There Yet?

Are We There Yet?

"Are we there yet?" What parent hasn't heard those words (or uttered them as a child)? It is a question that most adults outgrow, except when it comes to their faith.

It is a sentiment Paul seems to share in that familiar passage in Philippians 3:

"Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (vss. 12-13)

Any honest reader understands that Paul realizes he hasn't arrived yet. The question for us is, what was the destination he had in mind? Let's back up and get more of the context.

Paul is sharing his testimony and why he might have "confidence in the flesh" if anyone could. He then evaluates the merits of the flesh:

"More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." (vss. 8-11)

Now we see Paul's destination - resurrection from the dead. Notice that Paul equates resurrection (vs. 11) with being perfect (vs. 12). There is much to be said on this subject but we'll deal with it in another article. What is necessary at the moment is to realize that "perfect" is the Greek word telos which is the same word translated "end" in other places. The concept is that of fulfillment, completion, goal or aim - not termination.

The "end" God had in view before the foundation of the world was the consummation of all things in Christ. That meant the eradication of the temporal shadow of things (the old covenant system) and the establishment and vindication of the heavenly reality. Part of that process was the "resurrection" of believers. Literally the word means to restore standing or stand again. Do you have standing before God today in Christ? Then you have been resurrected!

If there is one issue which keeps people from accepting the fulfilled view of prophecy more than others, this is it. R. C. Sproul, Sr. is perhaps the most notable example as he relates in The Last Days According to Jesus . Why is it that we have such a hard time with understanding this concept? Decades of TV preachers to be sure, but it goes deeper than that. The real problem is that to understand resurrection, we first have to understand death.

God told Adam and Eve they would die the very day they ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The serpent persuaded Eve that she "surely would not die." Sadly, most Christians today believe the serpent was correct (80 percent according to the only poll I know about). Why do Christians proclaim the serpent was right and God was wrong? Because of their preconceived ideas about the nature of the death God warned them about.

Literally, the language is "in dying you will die." What are we to make of this?

The first challenge is to understand that Adam was created mortal, not immortal. He was created outside the garden and then placed there (Genesis 2:15). Immortality was only available in the garden and it was only available to them while they lived (i.e. enjoyed communion with the Father).

When they sinned, they died immediately. However, had they remained in the garden they would have retained access to the Tree of Life, so God cast them out. Prior to their sin, they had physical and spiritual life. After their spiritual death, their physical death would mark their end. In dying spiritually, they lost access to the Tree of Life and died physically. God was right - not the old serpent!

Why is this important? If the nature of their death was spiritual, the nature of resurrection is spiritual! The Jews made the mistake of demanding a physical kingdom. Christians today, for the most part, are still demanding a physical reality when, in fact, the scripture tells us that the kingdom is spiritual. Some folks recoil at the thought of "spiritualizing everything" but isn't it reasonable (essential) that everything in a spiritual kingdom be spiritual?

Obviously, the spiritual has implications for our physical lives, but the physical is only a shadow of the spiritual (Note: We are not saying that the kingdom has no physicality, but whatever it is, it is different from our present physical experience [1 Cor. 15:35-38]). Most Christians have no trouble believing Paul when he says we are seated in the heavenly places with Christ (Ephesians 2:6) but they have difficulty accepting the reality of their being kingdom citizens now. Why the disconnect?

The judgment of Old Covenant Israel was the vindication of the saints and the sign that Christ's work had been completed. Paul concludes Philippians 3 by noting the fulfillment was future to them:

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 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."

They were eagerly waiting for the fulfillment, but most Christians today keep asking, "Are We There Yet?" If not, Paul and his first century family must be sorely disappointed by now. Imagine the reaction of your children if you told them you would be at their favorite vacation spot "shortly" and 2,000 years passed without getting there. They would have gotten out of the car and made their own way by now, or hitchhiked back home filled with disappointment. Scripture tells us that God is a better "parent" than that!

Let's give Him the glory for doing exactly what He said He would do and let us continue to learn how He was faithful. Then, we can put to rest the attacks of scoffers who say He failed, especially those in Christian circles.

May I have your attention please:

We have arrived! Get out, stretch your legs, take a deep breath and enjoy the knowledge of living in the presence of our Father. It is a glorious view!

Last Updated 10/17/03