Paul Reminds the Church @
Philippi where our true Citizenship is Located and of our Coming Glorified
Bodies
Philippians
3:20-21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even
to subdue all things unto himself. KJVIn complete contrast to those who are enemies of the Cross of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, Paul reminds these Philippian believers of who they/we truly are “in Christ”, what they/we truly have “in Christ”, and where they/we truly live (even now) “in Christ” as he says, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 3:20) (KJV). Paul wants these Philippian believers as well as we believers today to fully understand or comprehend the enormity of the transaction that was made between our Lord Jesus Christ and each one of us individually on the Cross of Calvary. Paul uses the English word “conversation” at the very beginning of this 20th verse, which is the glue for every one of us as we continue our Christian lives on the earth; this word is translated by the Greek word politeuma meaning a community, that is, (abstractly) citizenship. The Blood shed on the Cross of Calvary for each one of us sinners at the moment of our new birth as adopted sons and daughters of God the Father also at that same moment made us citizens of heaven right now while and as we still reside on the earth as temporary citizens here as Paul reminded the Colossian believers when he wrote these words to them/us, “If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at {and} seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. And set your minds {and} keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4) (Amplified Bible).
The idea Paul is here wanting to convey to the Philippian believers and what he wrote to the Colossian believers as well is that our permanent home will be in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ because death here will cut short our residency on earth as we know from those who have already died before us, therefore, knowing this should move, motivate, and make us direct our attentions, attitudes, and affections upward or to Christ where we will be with Him in glory forever. Unlike the enemies of the Cross who Paul declares to be insubordinate, idle talkers, and deceivers, corrupting and causing the downfall (spiritually) of entire households by teaching lies for the sake of dishonest gain (Titus 2:10-11), we are living honest lives not seeking or coveting another man’s money or goods, but instead “we look for” the Savior and this English phrase is translated by one Greek word apekdechomai meaning to expect fully. In other words, our trust that Christ will return for us causes us to wait eagerly for His second (2nd) coming to the earth with great power and glory never being ashamed of Him or our salvation by and in Him or of any of His words (Mark 8:38), but instead declaring “thus says the Lord” on every occasion we have given to us getting out the Word of God as our number one business and praying always as the Psalmist King David did when he said, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” (Psalms 17:15) (NKJV).
We are citizens of an Eternal Kingdom not of this world as our Lord Jesus spoke of when speaking to Pontius Pilate after He had been arrested and handed over to the Roman Ruler, “Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’” (John 18:33-36) (NKJV). Someone has said of we Christians that, “We are a colony of heaven” and understanding the meaning of the word colony makes this statement all the more accurate; colony means a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state’s system of government. We are in this world, but no longer of this world as our Lord Jesus Himself said of us with these words, “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:19) (NKJV) and also these words of our Lord Jesus recorded for us by Dr. Luke, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:19-20) (NKJV).
It is a fact that we are not of this world and that our names are written in the Lambs Book of Life in heaven, but what is most to be looked forward to by us is the fact of what our Lord Jesus is going to do to these bodies of death that we inhabit or live in now as Paul writes with these words, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.” (Philippians 3:21) (KJV). The small English phrase “shall change” is translated by one Greek word metaschematizo which means to transfigure or disguise; figuratively to apply (by accommodation): - transfer, transform (self). The English word “vile” is translated by the Greek word tapeinosis which means depression (in rank or feeling): - humiliation, be made low, low estate, vile. In other words, our bodies were made low or weak or unsuitable after Adam’s sin and his sin is why our bodies of humiliation get sick and no longer function as they were designed, but Christ death (in a human body), then resurrection from the dead (in a new glorified human body) has done away with the body of our humiliation because He will transform our vile or morally reprehensible bodies into glorified bodies like unto His as Paul declared to the Corinthian believers with these words, “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-45) (NKJV).
“Our spiritual resurrection now is the pledge of our bodily resurrection to glory hereafter. As Christ’s glorified body was essentially identical with His body of humiliation; so our resurrection bodies as believers, since they shall be like His, shall be identical essentially with our present bodies, and yet “spiritual bodies”. Our “hope” is, that Christ, by His rising from the dead, hath obtained the power, and is become the pattern, of our resurrection.” JFB Commentary
“Who shall change our vile body, Which is defiled with sin, attended with frailty, and is mortal; and being dead, is sown and laid in the grave in corruption, weakness, and dishonor: in the Greek text it is, ‘the body of our humility’; sin has subjected the body to weakness, mortality, and death; and death brings it into a very low estate indeed, which is very humbling and mortifying to the pride and vanity man: now this vile body, in the resurrection morn, shall be stripped of all its vileness, baseness, and meanness; and be changed, not as to its substance, nor as to its form and figure, which shall always remain same, as did the substance and form of our Lord’s body after His resurrection; but as to its qualities, it shall be changed from corruption to incorruption, from mortality to immortality, from weakness to power, from dishonor to glory, and be free from all sin.” Dr. John Gill
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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