Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death; There are those who think it indicative of an unspiritual state of mind to lay stress on the physical resurrection of Christ. They tell us that the all-important matter is His resurrection in the hearts of His disciples. But Paul regarded it as a fact of transcendent importance. He and the other apostles regarded it as a power. I. FOR INSPIRING FAITH IN CHRIST AS THE SON OF GOD. II. FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION (Romans 4:25). The resurrection was a pledge that God had accepted the sacrifice. III. FOR INSPIRING WITHIN US THE HOPE OF GLORY. Death is to the eye of sense a mystery, and the materialistic doctrine darkens what faint hope of immortality may be within us. But Christ's resurrection "brought life and immortality to light." He conquered death, and to believe that He is "the first fruits of them that slept," is to receive power to break the tyranny of death (ver. 21). IV. TO SANCTIFY OUR NATURE. This is perhaps Paul's leading idea. To identify ourselves with a risen Redeemer must exert a purifying effect on our souls (Colossians 3:1). (T. C. Finlayson). Parallel Verses KJV: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; |
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