week of 10/19/11 4th recorded HighQuest Philippians 3:17-21

The passage I read was Philippians 3:17-21

You can find that passage here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203:17-21&version=NIV

The verse that most stood out to me:

²¹ 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.

As I reflect:

Paul was saying to follow his example as he was following Christ’s example, and thus we also ought to follow Christ’s example. Paul explains that there are in fact many enemies of the cross and I think that if any of us take a good look around, we will see that this is something that hasn’t changed much. The only difference now is that many of the enemies are professing to be God’s followers. But as we are taught in the word, there is a way to easily tell the difference in those that simply profess Jesus as Lord vs. those who follow Jesus as their Lord. The word says you tell the difference by their fruit. Paul very lightly touches on that here saying in verse 20 that we are citizens of Heaven. He says this not only to point out that we look forward to the return of our Savior, but also to shine light on the fact that we are not of this world. We may be here temporarily, but we are not of here. We are enabled spiritually to act, and think differently than the rest of the human race just as one day, when our bodies are transformed by Christ, we will also look differently than the rest of those carnally minded humans.

This passage to me, stands out as a statement of not only what spiritual transformation has already occurred in our lives as followers of Christ, but also as a reminder of what physical transformation will one day occur. May our current humble bodies be ever obedient to the will of our Spirit in Christ Jesus.

My response to the Lord:

Father, as we eagerly await the return of your Son, may your Holy Spirit guide and empower us to bring our own minds and bodies under the control of your will just as Jesus Christ has power to bring everything under His control. May our spiritual transformations in you be the light that the lost see and not the broken outer shell that one day you will rebuild. Help me Father, to be a light and salt, that others might also one day be spiritually and eventually physically transformed by your great power and love. In Jesus’ name.