"The powers of Europe trembled because of the French Revolution, fearing their societies would be overturned by revolutionaries copying the French.The powers of the West trembled because of the Russian revolution, fearing that communism would spread all around the world.The powers of religion in all its forms, all over the world will tremble because of the grace revolution, because people everywhere will be set free, and all powers and authorities of religious bondage torn down."
The key element for me in all of this is that if power and illegitimate government of control, legalism and religion is to be torn down, then surely the element characterising the Grace Revolutionaries (if that is what we are!) - is legitimate, God-given, God-authenticated power. It seemed very appropriate then that just before I went to bed I read this in the "Jonathan Edwards Blank Bible";
On 1 Corinthians 15:17;
"And if Christ is not risen, your faith is in vain; ye are yet in your sins". Because His not being risen; 1. Would be an argument of His insufficiency as a Saviour. If He were unable to deliver Himself from death, it would have been an argument that He was not able to deliver us. If He was a physician that could not heal Himself, there would be cause to apprehend that He was not sufficient (for those) whose diseases were so much worse. And then this was the appointed way of His restoring us, by His restoring Himself. We were to be saved no otherwise than in Him and with Him as members of Him, and so to be justified in His justification, which was His resurrection, to be delivered in His deliverance, to have victory in His victory, to triumph with Him, to be raised together with Him, to be raised with Him and made to sit together in heavenly places win Him.
And then if God the Father had not opened the prison doors, it would have been an evidence that He was not satisfied. And besides if He had not risen, He would not have been alive to intercede for us and fulfill the work of salvation He had laid a foundation for in His suffering in His kingly office. So these things were to be done by Christ as God-Man and the head of human nature. And 2. If Christ were not risen, it would be an evidence that He was an imposter for the grand evidence of His mission and appointment as our Saviour was His resurrection, which Christ foretold as sucha nd the determination of that grand point was put on the issue".
It really really matters how we view the image of Christ in our minds. If He is still hanging on the Cross in our thoughts and minds as we worship then; He looks insufficient as a Saviour, we too are still hanging with God's wrath over us for we are with Him and if He be not raised, then our faith is in vain - we have no hope. If He is still hanging on the Cross then God the Father looks as if He is not satisfied and He indeed is an imposter and surely no better than other dead gods for the evidence of His mission and appointment is His glorious resurrection.
How can we know real vital evidence of His resurrection? Terry Virgo makes that very clear - we must know the glorious outpoured Holy Spirit!
If the Holy Spirit is not actively being received in your church, in your life - then we do not have any vital evidence of the wonderful fact that JESUS IS ALIVE!! And if we do not have vital evidence within ourselves, if we are not crying out; "ABBA! FATHER!" then how are we going to be true "Grace Revolutionaries"? We need power from on high! We need to know that our Beloved is seated and reigning in heavenly places this morning and we reign with Him!
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