“We had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we
would not trust in ourselves, BUT IN GOD WHO RAISES THE DEAD” (2 Corinthians
1:9 NASB).
“They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were
teaching the people, proclaiming IN JESUS THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD” (Acts
4:2 NIV).
It is not just “God,” BUT “God who raises the dead” that
overcomes sentences of death. “As it is
written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep
to be slaughtered’” (Romans 8:36 NIV).
But this is only one half of a mighty reality. Surrounding and giving contextual integrity
to the idea of death by slaughter, are these words: “Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or
nakedness or danger or sword?” No, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans
8:35 & 37 NIV).
Sandwiched in between the deadly litany of things that might
separate us from the love of Christ, viz. “trouble or distress or persecution
or famine or nakedness or danger or sword,” and the incredible and even
miraculous concept of being “more than conquerors” merely because He loved us,
is this realty of facing death daily and ultimately being slaughtered for
Jesus’ sake. BUT... BUT... “O death,
where is thy sting? O grave, where is
thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55 KJV).
Indeed, “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given
over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in
our mortal body” (2 Corinthians 4:10-11 NIV).
Herein is an immutable principle for any and all who dare to genuinely
minister resurrection power. Death in me/life
in you. Or as Paul put it: “So then, death is at work in us, but
life is at work in you” (2 Corinthians 4:12).
The narrow gate is Jesus Christ (which leaves no room for
self or sin), and wide and everlasting power opens up only to those who go in
and out thereby (experiencing death to self and life anew in Him). Indeed, Jesus said, “I am the gate; whoever
enters through me will be saved. They
will come in and go out, and find pasture” (John 10:9 NIV). Resurrection power is life from the dead and
only realized through this portal or gate.
It is power plugged into eternity; it therefore never wanes or dies. “For this perishable [part of us] must put on
the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us that is capable of
dying] must put on immortality [which is freedom from death]” (1 Corinthians
15:53 AMP).
I am reminded of what God spoke to the prophet Ezekiel: “Son
of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up
and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore
prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My
people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them’” (Ezekiel
37:11-12 NIV). Are you dried up? Is all your vigor gone? Are you hopeless? As the prophet Jeremiah once said, “My
strength has perished and so has my hope and
expectation from the Lord” (Lamentations 3:18 AMP). We are meant to come to the end of ourselves
and all of our schemes and natural strength.
But the devil isn’t doing it; God is!
Then, after some whining and perhaps a pity party, we are supposed to
come to our senses just as Jeremiah did when a mere three verses later he goes
on to say, “BUT this I call to mind, therefore I have hope. It is because of
the Lord’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because His
[tender] compassions never fail. They
are new every morning; great and beyond measure is your
faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23 AMP).
Death cannot consume us because God’s compassion fails
not! But the death process is the road
to unstoppable power, and we’d do well to realize God’s ways. Eventually, “This perishable puts on the
imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the Scripture will be
fulfilled that says, ‘DEATH is SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY (vanquished forever)’”
(1 Corinthians 15:54 AMP). In the
meantime, insofar as we allow the process its unimpeded way, we will walk in
resurrection power here and now. Death
to self is resurrection power to others; all true ministry is birthed
here. The lack of power in the church
today directly correlates to the lack of death to the selves commissioned to release
this power. Until the elders lay down
their lives there remains no converting or resurrection power. Christ only rises like a phoenix from the
ashes of those dead to this world and all its charms.
