REVELATION AND POWER OF THE RESURRECTION
(week 17/14)
OLUBI JOHNSON
Firstly, we want to wish all of our readers a wonderful Easter celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ: may His resurrection power be made more manifest in your souls, bodies and circumstances!
As a follow up on last week, we will be studying how ‘eating’ FIRST from the tree of life will enable us to ‘eat’ properly from the tree of knowledge in the weeks to come, but for this Easter season, we will look at the revelation and power of the resurrection.
The truth of the resurrection is fundamental to our Christian faith: no resurrection, no Christianity!
1 Corinthians 15:16-22 NKJV: For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. (17) And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! (18) Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. (19) If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. (20) But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (21) For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
How do you know that Christ was resurrected since you were not there personally to witness it?
You know the same way Paul who was not a personal eyewitness knew: by revelation and manifestation of His resurrection power in your spirit, soul and body!
Galatians 1:11-12 NKJV: But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. (12) For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
It is amazing and instructive to note that Paul understood the spiritual significance of the resurrection just as much and even more than some of those who witnessed it personally physically (1 Jn. 1.1-2; Act. 10.39-41, Gal. 2.1-21).
A personal revelation of the resurrection is necessary to remove the fear of death from our hearts:
Hebrews 2:14-15 NKJV: Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (15) and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
This revelation acts as a spiritual anaesthetic that removes from our hearts the sting of death:
1 Corinthians 15:54-55 NKJV: So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.” (55) “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 NKJV: But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
How then do we experience the revelation and power of the resurrection?
By:
1. Humility so your heart can be open to receive the spirit of revelation and wisdom:
Proverbs 11:2 NKJV: When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.
2. Praying as a DAILY habit, like Paul did, for a CONTINUOUS AND PROGRESSIVE FLOW of the spirit of wisdom and revelation:
Ephesians 1:15-19 NKJV: Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, (16) do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: (17) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, (18) the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (19) and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
3. Habitual DAILY (Heb. 5.7) effectual, fervent prayer in the Spirit with travail to pump the life and power of God into your soul and body, so the resurrection life and power will be made MANIFEST in your physical body NOW. So the resurrection will not just be a doctrine but a REALITY!
Romans 8:11 NKJV: But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
2 Corinthians 4:10-11 KJV: Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
Romans 8:26-27 NKJV: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (27) Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Ephesians 6:18 NKJV: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
It is instructive to note that there is a ‘threshold’ measure of the power of God that must enter our souls and bodies for the revelation and power of the resurrection to be made MANIFEST in our minds and bodies; this is similar (Rom.1:20) to the ‘threshold’ voltage that must enter into fluorescent light bulb for it come on.
ALL Christians have a measure of the revelation and power of the resurrection in their hearts and bodies, but many do not have it in SUFFICIENT measure for it to be MANIFEST.
Philippians 3:10-11 AMP: [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] (11) That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].
So, in this Easter season of resurrection, purpose in your heart (Dan. 1.8) to maintain an attitude of humility and prayer as a DAILY habit for the spirit of revelation and wisdom and in the spirit with travail until you know PERSONALLY by revelation and experience the reality of the Christ’s resurrection!
