Would it make a difference in your life if an archeologist announced he had found the bones of Jesus? What would you say? That would mean no resurrection. SO WHAT!!
1 Cor. 15: 17-19 says 17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
If Christ is not raised from the dead, if his bones are buried somewhere in Palestine, then we cannot know Him. That man is dead. We might read about him, we might revere him, but we cannot know him.
This is why the resurrection is so central to Christians: Christianity is not just a feel-good religion. Christianity is a relationship with a living Savior, a Savior we can know, a Savior who infuses our life and empowers us, who transforms us into his likeness.
Today we will look at what the bible says about knowing Christ and what is this power of his resurrection? There are a lot of opinions about what knowing God means.
Some know facts about God, but do not know him. I know more about my wife than any of you. I could give you many facts about her, tell stories about her. I know her because for 46 years we have been in a relationship, sharing joys and sorrows. So, knowing her is much more than knowing facts about her life.
Again, knowing God goes beyond learning facts. We must have our own relationship with him. How?
a. Putting your faith in Him; believing that He is the Son of God,
b. Spending time in prayer,
c. Read the Bible and follow Him even if it doesn’t make sense.
Four aspects of knowing God’s resurrection power:
1. The Power to Have Sins Forgiven – 1 John 1:9
2. The Power to Conquer Sin – Eph 4:24
3. The Power to Be God’s Agent – Eph 2:10
4. The Power to Be Conformed to His Likeness – Rom 8:29
So, do you know the resurrected Jesus? Do you believe he rose from the dead? Has he been working in your heart? What better day than Resurrection Sunday to fall on your knees and acknowledge Him as your Savior! Can you say with Paul that you consider everything else you’ve done to be rubbish compared to knowing Him? Do you know the power of the resurrection in your life? It’s one thing to make a decision to know Christ, it’s another to make a commitment to follow him, so that you might be conformed to his likeness. Christ is risen from the dead! Believe it! And know Him!
