Derek Prince - The Resurrection Of Jesus Is The Guarantee Of Our Resurrection
Now, the next thing that’s very, very important is this: The resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee of our resurrection. That is, if we are totally committed to Jesus. In Colossians 1:18... speaking again about the resurrection of Jesus, Paul says: He (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church. So Jesus is the head, we believers are the body. He’s also the beginning: the firstborn from the dead, that in all things... He may have the preeminence (or the first place). So he is the firstborn... from death, He’s the head of a totally new creation. He’s the head of a new race, the God/man race in which the nature... of God and man are combined in one person. He’s the head of the body. He’s the firstborn from the dead. And the resurrection is compared... to a birth out of death.
And this is such a beautiful picture. In a natural birth, normally what part of the body emerges first? The head, that’s right. And when the head emerges what do you know? You know the rest of the body is going to follow. And so, the resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee that His body will follow Him in resurrection. Now, also the resurrection of Jesus in His body is a pattern for ours. I hope you’re getting excited. If you’re not I’m really not communicating. Paul says in Philippians 3:20-21: For our citizenship is in heaven. That’s those of us who’ve been... born again, committed to live for Jesus, we live on earth, we’re citizens... of a country here on earth but our real citizenship is in heaven. If you are a citizen of a country you have to have a passport. Did you know that? So we have a passport, it’s the blood of Jesus. Our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior... the Lord Jesus Christ.
Notice a mark of true Christians is that we are eagerly... waiting for the Savior. And then it says: Who will transform our lowly body... that it may be conformed to His glorious body according to the working... by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. That’s the translation but it’s not literal. If I may give you a literal translation... it makes something very vivid. He will transform the body of our humiliation... that it may be conformed to the body of His glory. You see, you may not realize it but you and I live in a body of humiliation. We’ve been humiliated because of sin. And I point out that no matter... how wealthy or healthy you may be, there are certain facts about the body... in which you live which continually remind you you’re a sinner. You may eat the most sumptuous food and drink all the wine you want... but sooner or later, and generally sooner, you have to go to the toilet... and empty your bladder and your bowels.
No matter how wealthy, how dignified, how high your place in life... this is a body of humiliation. You may also wear the finest clothes... but when you get a little bit active and begin to do something energetic... do you know what happens? You perspire. Or, in a more vulgar language, you sweat. That’s a body of humiliation. God has ordained that every one of us should be continually reminded... by our body that we are in a state of humiliation because of our sin. But, Jesus is going to change this body of humiliation into the likeness... of the body of His glory. Isn’t that exciting? This body is going to change. We’ll look a little later at some of the details... of the change. But let me just point out one very relevant fact.
In 1 John 3... John says this. Verses 2-3: Beloved, now we are children of God and it has not yet... been revealed what we shall be. We haven’t yet seen... the kind of body we’re going to have. But we know that when He is revealed... we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. When He is revealed and we see Him, our bodies will be changed... into the likeness of His body. I want you to notice the next verse... because it’s very important. And everyone who has this hope in Him... purifies himself just as He is pure. You may tell me that you’re hoping for the resurrection and it’s not... my business to argue with you. But if you are really hoping... there’s something you’re doing, you’re purifying yourself. What is the standard of purity? Jesus. Just as He is pure.
If you tell me that you’re looking forward to the resurrection, but I see no evidence that you’re seeking to make yourself more pure and more holy, I say you’re probably self-deceived. You aren’t really looking forward, you’re just using religious language. Because this is the mark of everyone who is truly looking forward... to this exchange from the body of humiliation to the body of glory. Let me read those words again. Everyone who has this hope in Him... (in Jesus) purifies himself just as He is pure. Do you have that mark? Is that evidence in your life that you’re really expecting the return of Jesus? Now, our body will be like His and we observed in the record of the gospels... that He was not limited by time or space. He could ascend to heaven... and down again, He could enter a room with all the doors closed. He could appear in one form to one person and another form... to another person. He had a very, shall we say, flexible body. I believe we’ll have a similar kind of body.