By Chuck LaMattina
The gospel or good news concerns Jesus Christ who is “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4 NKJV). The Greek word translated “declared” is horizo. The English word horizon comes from this same Greek word. The horizon is the demarcation point in the distance that divides the earth and sky.
In the same way the resurrection of Jesus Christ distinguishes him from every other human being. It marks him out as the “Son of God with power.” The Scriptures tell us that “it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell” (Colossians 1:19 NKJV). In other words, all of God’s divine power and attributes have been granted to Jesus Christ.
Indeed, Scripture goes on to proclaim “in Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:9-10 NKJV). You, as a Christian, are complete in Christ! What does this mean? It means that every Christian is positionally complete in Christ. In Christ you are justified from every sin, you are made righteous, you are holy and without blame, and accepted by God in His Beloved Son (Romans 3:21-25 NKJV; 1 Corinthians 1:30 NKJV; Ephesians 1:3-6 NKJV). It also means that you have the complete sufficiency of every spiritual resource to become more and more like Christ in all that you do and say.
Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Yes, you can! You can obey God’s Word, you can overcome temptations; you can love and serve and give. You can have joy and peace. Your life can be full of goodness and kindness and self control (Galatians 5:22 NKJV). Christ is in you (Colossians 1:27 NKJV)! The Son of God with all power can effectively work in your life. The Bible says, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6 NKJV).
To walk in Christ is to pattern your life after his. Let your conduct become more and more like his. Determine to say:
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20 NKJV).”
When you do, “the Son of God with power” will work in your life.
Chuck LaMattina