Titus 2 Men And Women

I Peter 1
:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 
:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 
:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
Jamison-Fawcett-Brown Commentary: "(Unto) a lively hope" is further explained by "(To) an inheritance incorruptible ... fadeth not away," and "(unto) salvation ... ready to be revealed in the last time." "Unto a hope living (possessing life and vitality) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." Faith, the subjective means of the spiritual resurrection of the soul, is wrought by the same power whereby Christ was raised from the dead.

After reading this I had to stop and realize that my faith that wanes from time to time does so because it is faith not drawn on the power of God...resurrection power.

"What we need then are not "Bible believing" or even "resurrection believing" Christians" but Jesus following, resurrection living disciples." I wish I knew who to attribute this quote to. I do know it struck my heart and I found myself reading it several times and then sat still before the Lord.

I am a Bible-believing Christian who believes in the resurrection...our hope of eternal life. I had to consider if I was consistently living in the new life Christ provided by His resurrection and gift of the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. Or, have I far too often sat at the foot of the cross seemingly powerless over sin, without the deep joy and peace of the Lord, without the victory of getting Satan to leave me alone, too often consumed by the sins which the death of Christ forgave and God promised to remember no more? Have I far too often sat at the foot of the cross waiting for Heaven instead of being alive and excited about living to glorify the Lord as I live in the world around me? God helped me to face the fact that I have not been a consistent resurrection-living servant for the Lord.

Romans 8:11 "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." (Strong’s Concordance--quicken: make alive, give life, quicken.)

When Jesus died on the cross God rent/tore the veil of the temple which had kept people from accessing the Holy of Holies. God tore that thick, heavy veil from the top to the bottom so that every Christian could "come boldly unto the throne of grace" to talk with God anytime. And then, with the resurrection of Jesus Christ came victory over sin and death and the power of the Holy Spirit to enable the child of God to live a life above moaning, selfishness, scornfulness, depression, fear, sadness, anxiety, hopelessness....and every other negative thing we can think of. God even admonishes us to not grieve as the world grieves, which is without hope. 

May the prayer on my heart continually be for God to fill me with His Holy Spirit that I may have His wisdom, discernment, joy, peace that passes all understanding, my thoughts captive, my heart clean with a burning desire to live in the power of His resurrection...a resurrection life to show others His glory and power! 
Philippians 3:10-16 
:10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 
:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 
:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 
:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 
:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 
:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 
:16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. 

Matthew Henry: 
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings. Faith is called knowledge, Isaiah 53:11. Knowing him here is believing in him: it is an experimental knowledge of the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, or feeling the transforming efficacy and virtue of them. Observe, the apostle was as ambitious of being sanctified as he was of being justified. He was as desirous to know the power of Christ's death and resurrection killing sin in him, and raising him up to newness of life, as he was to receive the benefit of Christ's death and resurrection in his justification.

Dear Lord, does my Christian faith and practice show others Your resurrection power as I present your finished work on the cross for the sin of the world? Oh...That I may know You and the power of Your resurrection, and the fellowship of Your sufferings that others will see Christ in me.

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