The Power of His Resurrection

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The Power of His Resurrection THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION Preached on Sunday (evening service?) at Glad Tidings Tabernacle and Bible School, San Francisco, California August 20, 1922 Published in Triumphs of Faith p. 60-62 March 1923 Philippians 3: 3, 7-10 Beloved, it is God’s thought to make us all very rich in grace, and in the knowledge of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have before us this morning a message which is full of heights and depths and lengths and breadths; a message where the flesh, and all that pertains to this world had to come nothing. This third chapter of Philippians is so big; let us look at third verse, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” There is a circumcision to the heart of faith, and it is a wonderful circumcision made without hands, where God brings into the heart such a perfection that all the law is fulfilled and we delight to do the will of God. Some people are very much perplexed in regard to keeping the Sabbath Day. Why should I go back under law when God through Christ has wrought the whole law into my heart, with a great joy to do it. Every day is a Sabbath with me, every day is a day unto the Lord. That is a grand place to be where we have “no confidence in the flesh.” When God holds the reins of our lives, we have no longer anything to boast about, because we that all our own perfection, according to law-keeping, ceases. Oh, it is beautiful to gaze upon the perfected Jesus! Jesus so outstrips everything else. For this reason Paul felt that everything must become dross, whatever he was, whatever had been. There is no help for us only on the lines of helplessness and nothingness. Beloved, I see there is no hope for us only through broken conditions. Pentecost came of a broken heart. It was there on the Cross, Christ died with a broken heart. Pentecost came out of jeering and sneering, being smitten with a rod, and a judgment that was passed away from Him, a Cross that He had to bear. Oh, glory to God, Pentecost brings out this morning through the Word, “It is finished” for you. And now because it is finished, we can take the same place He took and rise out of death into majestic glory with the resurrection touch of Heaven, so that all will know that God has done something for us. ‘Every day there must be a revival touch in our hearts. We are to be made new all time. There are some beatitudes here that God would have us reach this day. “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord ; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” Now let us turn to the tenth chapter of Hebrews. Notice the 34th verse ; “For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance.” This is a wonderful verse, especially when we have realized the truth that is in the 32nd verse. “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.” I am positive that no man can ever come into like mindedness on these lines except by the illumination of the Spirit. God has been speaking to me over and over again, and He tells me that I must press all the people in to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. I see in the Baptism of the Holy Ghost unlimited grace, and the endurance in that revelation by the Spirit. The excellency of Christ can never be understood only by illumination. The Holy Ghost is the great Illuminator who makes me understand all the depths of Christ. Paul never saw Christ but by the Spirit’s revelation. Before his conversion Paul would do anything to put Christians to death, and that passion within him raged like a mighty lion. But as he was on the way to Damascus, he heard the voice of Jesus saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” It was the tenderness of God which broke his heart. Beloved, it is always God’s tenderness which brings us to brokenness. If somebody tried to thwart us we could stand our ground, but when we go to One who forgives us all, we know not what to do except to surrender all to Him. Oh, to win Christ, beloved! There are many things in the human heart which need softening a thousand times a day. There are things in us that will never be broken, and brought to ashes, unless. God shows the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. I notice here another verse which is so beautiful. “And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” We must not depend upon our own works, but upon the faithfulness of God, being able under all circumstances to be hidden in Him, covered by the Almighty One in the presence of God. Oh, I must be found in Him! There is a seclusion, a place of rest and faith in Jesus and nothing else is like unto it. He came to the disciples on the water when they were terrified and He said to them, “It Is I, be not afraid.” Yes, He is always there in the storm; He is there in the peace; He is there in the trouble ; He is there in the adversity. When shall we know He is there? When we are found in Him, not having our own work, our own plan, but resting in the Omnipotent plan of God, resting in the finished work of Christ. “He that keepeth thee. will not slumber.”, Beloved, you have been weighted down with troubles, they have almost crushed you, sometimes you thought you would never get out of them, but behind the whole thing God was working a plan greater than all. “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection.” It is in the mind of God for us to know this resurrection order. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. We must understand the truth as He said to Martha, “If thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God.” Jesus said unto her, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.” Beloved, today is a resurrection day. Jesus said, “Greater things shall ye do.” Then we must know the power of His resurrection. It was when people laughed Jesus to scorn, when the little daughter of the Ruler had died, that He said to the parents, “Only Believe.” Ah, my Brother, my Sister, to know this power of His resurrection! To know this rest of faith, to know the supplanting of His power in thee this morning, to make thee see that every one of us without exception can reach these beatitudes in the Spirit. Jesus went into the house and in the power of the Spirit, commanded the dead girl to arise. Also with authority He cried, “Lazarus, come forth.” Why did He say, Lazarus? He had told the people that He was the Resurrection and the Life and if He had not said, “Lazarus,” all the people in the graves would have come forth. He had to call for one man, or everybody would have come out of their graves. The Lord wants us to come to the place where we cease living our own lives, where by the power of God, we rise out of our natural life into a life where God rules and reigns, Beloved, do you long to win Him ? Do you long to know Him ?’ Do you long to be found in Him? That longing shall be satisfied. This is a day of putting on and being clothed upon in God. All you that want to know the power of God yield to the mighty power of God; obey the Spirit. Scroll down for originals .
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