Eye On The Prize

"All of us, with unveiled face, continued to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2)

"For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." (2 Corinthians 5:2-4)

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)

Simple?* No! Four thousand years to explain it…..two thousand years to demonstrate it. And now, when we are told it is impossible, we will see the fulfillment of it.

The verses above apply to a time we will see before the literal return of our Lord Jesus Christ as explained in Acts 1:11.

"But we are citizens of the state which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently await [the coming of] the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] Savior, Who will transform and fashion anew the body of our humiliation to conform to and be like the body of His glory and majesty, by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself." (Philippians 3:20-21)

We will have an “appearing” IN us…..Christ manifesting HIS life in us before that “Great and terrible Day of the Lord!

Keeping our eyes on the prize, allowing him to conform us into his image, minding the things that are above and not on earthly things. In this we will have our rest…yet there remains a rest for us…..when we shall see him coming to dwell in his body.

"For if Joshua had given them rest, He [God] would not speak afterward about another day. So then, there is still awaiting a full and complete Sabbath-rest reserved for the [true] people of God; For he who has once entered [God's] rest also has ceased from of human labors, just as God rested from those labors peculiarly His own. Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience." (Hebrews 4:8-11)

It is Christ and not our own efforts any longer. He must increase and we must decrease.

Jesus explains the kingdom of heaven is like something precious buried in a field, which a man found and hid again; he goes and sells all he has and buys that field. (Matthew 13:44). And again he says it is like finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:46) Jesus describes the kingdom many different ways in scripture….but one things is sure…..when we find it…we will give up all to have it! We will not be willing to let it go for a bowl of pottage as Esau did.

*Note: (2 Corinthians 11:3) "But [now] I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ." Three times King James translates the word “sincere” (Greek: haplotes) as simplicity, from this they say the Gospel is simple….this whole idea comes from ONE misinterpreted word!

Strong’s definition of the Greek word "haplotes":
1) singleness, simplicity, sincerity, mental honesty
a) the virtue of one who is free from pretence and hypocrisy

2) not self seeking, openness of heart manifesting itself by generousity