Philippians 3:9-11 (Amplified) says, "That I may (actually) be found and known as in Him, not having any (self-achieved) righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Laws demands (ritualistic, upright and supposed right standing with God thus acquired) but possessing that (genuine righteousness) which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the (truly) right standing with God, which comes from God by (saving) faith." Verse 10 says, "(For my determined purpose is ) that I may know Him (that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly) and that I may come to know the power out flowing from His resurrection (which it exerts over believers) and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed (in spirit to His Likeness even) to His death (in the hope)." Verse 11 goes on, "That if possible I may attain to the (spiritual and moral) resurrection (that lifts me) out from among the dead (even while in the body)".
These few scriptures reveal to us a place in our faith that is possible to obtain. As we read the four gospels, we find that these were written by men who walked with Jesus in His earthly walk. The Apostle Paul never knew Jesus except in His resurrected state of being. This made such a difference in the way we see Jesus today. Mostly, though, we still identify with the Man Jesus. Paul identified with the risen Christ.
We find things in the gospels that were taught to those under the Law. These teachings, mixed with insight into the new covenant, were hard to separate. We, in the new covenant, also find it difficult to separate these teachings as well.
We still identify with Jesus' earthly ministry and not so much with His Lordship as the resurrected Christ. Paul desired to know Him in the power of His resurrection. Why? Because the things we saw in Jesus' earthly walk was a Spirit filled Man Who walked in obedience to the Law of Love and the voice of the Spirit of God. It was revealed to Paul the finished work and the total victory, not for Jesus, but for us.
Paul walked by says, "Which He faith in what he heard about Jesus from the finished work of the cross. Most of us have walked in what the Man Jesus had done. We see Him as our Savior, but not necessarily as the Lord of all.
When Jesus rose from the dead and was seated at God's right hand, everything was different. Not only did Jesus defeat satan at every turn, but now we also defeat satan at every turn through the power of His resurrection.
Jesus never did anything for Himself; only for us. He was never under satan's evil force until He laid down His life at the cross. He did this for us. When the Father accepted Jesus, He accepted us. And, when satan was defeated by Jesus, he was equally defeated by those who believe in Jesus. 2Peter 1:2 (Amplified) says, "May grace (God's favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in (the full, personal, precise and correct) knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."
This grace and peace Peter spoke about can be multiplied by our knowledge of our Lord Jesus. The more we know about His Lordship, the more grace and peace we will walk in. When we learn more about the "resurrected Jesus," we see more of His power toward those of us who are saved.
Sometime ago, I asked the people in our church, "When I say Jesus, then what do you see?" We don't see the letters J.e.s.u.s., we see a mental picture of Jesus. So, when I say Jesus, what do you see? Do you see Him carrying a lamb on His shoulders? Do you see Him at Galilee? Do you see Him in the Garden, on the cross or standing before Pilate? When I say Jesus, do you see Him in His present day ministry as Lord of all? If so, then do you see yourself seated with Him there?
We see Jesus in a very different light as Lord of all in Ephesians 1:17, 2:1-10 (Amplified). We are invited by the Holy Spirit to "have the eyes of our hearts be flooded with light to know and understand Him. Through Verses 18-19 we "Can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe." Verse 20 says,"Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His Own right hand." Verse 21 goes on, "Far above all rule, authority, power and dominion and every name that is named, now and always." Ephesians 2:6 (Amplified) says, "And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together with Him and made us sit down together (giving us joint seating with Him) in the heavenly sphere (by virtue of our being ) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."
We've spent most of our Christian walk identifying with the earthly man and not the Lord of All. We see ourselves as mere men who struggle to get by and not as walking in the finished work of Jesus. When I say Jesus, what do you see? Because where you see Him is where you will walk in Him.
We need to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us our rightful place in the heavenly places. That's where He is now and that's where we are now. 1John 4:17 (Amplified) tells us that, "In this (union and communion with Him) love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgement (with assurance and boldness to face Him) because as He is so are we in this world."
"As He is, so are we in this world." What a powerful scripture this is to the heart of the believer. There's no way to obtain such a promise in ourselves, but we aren't in ourselves...we are In Him and He is seated at the right hand of God. He sits in a place of all authority and power. As He defeated satan, you have defeated satan, As He obtained healing from all sickness and disease, you have obtained also. As He is fearless, perfected love casts out all fear in our lives.
As we begin to see and know Him in the power of His resurrection, we will begin walking by faith in a new relationship with Him. We will be able to do the heavenly things, even in this natural body, and do spiritual things in the power of His Name that is above every name. This is the greatest challenge to our faith. Do we dare believe this far?
2Corinthians 5:15-16 (Amplified) says, "And He died for all, so that all those who live, might no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died was raised again for their sake." Verse 16 continues, "Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a (purely) human point of view in terms of natural standards of value (no) even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now (we have such knowledge of Him that) we know Him no longer (in terms of the flesh)." Verse 17 says, "Therefore (because of this knowing) if any person is (engrafted) in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether) the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come."
Go on from faith to faith and from glory to glory in the knowledge of Him. Learn to know Who He is and not just Who He was. Learn, by faith, where you are seated with Him and begin to walk in this "new man" you've become. This isn't what you are going to be, but who He has already made you to be in Him. This is the faith walk God is calling His people to enter into in these last days. Is is any wonder that Jesus said that, "When the Son comes back, will He find faith in the earth?"
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