Empowered Life

I . . . do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, . . . that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, . . .

EPHESIANS 1:15–19

The power locked up in an atomic particle waiting to be released through nuclear fission is incredible. When the atom is split, it releases power in a ratio of one to six million. This power is insignificant, however, when compared to the power wrapped up in a seemingly helpless baby lying on the straw in a cattle barn. Jesus came to earth that first Christmas to cause a release of spiritual energy that would shake universes. 

Paul wanted the saints at Ephesus to open their spiritual eyes to this power that was inherently theirs through the birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Savior. The abundant life that Jesus offers brings with it abundant power. God made the first Adam and gave to him incredible power and authority (Genesis 1:26). Adam was to have dominion over all the earth. He was to be king of the earth. 

The tragedy is that the first Adam “blew it.” He gave his power and authority over to Satan. No doubt about it—Satan was a con artist who deceived Adam. Nonetheless, faithless and disobedient Adam yielded his authority to Satan and became Satan’s slave. The authority that God had graciously given to the human race was now legally lost. Here is the reason God was born a man at Christmas. Dominion was graciously given, and then legally lost. Now it must be righteously regained. The authority was given at first to a man. It was lost by a man. It had to be regained by a Man. 

Jesus became a man and took flesh and blood so “that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14). Satan is now a defeated foe. God did not defeat him as God but rather defeated him as Holy Man. That Man is the Christ of Christmas. Dominion was legally lost by a man; it has been righteously regained by the God Man. Now through the miracle of abundant life that same incredible power that Jesus displayed when He arose triumphant from the grave has been graciously given to a new race of creatures—the twice born.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers