Enjoying the Resurrected Christ as the Life-Giving Spirit

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul”; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45) 

What does the Resurrection mean for us today? Much is rightly said about how Jesus died for our sins, took upon Himself our punishment, reconciled us to God, and opened the way for us to enjoy eternal life with Him in heaven. All of this is gloriously true. But is there more? What is God’s deeper desire? How does He want His children to live out the reality of Christ’s resurrection?

In John 20, on the evening of the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And then, “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”

In breathing on His disciples, Jesus was imparting Himself as the Spirit, entering into them in a way far more intimate than ever before—far deeper than even when He walked with them on the earth. He became one with their spirit. He had already said in John 15, “Abide in Me, and I in you.” But how could this be possible without His death, His resurrection, and His coming into them as the Spirit?

The Resurrected Christ initiated this divine union by dispensing Himself into them as the life-giving Spirit. What does it mean to have Christ as the the life-giving Spirit within us? It means that this Spirit imparts to us His life, His nature, all of His communicable attributes, and everything Christ accomplished and obtained for us through His death on the cross.

What a glorious reality this is! To know that the Spirit within us is the life-giving Spirit—filling us, saturating us, permeating us with all that Christ is—causing us to enjoy God in the very depths of our being! This indwelling leads to our transformation, making us like Christ in His life and nature.

Can this be our daily experience? Yes—if we simply exercise our spirit and call upon the name of the Lord, set our heart to feed upon Him through prayer & soaking in His Word, He will surely bring us into the reality of this divine experience. This is the Father’s heart—that we daily experience and enjoy this union.

This was the great longing of the apostle Paul, and it must be ours as well: “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection.” (Philippians 3:10)

As we celebrate the Resurrection today, may the Lord bring us into the living, daily reality of this glorious enjoyment of Christ as the Life-giving Spirit.

Bountiful Supply in a Dark Cell – Paul’s Secret to Joy

“For I know that this will turn out for my salvation through your prayers and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:19

When I read Paul’s phrase “bountiful supply” in Philippians, I can’t help but pause and ask—Where exactly was Paul when he wrote this? The expression almost sounds like it came from someone sitting in a palace. But in reality, Paul was writing from a dark, damp Roman prison.

How could someone in such a place speak of abundance? Where did Paul gain the assurance of such a rich supply of the Spirit?

Here is Paul, locked away in a cell under the weight of the Roman empire, and yet fully enjoying and experiencing Christ. While physically isolated and insulated from the world, he receives a profound revelation: “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1 Corinthians 6:17).

Paul had become increasingly aware that the Lord’s Spirit had been mingled with his own. In this divine union, deep within his regenerated spirit, he discovers the unshakable, overflowing supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And this supply isn’t just present; it’s active and dynamic. It flowed into every part of his being—his mind, emotions, and will—saturating him with divine life and drawing him into deeper fellowship and enjoyment of Christ.

Dear Christian friend, are you in a place like Paul’s? Imprisoned by circumstance? Isolated, misunderstood, rejected, belittled, or perhaps excluded? Are you surrounded by darkness, discouragement, or despair? Be encouraged! Within you is the same bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. The Lord longs for us to turn inward, to exercise our spirit, and to partake of this rich supply—not just for our survival, but for our enjoyment and for the expression of Christ to others.

Are we willing to lay hold of this? Like David, Paul encouraged himself in the Lord. But there was something more significant in Paul's walk with God. He dwelt in the inward parts of Christ (Phil 1:8)  which means he became familiar with Christ’s thoughts, His feelings, and His desires. He developed an intimacy with the indwelling Christ born from deep fellowship and a continuous drawing from the Spirit’s supply.

May the Lord grant us grace to experience the fullness of His person within, and to live each day out of this bountiful supply that never runs dry.

Let’s Linger No Longer!

But he lingered… So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand—the LORD being merciful to him. (Genesis 19:16)

We all know the story of Lot. He chose to live in a city steeped in wickedness, and though God warned him of its impending destruction, he hesitated. He lingered—even when judgment was near. It took the mercy of God for the messengers to literally take him and his family by the hand and lead them out.

Could that be our story too?

How often have we felt a gentle tug in our spirit, urging us to walk away from things that are worldly, harmful, or spiritually draining—but we lingered? How many times have we sensed the Lord calling us into deeper prayer, intimacy, and time in His Word, but remained in a place of passivity or distraction?

There are times when we know what we need to do—to stop conforming to the patterns of the world and allow God to renew our minds and pour out His grace—but still, we delay. And sometimes, delay carries a cost. Lot’s wife looked back—and that one moment of hesitation turned into her undoing. She never got another chance.

Like the father in the story of the prodigal son, our Heavenly Father waits patiently—longing for us to return. Will we continue feeding on the empty "carob pods" of the world, or will we rise up, shake off the dust, and say, “Lord, I’m done lingering. I’m coming home to You”

One phrase in this passage stands out: “the LORD being merciful to him.”

It wasn’t Lot’s wisdom or strength that saved him—it was the sheer mercy of God. And that same mercy is available to us today. He is full of compassion, abounding in patience, and always ready to lift us out of any pit—if we are simply willing.

So let’s not linger any longer. Let’s run to the cross. Let’s return to prayer, return to His Word, and ask Him to restore the joy of our salvation. Let’s fall into the arms of our merciful Savior and make a firm decision to walk away from the distractions of this world and into the fullness of God’s purpose for us.

No more delay. No more hesitation.

Let’s linger no longer.