The EXCEEDING GREATNESS of GOD'S POWER * 1-3

The EXCEEDING GREATNESS of GOD'S POWER *
*PART THREE OF THREE*
As believers we fail to measure up to God's standard, but we have no
Divine authority to lower the standard to the level of our failures.
When we would do good, evil is present. The flesh lusteth against the
Spirit and we may not do the things that we should. But the exceeding
great power of God is available.
*
*APPROPRIATION AND APPLICATION *
*
Believers are exhorted to pray without ceasing (I Thess. 5:7). Quite a
big order for one who has many other duties. But it is God's order. And
the principle is always, "Be it unto you according to your faith. "
The believer is exhorted to study, to present, to resist, to let, to
hope, to overcome, to live, to watch, to be vigilant and sober, to seek.
Then there are many negative exhortations.
He is to put on the whole armour of God. He is to witness and work. He
is to walk in the Spirit and make no provisions for the flesh. He is to
yield himself to God and his members as instruments of righteousness. He
is to put on the new man and to put off the old man. There is to be no
let-up and no let-down; no unoccupied moments; no surrender to Satan or
self; no compromise; but constant abiding in Christ, in fellowship and
communion, yielded every moment to the Holy Spirit, saying with Paul, "I
can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13).
The believer is instructed to abstain from all appearance of evil
(IThess. 5:22). He is exhorted to keep himself unspotted from the world.
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world" (1 John
2:15). In fact, there are several hundred admonitions, injunctions,
orders, warnings, beseechings and rules for his Christian conduct.
Such is the price of victory. Paul practiced what he preached. How are
we getting along? Our sufficiency is of God!

God may not have done everything I want Him to do for me. Yet, He
really deserves my constant gratitude. What of you? Do you realize that
you ought to thank God always? Do you always thank Him?
1Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you.

The EXCEEDING GREATNESS of GOD'S POWER
PART TWO OF THREE
God was ever well pleased with His Son; when He was Jesus of Nazareth in
the midst of His people, and since He has raised Him from the dead and
seated Him at His own right hand in the super-heavenlies. God manifested
His great power in the act of the resurrection and exaltation of His
Son. God manifests that same great power, to save from the penalty of
sin, any and every sinner who believes this Divine gospel.
There is absolutely no saving message for anyone in the sinless life and
holy example of the Son of God, apart from His death and resurrection.
The penalty of sin is death. How could the sinner escape that death
penalty by trying to live like Jesus lived? There would be no death
penalty in such a struggle; but there would be utter failure; and
eternal death after the futile struggle. It is the privilege of redeemed
sinners to know Christ in the power of His resurrection; but not until
they have escaped the death penalty by identification with Christ,
"baptized into His death" (Rom. 6:3).
If the same exceeding great power that God manifested in raising Christ
from death to the super-heavenlies is available for the believer to
enable him to have power over sin, it would seem that the believer's
defeat could only be the result of his failure to appropriate and apply
that exceeding great power. If such exceeding great power is available
for the believer, then the believer should be delivered from the power
of sin.
ACCOMPLISHED BY GOD'S POWER
"How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"
(Rom.6:2). The believer is baptized into the death of Christ, and having
been crucified with Him he is raised to walk in newness of life
(Rom.6:4). "Sin shall not have dominion over you" (Rom. 6:14). "Let not
sin reign in your mortal body" (Rom. 6:12).
>From these, and many other verses, it seems that victory is provided
for the believer in Christ and that victory is expected of the believer
in Christ. The believer is identified with Christ in death. Christ died
unto sin.
"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (CoI.
3:3)."If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1). What
things are where Christ is? Not a thing that has to do with sin. A very
high standard? It couldn't be higher. It is the "super-heavenlies"
standard. It is the Christ standard. The things which are where Christ
is are the things which are in Christ. And the believer is in Christ.
The believer is raised with Christ. The believer is seated with Christ
in the heavenlies (Eph. 2:6). Because the exceeding great power God used
to accomplish the resurrection of Christ is to us-ward who believe, the
believer is exhorted to manifest that resurrection power in his life.
It is one thing to be kept by the power of God through faith unto that
glorious salvation at the coming of the Lord; it is another thing today
by day live in resurrection power.
Wise people realize how little
they know and how much
they need the great wisdom of God.
---Joe Stowell
____Freedom' s Warning____
We're taking back our country
From those who've been trying to botch it up again
And we're here to tell you
That we don't like it one bit
So if you choose to be on the wrong side
Prepare to be taken aback
John Christopher

The EXCEEDING GREATNESS of GOD'S POWER *
*PART ONE OF THREE*

*

What is the measure of God's power toward believers?
What can be accomplished in the believer by that power?
How can the believer appropriate and apply that power?

THE MEASURE OF GOD'S POWER TO US-WARD

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what
is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His
inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of His
power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty
power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and
set Him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is
named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And
hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all
things to the church" (Eph 1:18-22).

Such is the measure of God's power to the believer in the matter of
salvation; salvation from sin. Something more than human power is needed
to save the sinner from sin. Divine power is needed. And the very best
news that any human being ever heard is, that Divine power is available.
The news that there is power that will save from the power of sin is
good news, or "the gospel." Every human being is utterly helpless to
deal with sin. But the majority of sinners are more interested in being
delivered from some of their sinful habits than they are in being saved
from the penalty of sin. To be saved from the penalty of sin means to be
saved from the wages of sin; which is death (Rom. 6:23).

God demands death for sin. Unless the sinner finds and appropriates the
Divine remedy for sin, the death penalty is certain; it is fixed by the
holy Judge. Apart from Divine merciful intervention, the sinner's doom
is inevitable; Divine judgment is inescapable. So far as man is
concerned he can do nothing to deliver himself from the presence of sin,
from the power of sin, or from the penalty of sin. So far as God is
concerned His very character demands justice. The question is, how can
the helpless, powerless sinner escape justice at the hands of the God
against whom he has sinned? There must be death for sin. Must each
sinner die for himself? Is it justice for the innocent to suffer for the
guilty? The world says, "No."

God's Word declares that "Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God" (1 Pet 3:18). Then
this question, "has the Holy Judge the right to be the sinner's
Saviour?" Can He act as Judge and Saviour and be both just and merciful?
The world says, "true justice knows no mercy." But the Just One, who has
accomplished the redemption whereby man can be brought to God, was both
God and man. The Offended One was delivered for our offenses. He
satisfied His own justice by becoming the God-man and receiving the
wages of sin; death.

The Lord of Glory was crucified; put to death in the flesh, but made
alive in the Spirit. Christ died for our sins: He was buried and was
raised again on the third day. He dealt with sin, which He put away by
the sacrifice of Himself. Then He abolished death and hath brought life
and incorruptibility to light in the gospel. In this redemptive work
Christ proved His Deity, vindicated and satisfied Divine righteousness
and justice; and fulfilled His word: "I lay down my life, that I might
take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I
have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" John
10:17-18). It must be admitted that such power is Divine power.

*It is one thing to be kept by the power of God through faith
unto that glorious salvation till the coming of the Lord.
It is another thing to live day by day in the resurrection power.