MANIFESTING RESURRECTION LIFE
(Week 15/09)
Olubi Johnson
Firstly we would like to wish all of our readers a joyous, revelation filled Easter celebration and apologise for the lateness of these articles in these last 3 weeks of April 2009 as I was on holiday and we were performing a maintenance update on our website.
In this season we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The resurrection of Christ is the very heart of Christianity and is what distinguishes Christianity from all other religions: all other religious leaders are dead only Christ was raised from the dead as evidenced by many infallible proofs:
Acts 1:3 ESV: He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV: (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, (5) and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. (6) Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. (7) Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. (8) Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
However some may say that this is just the recorded evidence of other people; how can I know this is true for certain?
The evidence of the changed nature and character from a life of sin to righteousness, of millions of people through the centuries that have had genuine faith in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus is further evidence.
However if you as an individual take the step of faith to ask the Lord Jesus to come into your heart; your heart and conduct will experience the same resurrection life and power millions of people have down through the centuries.
Furthermore the Bible reveals to us that the resurrection life and power of the Lord Jesus can and should be manifest in our present physical mortal bodies NOW even before we experience the eternal resurrection of our bodies:
2 Corinthians 4:10-11 ESV: (10) always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. (11) For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
All truly born-again Christians have experienced the life of God in their spirits and have the witness of this:
Romans 8:15-16 ESV: For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (16)The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Some have gone further and experienced the life of God in their souls: where their minds have been enlightened with light of revelation:
2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV: For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:16-20 ESV: I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, (17) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, (18) having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, (19) and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might (20) that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places
It is instructive to note that the Ephesian Christians here were already born-again and filled with the Holy Spirit (Ac. 19.1-6) yet they did not have the spirit of wisdom and revelation: the life of God manifesting in their souls bringing the light of revelation knowledge (2 Cor. 4.6).
Now it is the will of God that we go on further to experience the life of God in our physical bodies, by which we will experience personal healing and power in our bodies, holiness prevailing over the lusts of the flesh, and becoming vessels through which the power of God will heal men like Christ did:
Mark 5:24-29 ESV: And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. (25) And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, (26) and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. (27) She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. (28) For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” (29) And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
Luke 6:19 ESV And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
This consistent spectacular manifestation of the life of God in our physical bodies NOW is what the scripture calls the ‘manifestation of the sons of God’ and it is what the whole of creation is eagerly waiting for in this 3rd day:
Romans 8:19 MKJV: For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Isaiah 25:9 ESV It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Now since Easter is also the celebration of the Lord’s spiritual birthday (Christmas is the celebration of His physical birth): Jesus was born from spiritual death to spiritual life on the resurrection morning becoming the first born among many brethren:
Romans 8:29 ESV: For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Colossians 1:18 ESV: And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.
Hebrews 1:3-6 ESV: He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (4) having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (5) For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? (6) And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
The greatest gift you could give Him this Easter would be your determination and subsequent consecration to see His resurrection life and power fully manifested in your mortal body NOW.
In our article next week we will see how to do this.
