We will suffer in this lifetime, and it will still end in death. This daily devotional looks at the resurrection that will occur and the outcome for those who know Jesus as our personal Savior and those who don’t.
Nuggets
- Paul found joy in the fact that suffering in this life was rewarded when we are resurrected into the next life for those who know Jesus.
- We can be certain that we all will be resurrected — where we will spend eternity depends on whether we have ABCDed or not.
Devotions in the Joy in the Gospel series
Even though Paul suffered greatly in this lifetime, he knew we would be resurrected after death. He knew because He put his faith and trust in Jesus as his personal Savior, he would be rewarded for his obedience.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of what we’ve discussed previously.
Joy in Goals
“My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death” (Phil. 3: 10 CSB)
Paul found joy in the fact that suffering in this life was rewarded when we are resurrected into the next life for those who know Jesus.
Paul’s goal is to know Jesus??? Doesn’t he know Him already?????
Well, we are never going to fully understand Jesus or God. “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’” (Isa. 55: 8-9 NLT).
We’re not divine. So, there is always something to learn about Those Who are.
Herbert put it this way. He wrote, “See, then, His chief disciple, after years of contemplation, imitation, and adoration, confessing that the great object of God, manifest in the flesh, seems greater than ever, so that at the last he offers the prayer suitable to a novice.”
Resource
Sherman lists four of the seven wishes Paul details here in the Book of Philippians.
Knowledge of Christ
Paul wanted to grow in his knowledge of Christ. He knew that God reveals more about Himself and His plan for us as we navigate the Sanctification Road.
- Sanctification is the transformation of mind, body, and soul, which begins with regeneration, gradually changes our nature and morals through the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and ends with perfected state of spiritual wholeness or completeness.
- Regeneration is being changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive and the internal requickening in us that God brings about through the work of the Holy Spirit to give us new character.
- Spiritual death is the separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin. The spiritually alive are those who have ABCDed, so they are no longer separated from God.
• The perfected state indicates the combination of the spiritual graces which, when all are present, form spiritual wholeness or completeness.
• Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Glossary
Sherman also detailed this as to know Christ experimentally. I saw that listed in a couple of sermons in the last devotion.
Redford explained it was experimental because it “… is unintelligible to carnal men.” Sin has given mankind a different nature and heart from Christ. We have to be sanctified to obtain His.
Resource
Well, but different verses say we can experiment with salvation. Manton wrote, “Sight is the knowledge of faith, taste that of experience (1 Peter 2:3; Psalm 34:8).”
Resource
- “if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (I Pet. 2: 3 ESV).
- Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Ps. 34: 8 NLT).
Knowledge of Christ is superlative because it brings far more and a clearer understanding of things than anything else. That makes it the supreme knowledge.
Knowledge of being Conformed to Christ’s Death
Sherman argued that knowing the power of the resurrection makes it a heart-level knowledge. He wrote, “It is one thing to have knowledge, and another to have it vitally and brought into action. Christ’s resurrection has a vast power.”
Resource
We know this power in our justification, sanctification, edification, and glorification.
- Justification is the act through the merits of Christ that makes us free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
- Edification is the instruction we receive from the Holy Spirit to change our morals to spiritual graces.
- Glorification is to change us to possess the attributes of God.
To read devotions in related series, click on the appropriate button below.
We receive justification when we profess our faith in Jesus. Faith is the conviction that the doctrines revealed in God’s Word are true, even if we do not understand all aspects of them, a belief which impacts our lives.
What faith isn’t is an entitlement. Faith is a privilege.
We will be glorified when we are resurrected from the dead. We have been changed from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive with salvation.
- Salvation is the gift of life through the deliverance from condemnation and sin to acceptance and holiness and changes us from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive.
- Sins are actions by humans that disobey God and break one of His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, goes against a purpose He has for us, or follows Satan’s promptings.
- Holiness is the transcendent excellence of His nature that includes elements of purity, dedication, and commitment that lead to being set apart. Purity means possessing God’s moral character, having eliminated the stain of sin.
Glossary
That will be complete when we are changed from these physical bodies to spiritual bodies.
While our salvation needed the blood of Jesus spilled (therefore, fulfilled by the cross), Jesus’ sacrifice would have meant nothing without the resurrection. That truly showed that He had obtained God’s approval.
Paul was a huge proponent of the fact we need to grow in knowledge. “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ” (Eph. 4: 11-13 NLT). He knew we wouldn’t go from milk babies to steak adults if we didn’t grow in knowledge.
Herbert made a great point. Remember, Paul was in prison and potentially facing death. He had been through the wringer and back, which caused him frequent bouts of depression. Paul was resigned to — even longing for — his death.
All Paul had to do was look up and see the resurrection of His Savior to be comforted about death. He was saying, “I want that, too. I want changed.”
Knowledge of Christ’s Sufferings
When we read “… fellowship of his sufferings …” (Phil. 3: 10 CSB), we think that we have to withstand suffering, also. Well, we do have to endure suffering in His name, but that isn’t all this means.
We get to reap the benefits of Jesus’ suffering.
Because He hung on the cross, we get to build a relationship with Jesus.
Herbert reminded us that suffering is just a stage we go through, as is death. The final stage is glorification by Christ.
Knowledge of Christ’s Glorification
Sherman argued that, at Christ’s death, we see His most defining moment. Through it, we see
• His patience during suffering
• His faith
• His compassion
• His tenderness
Attaining Resurrection
“assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead” (Phil. 3: 11 CSB)
We can be certain that we all will be resurrected — where we will spend eternity depends on whether we have ABCDed or not.
Whoa! What?
Paul had doubts about being resurrected by God after death????
Well, remember a couple of devotions ago, Paul was speaking of privileges and commandments. Resurrection is a privilege.
Paul did not feel entitled to be resurrected after death. There was nothing he did — and he did a lot — to earn him resurrection.
Our resurrection, along with everything else, is a gift from God.
Manton argued, though, that Paul was not wishy-washy about death. “For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands” (II Cor. 5: 1 CSB).
Resource
Can’t get much more definitive than that.
It is going to take full submission through a variety of means (Phil. 3: 10) to become glorified. But we know the Sanctification Road isn’t going to be easy. It is going to be hilly, bumpy, and curvy.
I know, I know. Everyone is going to get resurrected in the end to face judgment. Hamilton reminded us that judgment immediately follows the resurrection. This will be the separation of the sheep from the goats.
Resource
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
Glossary
But children of God — of which Paul was one — are going to be raised to be glorified, not condemned. The condemned are going down — literally — into a lake of fire.
“Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20: 14-15 NLT).
Glossary
To read a devotion in the Hell Does Have Fury series, click on the appropriate button below.
Jesus talked about this. He began by answering a question about marriage, but ended up explaining resurrection.
“Jesus replied, ‘Marriage is for people here on earth. But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection’” (Lk. 20: 34-36 NLT).
What Paul was saying is that all of the suffering is going to be worth it in the end. We will be perfected and glorified, which is going to be beyond any expectation. So, we should be content in navigating the Sanctification Road.
Devotions in the Contentment Leads to Tranquility series
Another bonus is that sin is going to end. That will mean the consequences of sin will also end — no more poverty, disease, and death.
Making the Connections
If the Sanctification Road is going to be hilly, bumpy, and curvy, then we have to be diligent.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
To read a devotion in the Consistency Needed for Spiritual Growth series, click the appropriate button below.
We have to be sure we are following God’s laws and commandments when He comes.
How Do We Apply This?
- Submit to God regardless of the trials we are called to endure.
- Focus on the resurrection, not this life.
- Strengthen our spiritual graces, especially faith, hope, and love.
Resource
Our resurrection to a glorified state depends upon our knowing Jesus as our Savior and Lord in this lifetime. We need to submit to Him.
Father God. You designed the Plan of Salvation so that we may be reunited with You. When we are, You will reward us throughout eternity for submitting to You. Lord, help us as we encounter the suffering in this lifetime, so that we can faithfully complete it to grow in Your grace and knowledge. We look forward to spending eternity with You. Amen.
What do you think?
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