Strengthened in Our Lord
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
The Name of The Lord
Acts 2:36 APNT:
Therefore, all the house of Israel should truly know that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, lord and Christ.”
Acts 2:23–24 APNT:
23 this [man], who was set apart for this by the foreknowledge and will of God, you delivered into the hands of ungodly [men] and you crucified and you killed.
24 But God raised him and released the cords of Sheol, because it was not possible that he should be held captive in Sheol.
Because of the resurrection, Jesus Christ is Lord.
Romans 1:3–5 APNT:
3 concerning his Son, who was born in the flesh of the seed of the house of David
4 and was made known [as] the Son of God by power and by the Holy Spirit, who raised Jesus Christ our Lord from the dead,
5 by whom we have received grace and apostleship among all the Gentiles, so that they would obey the faith of his name,
Romans 1:4 KJV:
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Romans 1:4 NET:
who was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection.
We can be strengthened in this kind of power; Jesus Christ our Lord is the source of our strength. We were raised with him.
Ephesians 6:10 APNT:
From now on, my brothers, be strong in our Lord and in the immensity [immense authority] of his power
Esther 10:2 KJV:
And all the acts of his power and of his might [authority], and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
The power of his might or the immensity of his power has to do with the resurrection and with authority.
Ephesians 6:10–11 APNT:
10 From now on, my brothers, be strong in our Lord and in the immensity of his power
11 and put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the tactics of the Accuser,
How do we get that? What’s the means of being strengthened? We day by day rely on his strength, not our own.
Colossians 2:6– APNT:
6 Therefore, as you have received Jesus Christ our Lord, walk in him,
7 your roots being strengthened and built up in him and established in the faith that you have learned, in which you should abound with thanksgiving.
First Key
The first key to becoming strengthened is to root ourselves in the Word of God. The Word is the seed (like in the parable of the sower and the seed).
Second Key
Built up in him.
Ephesians 3:16–17 APNT:
16 that he would allow you, according to the wealth of his glory, to be strengthened with power by his Spirit, that in your inner man
17 Christ would dwell in faith and in your hearts in love, as your root and your foundation becomes strong,
Ephesians 3:16 CJB:
I pray that from the treasures of his glory he will empower you with inner strength by his Spirit,
Third Key
Established in the faith that you have learned. Christ gave us his faith; we have his faith.
Colossians 2:7 APNT:
your roots being strengthened and built up in him and established in the faith that you have learned, in which you should abound with thanksgiving.
Fourth Key
Abound with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:7b APNT:
… in which you should abound with thanksgiving.
Philippians 4:1–3 APNT:
1 From now on, my beloved and dear brothers, my joy and my crown, so stand fast in our Lord, my beloved.
2 I beg Euodias and Syntyche to have one mind in our Lord.
3 I beg you also, my true yoke-fellow, that you would help those who are toiling with me in the gospel, with Clement and with the rest of my helpers, whose names are written in the book of life.
It’s all in the process of being strengthened in our Lord. The strength is not our own strength.
Fifth Key
Rejoice in our Lord at all times.
Philippians 4:4–7 APNT:
4 Rejoice in our Lord at all times, and again I say, “Rejoice.”
5 And let your meekness be known to everyone. Our Lord is near.
6 Do not be distressed about anything, but at all times, by prayer and by petition and with thanksgiving, your requests should be made known before God.
7 And the peace of God that is greater than all knowledge will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.
Last Key
Watch and stand in the faith.
1 Corinthians 16:13 APNT:
Watch and stand in the faith. Act mature. Be strong [be strengthened].
1 Corinthians 16:13 CJB:
Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, behave like a mentsh, grow strong.
What’s the purpose of being strengthened?
In Second Timothy, after Paul had been a prisoner for 2–4 years, we read:
2 Timothy 4:17–18 APNT:
17 But my Lord stood by me and strengthened me, that by me, the preaching would be completed and all the Gentiles would hear that I was rescued from the mouth of the lion.
18 And my Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will give me life in his kingdom that is in heaven. To him [be] glory, forever and ever. Amen.
The purpose of God strengthening us in this power base is so that God can get the glory.
Romans 4:18–20 APNT:
18 And without hope, he believed for the hope that he would be a father to a multitude of the Gentiles, as it is written: So your seed will be.
19 And he was not weak in his faith, considering his dead body that was one hundred years old and the dead womb of Sarah.
20 And he did not doubt the promise of God as [one] lacking faith, but was strong in faith and gave praise to God.
Romans 4:18–20 CJB:
18 For he was past hope, yet in hope he trusted that he would indeed become a father to many nations, in keeping with what he had been told, “So many will your seed be.” 19 His trust did not waver when he considered his own body—which was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old—or when he considered that Sarah’s womb was dead too. 20 He did not by lack of trust decide against God’s promises. On the contrary, by trust he was given power as he gave glory to God,
The source of our strength is this authoritative resurrection power.
Scripture References
Scripture quotations marked (CJB) taken from the Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern. Copyright © 1998. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, 6120 Day Long Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029. www. messianicjewish.net.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from The NET Bible® Copyright © 1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.netbible.com. All rights reserved.
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