Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

November 22– Evening

by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“The power of [Jesus Christ’s] resurrection.”

—Philippians 3:10

The doctrine of a risen Savior is exceedingly precious. The resurrection is the cornerstone of the entire building of Christianity. It is the keystone of the arch of our salvation. It would take a volume to set forth all the streams of living water which flow from this one sacred source, the resurrection of our dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But to know that he has risen and to have fellowship with him as such— this is even still more precious.

Do we commune with the risen Savior by possessing a risen life? Do we leave the tomb with him by leaving the tomb of worldliness? Doctrine is the basis of experience, but, just as the flower is more lovely than the root, so is the experience of fellowship with the risen Savior more lovely than the Doctrine itself. I want you to believe that Christ rose from the dead so that you may sing of it and derive all the consolation possible from this well-ascertained and well-witnessed fact; but I beg you not to stop there. Though you cannot, like the disciples, see Jesus visibly, yet I beg you to see him with the eye of faith. Though, like Mary Magdalene, you may not touch him, yet may you be privileged to talk with him and know that he is risen— you yourself being risen in him to newness of life.

To know a crucified Savior as having crucified all my sins is a high degree of knowledge; but to know a risen Savior as having declared me righteous before God and bestowing upon me new life— being made into a new creature through his own newness of life— this is experiential knowledge of the highest sort. Short of it, no one should rest satisfied. May you both know him, and the power of his resurrection. Why should souls who are made alive with Jesus wear the grave clothes of worldliness and unbelief? Rise, for the Lord is risen. [M&E]