I Want to Attain to the Resurrection From the Dead
Philippians 3v11
1st September 2023
We've spent four weeks studying:
Philippians 3v10
I want to know him [Christ] and the power of his resurrection and the
fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death
We can now move on to the next verse, which continues Paul's thought process. The NIV renders it:
Philippians 3v11
and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
I don't think this is a great translation. In modern English, the word "somehow" can have a sense of uncertainty, as if Paul wasn't sure he was truly saved, truly destined for heaven. But he makes it clear in several places that he knew his eternal salvation was assured. Here are some of them:
Romans 6v5
If we have been united with him [Christ] like this in his death [being saved
and baptised], we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
Philippians 1v21
For me to live is Christ and to die is gain
2 Timothy 1v11-12
And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.
That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I
know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I
have entrusted to him until that day.
Romans 8v16-17
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with
Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share
in his glory.
The third and fourth of these, of course, contain the same link between suffering and resurrection as we see in the verses we're studying, Philippians 3v10-11.
The ESV translation of Philippians 3v11 is, "that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead", which is much better. As the ESV makes clear, Paul is not doubting that he is truly and eternally saved; he's saying that there is no price not worth paying, no experience not worth enduring, no loss not worth sustaining, to experience the resurrection from the dead.
The physical resurrection of the dead will occur at the end of history, when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead. All people, saints and sinners, will stand before the judgement seat of God. Some will inherit eternal life and others will inherit eternal death:
Acts 24v15
there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
John 5v28-29
... a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice
and come out - those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those
who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
Paul wants to "rise to live". He wants to stand before God on the Day of Judgement and be pronounced justified, and so to live for ever with Christ in glory. So do we all. This is the ultimate goal of every Christian. What distinguishes Paul from many of us, though, is that he intends to relinquish everything else in order to achieve his goal. When he says, "by any means possible" he's building on what he said earlier: "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (verse 8a). Paul meant it when he said, "for [Christ] I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I many gain Christ..." (verse 8b). Paul wanted his relationship with Jesus Christ to last for ever and ever. Again, we all do, but Paul was will to pay the price, whatever that price was. As he said elsewhere.
2 Corinthians 4v17
... our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory
that far outweighs them all.
This idea of enduring suffering in order to attain to the resurrection from the dead may seem strange to some modern evangelicals, who constantly proclaim that if we repent of our sins and believe in the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross we will be saved. That is true, of course, but Paul took seriously the "if" in his assertion that:
Colossians 1v21-23
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of
your evil behaviour.
But now he [God] has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to
present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation
if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move
from the hope held out in the gospel.
Paul was not content to receive his salvation as a free gift and then ignore the kingdom of God until he died (although, sadly, some professed Christians do that, or something very like it). Paul was determined to life the Christian life to the full, to continue in his faith, come what may. That's what repentance and faith really mean.
Life in glory will be unimaginably different from life on earth. Now we see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13v12), then we will see Jesus face to face. Now we are being sanctified, then we will be sinless. And:
Revelation 21v4a
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or
mourning or crying or pain.
However, there's a resurrection from the dead which we've already experienced. Romans 6 tell us, "count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus". We have been born again (John 3v3, 1 Peter 1v3). We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5v17). Note the past tense in:
Ephesians 2v4-6
... because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it
is by grace you have been saved.
And God raised us up with Christ...
All who are saved, born again, converted already know eternal life. We're forgiven our sins now. We're united with Christ now. We're eternal beings now. God has already begun to work in us, making us Christlike. We love Him more than we did. We're more conformed to His character than we were. This process has a long way to go before God makes us perfect, but our lives in glory will be a continuation of our lives as redeemed people, new creations, on earth. Let us live now as those who are saved, adopted, and destined for glory.
Revelation 20v6
Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second
death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ
and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Next week: pressing on