On Wedseday, we took a look at the Scipture in Philippians 3 where Paul talks about, among other things, poop (in the NIV, rubbish; see verse 8). He was talking about those who put confidence in the “flesh”, or in themselves, as a way of being made right with God. Certain people thought that in order to have a right relationship with God, where all barriers and sin are removed, one needed to be circumcised (a command God gave Abraham in the Old Testament; see Genesis 17). Paul said this was ridiculous, stating that the only way to be made right with God was through faith in Jesus, and thus the only thing we can be confident in is Jesus’ death and resurrection.
At the end of this passage, Paul says, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (verses 10-11).
The resurrection from the dead.
The resurrection is the pinacle of a relationship with Jesus. In Romans 6, Paul writes that when we are buried with Christ (imagery for dying to sin; leaving that life through Christ), we are raised from the dead. He goes on to say that being raised from the dead is how we live a new life:
“We were therefore buired with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of God the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4).
And that’s the thing. God’s resurrection is not only about going to heaven. God, through Christ, defeated death so that we could live new lives, and that life starts now! The resurrection of Jesus works now, today, in your situation.
In Ephesians 1, Paul writes, in a different way, about how the power of God, “[which] is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms” (verse 19b-20). Just before that Paul says that that power is available for us, for those who believe in Christ.
So, know that the power of God, which is like the power he used to resurrect Christ from the dead, is available if you believe.
Know that the resurrection means freedom from sin, and that that freedom starts now.