Friday | 24 January 2020
The book of Acts records Paul’s missionary journeys. In these accounts, there are many examples of exanastasis in action. Paraphrasing his letter to the Corinthians, Paul said, ‘We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don't know what to do, but are not lost. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed. So, we constantly experience the death of Jesus in our own bodies, but this is in order that the life of Jesus becomes our life. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you.’ 2Co 4:8‑12.
Many of Paul’s endeavours appeared to fail. However, we do not see the ‘success’ of exanastasis as being a successful outcome of deliverance from all suffering. We still experience healing, but our rejoicing is manifold in the life of Jesus being manifested in our mortal flesh. 2Co 5:4. The evidence of exanastasis in us becomes visible as the life that we are receiving overflows, through our testimony, as life to another person. The word of faith is in our mouths as a testimony of our participation in the fellowship of Christ’s offering. It is in our hearts as a witness that we are being delivered from ‘the other law’ of self‑righteousness. Rom 10:8.
As we fellowship together in Christ’s offering, we are eating of the Tree of Life, who is Christ, and are being healed in our mortality through exanastasis. His blood is giving life to us. Even as we suffer, we regard our sufferings as being the sufferings of Christ. His blood then sprinkles our hearts, cleansing our conscience and our motivations from the dead works of self‑righteousness. Heb 9:14. In this fellowship, we know the assurance that we are being saved from sin, and we are becoming the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
Further Study:
2 Corinthians 5
Daily Proverb:
References:
2Co 4:8-12
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you.
2Co 5:4
For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
Rom 10:8
But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach).
Heb 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
2Co 5:21
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.