June 1999 - Verse of the Week

"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 that they will be like his glorious body."

(Philippians 3:20-21)

I was born and raised here in the good ol' United States of America. Therefore, I am a natural born citizen of the U.S. My loyalty lies with this country and the men and women who govern it. As a U.S citizen I will do all in my power to uphold the constitution of the United States and to live by the laws and ordinances of this land. If my country shall ever call upon me to defend and honor this country against a foreign enemy or invading army, I will gladly do so. This is one of only several duties that is expected of me in being a citizen of this great nation we call, the United States of America.

However, according to the Scriptures, we have another citizenship to which we belong to as well. We who are in Christ have a citizenship in heaven. Our loyalty now rests upon the Lord our Savior with whom we all eagerly await to return again someday. By being chosen as children of God we have now been born again, this time into the family of God to which we now live and have gained an inheritance from. We are simply born again citizens of heaven. We have in a sense, migrated only through God's sovereign grace, from a life headed towards eternal destruction with Satan to a life of eternal and joyful life with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

On the day of our resurrection or on the day of the rapture, whichever comes first, our bodies will someday be transformed so only then can we enter into the place from whence we have been born into, our eternal home - the Kingdom of Heaven. It is only by the power of Christ which sustains all things that we have been given this wonderful and blessed life changing transformation. This verse says that our lowly bodies will literally become like his glorious body. What does that mean?

That means, no more limps, no more aches and pains, no more arthritis, no more colds, allergies, or hayfever. No severed limbs, or crippling diseases or ailments. We can now throw off our glasses and contact lenses, our band-aids, and prosthesis. Pharmaceutical drugs? No more. Gone. History. Do you have diabetes, asthma, backaches or even cancer? Say adios to those chronic problems. You know that tatoo you got many years ago before becoming a Christian? Say good-bye to that one sailor. Oh, the multiple ear piercings, forget those too. You see, our bodies will now become pure and unblemished, just like our Lord was when he was glorified at his resurrection.

My friend, we all have something to look forward to. It's called, the blessed hope. The hope that our Lord will someday return again for all those, whether dead or alive, that have put their trust in Him. That day might be tomorrow or next month. Nobody knows of the time but the Father, who is in heaven. So don't let the worries or concerns of the day get you down no matter what it is. Just always remember, that it is only temporary, and that someday you will be lifted up and your bodies will be restored. Look up for your redemption draweth nigh!

Gregory B. Dill

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."

(Romans 7:15)

Aside from it being a challenging tongue-twister, this verse accurately summarizes our struggle with sin. The writer of this passage is Paul. Even Paul found himself often struggling with sin. You can just hear the desparation in his words. I have heard in times past, many Christians say with the false notion, that a Christian can no longer sin. If this is so, then Paul himself was a liar. As Christians, we are not immune to sin and often find ourselves stumbling into it's far reaching tentacles of destruction. We must never underestimate the power of sin and we must never attempt to fight it with our own willpower. When we attempt to fight it with our own weak strength and will, we find ourselves failing and then often find ourselves disappointed or even depressed. Instead, allow the Spirit to conquer it for you. Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you each morning before the day begins so you can withstand the attacks of the enemy. If we are faithfully serving in God's camp then you can be assured the devil will make every attempt to thwart God's plan from being fulfilled through you. So take heart, we have God on our side, and only He is the one that can help you overcome.

Gregory B. Dill