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Monday, October 20, 2014

Into the Heart of God # 22

Oneness With God In His Method and In His Power (continued)

Now I must say a little about the power of God. The method of God is always resurrection, and the power of God is always the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of resurrection.

I am going to say something of which I want everyone to take very careful notice. The greatest and most comprehensive proof of the Holy Spirit is resurrection life. We are told that the proof of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is this and that - you can put names to them - but the supreme proof and the most comprehensive proof of the Holy Spirit's presence is resurrection. There may be various expressions of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, but the supreme proof and expression is in resurrection. "The power of His resurrection" comprehends all other expressions. I believe that that chapter of the Letter to the Philippians sets forth Paul's full expression of what he wanted. He did not say at the end, when he was comprehending all: 'That I may know this expression, o that expression!' or 'That I may know the expression of the gift of the tongues!' or 'That I may know the expression in the gift of healing!' or any other particular expression. He said all-inclusively, at the end: "That I may know ... the power of His resurrection."

Paul, who himself had been used to heal the sick, had infirmities until the end of his life. That man, who knew the power of healing as working through him, said: "Trophimus I left at Miletus sick" (2 Timothy 4:20).

No, resurrection life is more than healing. You may not be healed, but you can know resurrection life, and the greatest miracle may be just how you go on through the years with a weak body. I am not saying that there  is no such thing as healing, but I am saying out of the Word of God and out of my own experience that there is a greater thing than healing, and that greater thing is divine life.

This is the power of God. If you look through the Word of God, Old Testament and New Testament, you will see everywhere that the supreme manifestation of the power of God was in resurrection. The people of Israel were in a grave in Egypt. For them Egypt was the house of bondage, and the bonds were the grave-clothes from head to foot. And, so far as the Old Testament is concerned, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt is always referred to as the greatest act of God's power. When Israel went later into captivity in Babylon, Babylon was called their grave, and through the prophet God said: "I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people" (Ezekiel 37:12). And the recovery of Israel from Babylon is set forth as the second greatest demonstration of divine power in the Old Testament.

Resurrection is the supreme proof of the power of God. You do not need to say much about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. When He was on that Cross everything was done to make sure that He was dead. After they had nailed Him, hands and feet, on to the Cross, to make sure that He  was dead they thrust the spear into His heart. When He was taken down from the Cross and put into the tomb, the high priest said: "Take a guard and make sure," so that great stone was rolled against the tomb and the official seal was put on the stone. They had mounted a guard of soldiers. What more could be done to make sure that He was dead? Well, everything that men and devils could do - and then, over all that, it says: "This Jesus did God raise up" (Acts 2:32). What an immense thing resurrection is!

And all the potentialities of the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus are given to the child of God. We can go right on to the end because we have His life. Until the Lord says: ' It is enough; come up higher!' there is no need for any child of God to die. Death and life are in the hands of God. How many wonderful experiences we may eave of this divine life! We may make a lot of other manifestations of the power of God and they may all be quite wonderful - we will never take anything from what is of the Holy Spirit - but when we have said all, the supreme thing is "the power of His resurrection." That is the birthright of the child of God and something that you and I may be knowing now and all the days of our life. "Lay hold on the life eternal, whereunto thou wast called."

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 23 - (Oneness With God In His Passion)

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