"My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."
Letter to the Philippians chapter 3 verses 10-11
__________________________
(The great evangelist of the Christian Movement, Charles Spurgeon, reminds us that simply believing Jesus rose from the dead is not enough.)
"The resurrection is the corner-stone of the entire building of Christianity. But to know that he has risen, and to have fellowship with him as such, communing with the risen Saviour by possessing a risen life, seeing him leave the tomb by leaving the tomb of worldliness ourselves -- this is even still more precious.
"I would have you believe that Christ rose from the dead so as to sing of it, and derive all the consolation which it is possible for you to extract from this well-ascertained and well-witnessed fact, but I beseech you, rest not contented even there. Though you cannot, like the disciples, see him visibly, yet I bid you aspire to see Christ Jesus by the eye of faith, and though, like Mary Magdalene, you may not “touch” him, yet may you be privileged to converse with him, and to know that he is risen, you yourselves being risen in him to newness of life.
"To know a crucified Saviour as having crucified all my sins, is a high degree of knowledge, but to know a risen Saviour as having justified me, and to realize that he has bestowed upon me new life, having given me to be a new creature through his own newness of life, this is a noble style of experience. Short of it, none ought to rest satisfied.
"May you both “know him, and the power of his resurrection.” Why should souls who are quickened with Jesus, wear the grave-clothes of worldliness and unbelief?
"Rise, for the Lord is risen."
No comments:
Post a Comment