations of this world and show others Your love and grace so that they, too, may experience the power of Your resurrection.