20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
What a wonderful truth! There is coming a time when the struggle to live rightly will be over and we will all be transformed. Up until now in his letter to the Philippians, Paul had been encouraging them to press onward, following his example, in the struggle for keeping the focus on Christ and knowing Him. But that struggle will not go on forever. Though we have not arrived yet at perfection, one day we will attain that goal, God will see to it!
Our hope begins with the fact we are citizens of the heavenly realm. Our time on earth is temporary, as ex-patriots of God’s nation. We are on assignment as ambassadors, but our true home is with God. Further our hope is fanned by the desire to know Christ, the power of His resurrection and fellowship of His sufferings—all themes of this letter. When a Christian desires to know Christ, he will eagerly look forward to the Savior’s return.
Beside the prospect of His actualized presence, we will enjoy a complete change in our lives. This body of mine that carries my soul and spirit will be revolutionized. This will take place at the resurrection (or rapture, whichever comes first). The details of this transformation are kept secret (for example, will our new bodies have age appearance?). But we do know that our bodies will become like Jesus’ body. The apostle John corroborates this: “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2). We also know our new bodies will be glorious, perfect in every way, no more temptation to sin, no more pain or fear of any kind.
God will finally take complete charge of the change process. Certainly He has been sovereign all along, and the Spirit is involved in our “progressive” sanctification, enabling us to grow to be more like Christ. And it is true that we are already “positionally” sanctified, that is, set apart for God’s purposes. But God will “perfect the work” (Phil 1:6) that is not fully accomplished on earth, and it will be an instantaneous work at His coming. His power and sovereignty will be seen plainly in the complete change He accomplishes in us. Is it any wonder that Christians eagerly wait for His coming? It is part of His plan to bring all things, including our bodies, into subjection to Himself.
Lord, what an exciting promise You have given us. Help me to be patient and continue pressing onward until that day when I see the Lord Jesus face to face.
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