Evening, November 22
Go To Morning Reading
“The power of his resurrection.”
Philippians 3:10
The doctrine of a risen Saviour is exceedingly precious. The resurrection
is the corner-stone of the entire building of Christianity. It is
the key-stone of the arch of our salvation. It would take a volume
to set forth all the streams of living water which flow from this
one sacred source, the resurrection of our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ; but to know that he has risen, and to have fellowship with him as such—communing with the risen Saviour by possessing a risen life—seeing him leave the tomb by leaving the tomb of worldliness ourselves,
this is even still more precious. The doctrine is the basis of the
experience, but as the flower is more lovely than the root, so is
the experience of fellowship with the risen Saviour more lovely than
the doctrine itself. I would have you believe that Christ rose from the dead so as to sing of it, and derive all
the consolation which it is possible for you to extract from this
well-ascertained and well-witnessed fact; but I beseech you, rest
not contented even there. Though you cannot, like the disciples, see
him visibly, yet I bid you aspire to see Christ Jesus by the eye of
faith; and though, like Mary Magdalene, you may not “touch” him, yet may you be privileged to converse with him, and to know
that he is risen, you yourselves being risen in him to newness of
life. To know a crucified Saviour as having crucified all my sins,
is a high degree of knowledge; but to know a risen Saviour as having
justified me, and to realize that he has bestowed upon me new life,
having given me to be a new creature through his own newness of life,
this is a noble style of experience: short of it, none ought to rest
satisfied. May you both “know him, and the power of his resurrection.” Why should souls who are quickened with Jesus, wear the grave-clothes
of worldliness and unbelief? Rise, for the Lord is risen.