In his Epistle to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul stated in chapter 3 verses 20-21 [ESV], 20 But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 Who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.
This is yet another wonderful passage from God’s word that gives us a brief glimpse into seeing what awaits those of us who have been immersed into Christ and donned with His glorious apparel (Galatians 3:27). When we are clothed in Christ by submitting to being baptized for the remission of our sins, we rise up from the water to be clothed in His holy garments, a new creature whose citizenship and home now lies in Heaven. Paul also told the church on Corinth, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 2:17 [ESV])
Paul explains this passing away of our old carnal nature in his letter to the congregation at Rome, saying, 3. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4. We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. 6. We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7. For he who has died is freed from sin. 8. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. (Romans 6:3-8 [ESV]) Just as Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 that the gospel, the good news, of Jesus Christ is His death, burial and resurrection, when we undergo baptism we declare and proclaim visually to the world this wondrous gospel plan of salvation message of Christ.
When we are baptized into Christ we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and as citizens of Heaven we are children of God and siblings of our elder Brother, Jesus. Paul writes, 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by Whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. (Romans 8:14-17 [ESV]) But our suffering in this life will be worth it as our reward in Heaven will be great beyond measure: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18 [ESV]) And this revelation will come fully when Jesus returns to gather us with Him and carry us home to live in Heaven forever: “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2 [ESV]).
This is yet another wonderful passage from God’s word that gives us a brief glimpse into seeing what awaits those of us who have been immersed into Christ and donned with His glorious apparel (Galatians 3:27). When we are clothed in Christ by submitting to being baptized for the remission of our sins, we rise up from the water to be clothed in His holy garments, a new creature whose citizenship and home now lies in Heaven. Paul also told the church on Corinth, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 2:17 [ESV])
Paul explains this passing away of our old carnal nature in his letter to the congregation at Rome, saying, 3. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4. We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. 6. We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7. For he who has died is freed from sin. 8. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. (Romans 6:3-8 [ESV]) Just as Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 that the gospel, the good news, of Jesus Christ is His death, burial and resurrection, when we undergo baptism we declare and proclaim visually to the world this wondrous gospel plan of salvation message of Christ.
When we are baptized into Christ we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and as citizens of Heaven we are children of God and siblings of our elder Brother, Jesus. Paul writes, 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by Whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. (Romans 8:14-17 [ESV]) But our suffering in this life will be worth it as our reward in Heaven will be great beyond measure: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18 [ESV]) And this revelation will come fully when Jesus returns to gather us with Him and carry us home to live in Heaven forever: “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2 [ESV]).
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