Raised with Christ!

Raised with Christ!

Romans 8:11 KJV

[11] But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

There is power in the right content as well as the right association. You can only be as effective or powerful as your content. In the physical, we put labels on containers and then refine the contents to look like the label. You are first attracted to the label, before you are either disappointed or elated by the contents,  depending on what you see. In the spiritual, there is a similar concept but a different perspective. It is always the content that will define the label. The label always comes after hen the contents have been revealed and experienced. The early apostles were first called Christians in Antioch, it was not what they called themselves that they were known by; men looked at them, and they could see the contents pouring out of them. They knew that what they saw could only be as a result of an inner condition and conviction that could not be suppressed. 

The verse above makes this distinction clear. The verse is addressed to those who are IN Christ Jesus. This distinction is important, as you cannot lay claim to what you are not entitled to, either by birth, or by acquired citizenship. Your position defines your content and determines your possession. It is this identity issue that must first be sorted out, before I can seek to make a claim on that identity. If God does not know me as His own, how can I take of His Spirit and do anything of value for Him? That is why the verse above starts with a conditional statement: IF indeed the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells IN me. I need to examine my life thoroughly, with the help of the Spirit of Truth, to know where I am. It is foolishness to lie to myself and hold on to a false narrative. What do I stand to lose if I allow God show me who I am, and where I stand with Him? 

The connection with the power that raised up Jesus from the dead remains strong till today. That power is effective, and it also guarantees that my mortal body will also experience the resurrection power of God. Think of this: there is a power that even the finality of death could not stop or limit. That means that the One who has that power is greater than death and all its manifestations. He is Life. He gives life to all who come to Him. This mortal body is limited in what it can do, and how far it can go, but when the power of God touches it, this mortal body can achieve things it never thought possible. That is why a mortal man, though dead, had his bones raise another dead man to life. It is this connection with His power that makes impact possible. By His Spirit, He wants to impact the world. Would I be willing to surrender my life as a platform for His expressions? God's time of favour is here.