Evening, September 8, edited from Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

“And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might  which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead.” — Ephesians 1:19-20

In the resurrection of Christ, as in our salvation, there was made evident nothing short of  divine power. What shall we say of those who think that conversion is wrought by the free will of man, and is due to his own better quality of nature? When we shall see the dead rise from the grave by their own power, then may we expect to see ungodly sinners of their own free will turning to Christ. It is not the word preached, nor the word read in itself; all life giving power proceeds from the Holy Spirit. This power was irresistible. All the soldiers and the high priests could not keep the body of Christ in the tomb; Death himself could not hold Jesus in his bonds: even so,  irresistible is the power put forth in the believer when he is raised to newness of life. No sin, no corruption, no devils in hell nor sinners upon earth, can stay the hand of God’s grace when it intends to convert a man. If God omnipotently says, “You shall,” man can not say, “I will not.” Observe that the power which raised Christ from the dead was glorious. It reflected honor to God and produced dismay in the hosts of evil. We know there is great glory to God in the conversion of every sinner. It was everlasting power. “Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death has no more dominion over him.” So we, being raised from the dead, go not back to our dead works nor to our old corruption, but we live as to God. “Because he lives we live also.” “For we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God.” “Like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Lastly, in the text take note the union of the new life to Jesus. The same power which raised the Head works life in the members. What a blessing to be made alive, together with Christ!

My Note: We had some part in this…: “ In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”Eph  1:12-14, emphasis mine.