The Awakening of Witnesses
Albert Bogle
April 08, 2021
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1 Corinthians 15: 12-26 (NIVUK)
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
The great awakening of any human soul is to realise that death is not the end. It is to come to realise that we are eternal beings made in the image of God. This revelation changes everything about our outlook and attitude to others. It drives us to be witnesses to the power of the resurrection.
We all have to discover the paradigm that we will use to live our life. In this section of scripture the Apostle Paul says for the Christian it is the truth of the resurrection that inspires us to live a complete and meaningful life in this world. For Paul the resurrection of Jesus proves that he was God come among us, proves that his death on the cross has dealt with justice and mercy and made a way for lives marred and cracked by sin to be healed restored and forgiven. The Spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead now comes to abide with the Christian believer giving them the confidence to live in the power of the resurrection even amidst the consequences of our broken past. We are witnesses to the power of God — we are people who have been awakened from the power of death to resurrection power.
Resurrection Power
Come Holy Spirit,
Awaken my soul from sleep
For I could easily miss out
On your down payment of eternity in the here and now
The slumber of the mundane
Too easily overcomes my longing for eternal adventure
And the vision of what I am to be
Is overtaken by who I am now
I grow weary
My soul falls asleep
And I fail to distinguish dreams from spiritual realities
Wake me up
Help me live my reconstructed self
Walking in the sunlight
Living through grace
Breathe into my life the joy of eternal living
That I might begin to understand the power of resurrection
Wake me up
Shake me up
Lift me up
Hold me up
Into your light
Into your fellowship and communion of the saints
Spirit of God
Come dwell within me
That I might be a witness to resurrection power
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