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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Pressing Forward Into Eternal Life, #7
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13,14—NIV)
"Straining toward what is ahead." This is the point of the present article. It is being taught today that there is nothing we are to do except believe the facts concerning Jesus Christ. There is not always an emphasis on the vigor, the diligence, the single-mindedness of purpose that are required if we are to attain the full knowledge of Christ, if we are to gain Christ, if we are to live by His resurrection Life, if we are to participate in His sufferings, if we are to attain to the resurrection to eternal Life.
It appears the current preaching is causing passivity, a feeling everything is fine and we all will be caught up to Heaven in the near future. But I do not think this is what the Spirit of God is saying. I think He is warning us to turn away from the world and bring ourselves and our family members (as possible) to the place where we are seeking the Lord diligently every day. The sword of judgment is poised above our nation. The believers who are not truly seeking the Lord are going to experience torment as all they trust in is swept away and the spiritual oppression is so intense they are unable to pray or sense the Presence of the Lord.
Was Paul speaking only of his own special consecration to the Lord, or is the same diligence expected of all of us?
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Philippians 3:15,16—NIV)
It is clear from the above passage that Paul's daily pressing into the Life of Christ is expected of all of us, if we have the hope of being raised by the Lord when He returns.
Paul expresses his heavenly hope as follows:
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20,21—NIV)
Paul shows us here the right attitude to take toward Heaven. Our citizenship is in Heaven. But our goal, our hope, has to do with that which will come to us from Heaven.
That which is to come to us from Heaven is the Lord Jesus Christ. His first action will not be to bring us up to meet Him in the air but to transform our body so it will be like His body.
This concept is extremely important to grasp. Our hope is not to go to Heaven, it is that Jesus will come and change our animal body until it is like His own body.
The reason this concept is important is that our hope of going to Heaven does not require our attaining to eternal life now. Our personality is transferred to Heaven and there we shall dwell forever. This is our tradition but it is not scriptural.
To be continued.