The Practical Power of the Resurrection
Philippians 3:11-14 | Matt Timmons | June 16, 2019
Before he died the great English leader, Winston Churchill, set in order how he wanted his funeral to be conducted. It was to take place in Saint Paul’s Cathedral and it was to include many of the great hymns of the church. And as was the custom of the land, it was to follow the regular Anglican liturgy.
At his direction, a bugler was positioned high in the dome of Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Then after the benediction that bugler sounded the tone of “Taps,” the universal signal that the day is over.
But then came a dramatic turn: as Churchill instructed, after “Taps” was finished, another bugler, placed on the opposite side of the great dome, played the notes of “Reveille,” the military signal to wake up. “It’s time to get up. It’s time to get up. It’s time to get up in the morning!”
That was Churchill’s testimony that at the end of history the last note would not be Taps; it would be Reveille.
For those of us who are Christians certainly that is most certainly the case. And I hope that this is our outlook in life; one that is focused on the triumph of the resurrection.
To be sure, this is the topic that our passage deals with this morning. You’ll note that the resurrection pervades this passage. Paul says in verse 10 that he wants to know Christ and the power of Christ’s resurrection. He says in the following verse (11) that by any means possible, he wants to attain the resurrection of the dead. The subsequent verses all deal with his striving towards that perfected state that comes in the resurrection.
So Paul here is giving a wonderful meditation on this important doctrine of our faith. And, I might say, what you find is that he treasures this doctrine. This is something that he is really wrapped up in and holds as something that is really prized.
For Paul, there is no dead letter. Doctrine is not a lifeless, boring thing to him. And that is, I think, especially true for this particular doctrine. It is practical and energizing to him. And when you read this passage you understand why. This passage shows us that it is so central to the Christian life.
We should be stirred—the resurrection should be prized, because it is such a fundamental truth, and effects us in so many ways.
Now, you may ask, “What effect does the resurrection of Christ have on us?”
I may say that this is a question that we could probably spend a series of sermons on. But there are a few things, at least in this text, that we can point to. When Paul says he wants to know the power of the resurrection, he’s in one sense talking about his justification.
I. Justification
For the last several weeks this is a theme we’ve been talking about. Justification is that doctrine that deals with our legal standing before God. Even though we are sinners and have committed treason against the Most High God, we can be declared not guilty by the Judge of all the Earth because of the righteousness of Christ.
We’ve been talking about how Paul’s righteousness was pretty good. He was a relatively good man by human standards, but he was not good enough for God. God doesn’t accept people who are almost good. As long as there is guilt, there is punishment. And that’s where Jesus comes in. Jesus died to take way that guilt. He provides that perfect righteousness that God requires.
And this is where the resurrection is so needed. It’s not that Paul ever had a chance to thoroughly inspect Jesus’ life and tell whether Jesus ever committed any sin. Paul could know that Jesus’ righteousness was superior to his because Jesus was resurrected from the dead. His resurrected was a vindication of his perfect life.
Paul knew that if he died, he’d remain dead. That’s because his righteousness wasn’t good enough. It was still and imperfect righteousness and God would not accept it. Paul would be eternally damned because he could never be justified by his own merits.
And once Paul met the risen Savior, he knew this. The resurrection was undeniable proof that he was perfectly innocent.
Let me put it this way. One of my prison guys has been locked up for almost 20 years. He was charged with murder and he’s been in there ever since. And he was given a rather long sentence because he pled “Not guilty.” But they had the trial and he was convicted and sentenced. But you know what? He really is innocent! He never committed that crime. As a matter of fact, new evidence has been found that proves that he didn’t commit that murder. Now, it’s just a matter of time until my guy is released.
Do you see the parallel? His release from prison is proof of his ‘righteousness’ (at least in regards to this crime. Christ’s release from the sentence of death is a verification of his righteousness.
Isn’t it good to know that? Do you see something of the power of Christ’s resurrection in your own life? Jesus is alive! And because he rose from the dead, you can stand before God robed in His righteousness.
But the resurrection is not just about your justification, it also affects your sanctification. The resurrection has an influence on us now in that it is what makes our growth in holiness possible.
II. Sanctification
Look at verse 12. Look at what it says. In verse 11 he says he wants to attain the resurrection from the dead. But verse 12 he says that he has not yet achieved it. But he presses on to make it (i.e. the resurrection) his own.
Look at verse 13. He says, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind (all his good deeds) and straining forward to what lies ahead (the resurrection), 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
So he recognizes that there is a future resurrection; a time when he will become perfect. But he has not yet gotten there yet. But he’s trying to make that future perfection something that is a present reality in his life. He’s pressing forward in holiness and trying to achieve the resurrected state as much as he can.
So you see what he’s saying? He’s said, “All my righteousness wasn’t good enough. I praise God for Christ’s righteousness which makes me right with God. Now I’m seeking to fill up what is missing and further that righteousness in my life.
You see, the resurrection gives us the goal that we should be striving for. There’s a moral dimension to the resurrection that we have as our aim, our yearning, our deep desire. We may not be able to make our bodies renewed—our bodies are going to be decaying and becoming more and more decrepit the longer we live. But we can taste the future life as we become more and more obedient in our lives.
That’s what sanctification is all about. It is about growing in holiness. And you have to understand that this is possible only because of Christ’s resurrection. The resurrection brings that new life and enables that new obedience. The Holy Spirit is giving you the same power to overcome your deadness of sin; it is the same power that raised Christ up from the dead.
Some of you young people may have used jumper cables (or seen your dad use them on the family car). When the battery in your car is dead, it won’t go anywhere. You can’t start the car without the power from the battery. Well, when that happens, you can hook up some jumper cables. And what you do is you have another power source. The “life” (or the power) from the good car make it possible for the car with the dead battery to get moving.
That’s an illustration of sanctification. We can become holy because the Spirit of God applies to us the powerful effects of Christ’s new life.
But there’s one more present reality. The resurrection not only justifies and sanctifies; it also empowers you to face persecution.
III. Dedication/Determination
Last time we were together we talked about how Paul wanted to “share in Christ’s sufferings.” He loved Jesus so much that he would consider it a privilege to face the same scorn and opposition that Jesus did.
Now, I don’t know about you, but that is quite a thing. When I talked about that, some of you might have said, “Yeah, I love Jesus and all, but I don’t know if I’d go that far.” You can put that whole death and suffering thing out on the curb because I don’t want that as a part of my package deal.
Well, here’s the answer. You can’t go that far—you can’t go to that extent—if you don’t have the power of the resurrection. The resurrection gives you that kind of determination.
Look at verse 10 again. It is not by accident that Jesus has these two concepts (suffering & the resurrection) right next to each other. How can Paul say that he wants to share in Christ’s sufferings? It is because he wants to know the power of his resurrection.
The resurrection gives us the courage to face suffering. It gives us the hope to go through suffering. It reminds us that the sufferings that we face are only for a time. We know that one day we will be resurrected and what we face now (even if it is death) will not compare to the eternal weight of glory which is to be revealed.
In the early church there was an epistle written to Diognetus. It was written to explain something about this new sect called Christians. This is one of portions of that letter. It describes the Christian’s and their suffering, and says,
They find themselves in the flesh, and yet they live not after the flesh. Their existence is on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, and they surpass the laws in their own lives. They love all men, and they are persecuted by all. They are ignored, and yet they are condemned. They are put to death, and yet they are endued with life.
There you see what Paul was talking about. The resurrection of Christ gave the early church the resolution to live; the determination to suffer with Christ.
But there’s one more aspect of the resurrection, and it follows right on the heels of this idea of suffering. It has to do with our glorification.
IV. Glorification
Paul says he wants to know him and the power of his resurrection. He wants to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death. But he goes on to say, in verse 11, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Paul looks past this life to that future time when he himself will be resurrected. That’s the idea of his glorification. It is when Christ comes back and he finds himself fully restored. His salvation comes to its completion as his flesh is given the wholeness and new vitality that is fit for the eternal world.
We know that all people will be resurrected. There is a resurrection of the righteous and the wicked. The believer and the unbeliever alike will be resurrected. But if you are an unbeliever, it’s not something you really look forward to. It is a resurrection unto damnation. It is a raising up, only to be cast down.
Some years ago I read an old sermon by the 18 century preacher Samuel Davies and he mentioned the fact that the Bible is eerily silent when it comes to the resurrection of the damned. It doesn’t describe it in any real detail. It is merely mentioned as a fact; that it will happen.
But the believer’s resurrection does have quite a bit of information devoted to it. We don’t know a lot about it, but we know that it is going to be a glorious thing. We’ll have newness of life, new power, new bodies. We’ll be invigorated with joy and we’ll be purged from the blot of sin. It’s presence and misery will be gone forever.
And it is the resurrection of Christ that makes that possible. That’s the good news of the gospel. Christ, by virtue of his resurrection and victory over sin and death, delivers us from the curse of damnation and makes it possible for us to participate in the resurrection unto life! We get to enjoy the glorification that accompanies the resurrection.
What’s more, is that this resurrection puts us right there in the presence of Christ. We will be resurrected, and we will be with the resurrected Lord.
Philippians 3:11-14 | Matt Timmons | June 16, 2019
Before he died the great English leader, Winston Churchill, set in order how he wanted his funeral to be conducted. It was to take place in Saint Paul’s Cathedral and it was to include many of the great hymns of the church. And as was the custom of the land, it was to follow the regular Anglican liturgy.
At his direction, a bugler was positioned high in the dome of Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Then after the benediction that bugler sounded the tone of “Taps,” the universal signal that the day is over.
But then came a dramatic turn: as Churchill instructed, after “Taps” was finished, another bugler, placed on the opposite side of the great dome, played the notes of “Reveille,” the military signal to wake up. “It’s time to get up. It’s time to get up. It’s time to get up in the morning!”
That was Churchill’s testimony that at the end of history the last note would not be Taps; it would be Reveille.
For those of us who are Christians certainly that is most certainly the case. And I hope that this is our outlook in life; one that is focused on the triumph of the resurrection.
To be sure, this is the topic that our passage deals with this morning. You’ll note that the resurrection pervades this passage. Paul says in verse 10 that he wants to know Christ and the power of Christ’s resurrection. He says in the following verse (11) that by any means possible, he wants to attain the resurrection of the dead. The subsequent verses all deal with his striving towards that perfected state that comes in the resurrection.
So Paul here is giving a wonderful meditation on this important doctrine of our faith. And, I might say, what you find is that he treasures this doctrine. This is something that he is really wrapped up in and holds as something that is really prized.
For Paul, there is no dead letter. Doctrine is not a lifeless, boring thing to him. And that is, I think, especially true for this particular doctrine. It is practical and energizing to him. And when you read this passage you understand why. This passage shows us that it is so central to the Christian life.
We should be stirred—the resurrection should be prized, because it is such a fundamental truth, and effects us in so many ways.
Now, you may ask, “What effect does the resurrection of Christ have on us?”
I may say that this is a question that we could probably spend a series of sermons on. But there are a few things, at least in this text, that we can point to. When Paul says he wants to know the power of the resurrection, he’s in one sense talking about his justification.
I. Justification
For the last several weeks this is a theme we’ve been talking about. Justification is that doctrine that deals with our legal standing before God. Even though we are sinners and have committed treason against the Most High God, we can be declared not guilty by the Judge of all the Earth because of the righteousness of Christ.
We’ve been talking about how Paul’s righteousness was pretty good. He was a relatively good man by human standards, but he was not good enough for God. God doesn’t accept people who are almost good. As long as there is guilt, there is punishment. And that’s where Jesus comes in. Jesus died to take way that guilt. He provides that perfect righteousness that God requires.
And this is where the resurrection is so needed. It’s not that Paul ever had a chance to thoroughly inspect Jesus’ life and tell whether Jesus ever committed any sin. Paul could know that Jesus’ righteousness was superior to his because Jesus was resurrected from the dead. His resurrected was a vindication of his perfect life.
Paul knew that if he died, he’d remain dead. That’s because his righteousness wasn’t good enough. It was still and imperfect righteousness and God would not accept it. Paul would be eternally damned because he could never be justified by his own merits.
And once Paul met the risen Savior, he knew this. The resurrection was undeniable proof that he was perfectly innocent.
Let me put it this way. One of my prison guys has been locked up for almost 20 years. He was charged with murder and he’s been in there ever since. And he was given a rather long sentence because he pled “Not guilty.” But they had the trial and he was convicted and sentenced. But you know what? He really is innocent! He never committed that crime. As a matter of fact, new evidence has been found that proves that he didn’t commit that murder. Now, it’s just a matter of time until my guy is released.
Do you see the parallel? His release from prison is proof of his ‘righteousness’ (at least in regards to this crime. Christ’s release from the sentence of death is a verification of his righteousness.
Isn’t it good to know that? Do you see something of the power of Christ’s resurrection in your own life? Jesus is alive! And because he rose from the dead, you can stand before God robed in His righteousness.
But the resurrection is not just about your justification, it also affects your sanctification. The resurrection has an influence on us now in that it is what makes our growth in holiness possible.
II. Sanctification
Look at verse 12. Look at what it says. In verse 11 he says he wants to attain the resurrection from the dead. But verse 12 he says that he has not yet achieved it. But he presses on to make it (i.e. the resurrection) his own.
Look at verse 13. He says, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind (all his good deeds) and straining forward to what lies ahead (the resurrection), 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
So he recognizes that there is a future resurrection; a time when he will become perfect. But he has not yet gotten there yet. But he’s trying to make that future perfection something that is a present reality in his life. He’s pressing forward in holiness and trying to achieve the resurrected state as much as he can.
So you see what he’s saying? He’s said, “All my righteousness wasn’t good enough. I praise God for Christ’s righteousness which makes me right with God. Now I’m seeking to fill up what is missing and further that righteousness in my life.
You see, the resurrection gives us the goal that we should be striving for. There’s a moral dimension to the resurrection that we have as our aim, our yearning, our deep desire. We may not be able to make our bodies renewed—our bodies are going to be decaying and becoming more and more decrepit the longer we live. But we can taste the future life as we become more and more obedient in our lives.
That’s what sanctification is all about. It is about growing in holiness. And you have to understand that this is possible only because of Christ’s resurrection. The resurrection brings that new life and enables that new obedience. The Holy Spirit is giving you the same power to overcome your deadness of sin; it is the same power that raised Christ up from the dead.
Some of you young people may have used jumper cables (or seen your dad use them on the family car). When the battery in your car is dead, it won’t go anywhere. You can’t start the car without the power from the battery. Well, when that happens, you can hook up some jumper cables. And what you do is you have another power source. The “life” (or the power) from the good car make it possible for the car with the dead battery to get moving.
That’s an illustration of sanctification. We can become holy because the Spirit of God applies to us the powerful effects of Christ’s new life.
But there’s one more present reality. The resurrection not only justifies and sanctifies; it also empowers you to face persecution.
III. Dedication/Determination
Last time we were together we talked about how Paul wanted to “share in Christ’s sufferings.” He loved Jesus so much that he would consider it a privilege to face the same scorn and opposition that Jesus did.
Now, I don’t know about you, but that is quite a thing. When I talked about that, some of you might have said, “Yeah, I love Jesus and all, but I don’t know if I’d go that far.” You can put that whole death and suffering thing out on the curb because I don’t want that as a part of my package deal.
Well, here’s the answer. You can’t go that far—you can’t go to that extent—if you don’t have the power of the resurrection. The resurrection gives you that kind of determination.
Look at verse 10 again. It is not by accident that Jesus has these two concepts (suffering & the resurrection) right next to each other. How can Paul say that he wants to share in Christ’s sufferings? It is because he wants to know the power of his resurrection.
The resurrection gives us the courage to face suffering. It gives us the hope to go through suffering. It reminds us that the sufferings that we face are only for a time. We know that one day we will be resurrected and what we face now (even if it is death) will not compare to the eternal weight of glory which is to be revealed.
In the early church there was an epistle written to Diognetus. It was written to explain something about this new sect called Christians. This is one of portions of that letter. It describes the Christian’s and their suffering, and says,
They find themselves in the flesh, and yet they live not after the flesh. Their existence is on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, and they surpass the laws in their own lives. They love all men, and they are persecuted by all. They are ignored, and yet they are condemned. They are put to death, and yet they are endued with life.
There you see what Paul was talking about. The resurrection of Christ gave the early church the resolution to live; the determination to suffer with Christ.
But there’s one more aspect of the resurrection, and it follows right on the heels of this idea of suffering. It has to do with our glorification.
IV. Glorification
Paul says he wants to know him and the power of his resurrection. He wants to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death. But he goes on to say, in verse 11, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Paul looks past this life to that future time when he himself will be resurrected. That’s the idea of his glorification. It is when Christ comes back and he finds himself fully restored. His salvation comes to its completion as his flesh is given the wholeness and new vitality that is fit for the eternal world.
We know that all people will be resurrected. There is a resurrection of the righteous and the wicked. The believer and the unbeliever alike will be resurrected. But if you are an unbeliever, it’s not something you really look forward to. It is a resurrection unto damnation. It is a raising up, only to be cast down.
Some years ago I read an old sermon by the 18 century preacher Samuel Davies and he mentioned the fact that the Bible is eerily silent when it comes to the resurrection of the damned. It doesn’t describe it in any real detail. It is merely mentioned as a fact; that it will happen.
But the believer’s resurrection does have quite a bit of information devoted to it. We don’t know a lot about it, but we know that it is going to be a glorious thing. We’ll have newness of life, new power, new bodies. We’ll be invigorated with joy and we’ll be purged from the blot of sin. It’s presence and misery will be gone forever.
And it is the resurrection of Christ that makes that possible. That’s the good news of the gospel. Christ, by virtue of his resurrection and victory over sin and death, delivers us from the curse of damnation and makes it possible for us to participate in the resurrection unto life! We get to enjoy the glorification that accompanies the resurrection.
What’s more, is that this resurrection puts us right there in the presence of Christ. We will be resurrected, and we will be with the resurrected Lord.