Why do so many church people talk about the resurrection but never experience resurrection power?
Many talk and sing about the resurrection yet only have mental assent; they have never personally believed and appropriated the gospel. Scripture teaches Christ died for the whole human race and rose, but that payment goes for nothing until a person believes it personally, and then they cash in on its power.
Les explains that this is where so many people are: they talk about the resurrection, sing about it, and have a mental ascent to it, but they have never really experienced resurrection power in their own life. Paul is trying to teach that the heart of the Gospel is not merely that Christ died some martyr’s death or was put to death by an angry mob. In eternity, God had already set it in motion that He would die and shed His blood to pay the sin debt for the whole human race, not just for the believer. Les rejects limited atonement and believes Christ paid the sin debt for every human being who has ever lived. However, that payment goes for nothing until the person believes it personally; then they cash in.