You can press forward in Christ and attain the resurrection that will take place at that time, or wait for the general resurrection of the dead, which will occur at the end of the thousand-year Kingdom Age, and be judged in that hour concerning your behavior during your life.

How did Paul seek to win Christ, to attain the resurrection from the dead?

He counted all his accomplishments, all of his life that had not been wrought in Christ, as garbage. He was learning to live in the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.

Paul always was pressing toward the mark that had been set before him—and this in his old age and while he was in prison.

And so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:11—NIV)

Paul was not referring to the general resurrection of the dead, which will take place after the thousand-year Kingdom Age, but the resurrection from the dead that will occur at the appearing of Christ from Heaven.

Paul, by praying for Christ's Virtue to be imparted to him, was driving from his memory the things that were behind him and that would hinder his single-minded pursuit of Jesus Christ.

Are you doing this? You absolutely must forget the things that are behind if you hope to be raised to immortality when the Lord appears. Paul tells us to have the same mind as he.

But as to the relationship of the body and blood of Christ to the resurrection from the dead, let us examine the following passages:

I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. (John 6:48-50—NIV)

As we said before, the body and blood of Jesus Christ are the new covenant. The writings we term "The New Testament" describe the new covenant. But the body and blood of Jesus Christ themselves are the new covenant.

This is extremely important to understand. Christianity is not a religion consisting of doctrines and commandments. Christianity is the forming of a new creation on the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the Covenant of God with man. When Christ is formed in us we become an essential part of the Body of Christ, the Body of the Servant of the Lord who Himself is the Covenant of God with mankind. This is the unique role of the Christian Church among the nations of the earth.

It is not enough to read about Christ and learn about Christ. We must eat Christ continually. This is what Paul meant when he said though we have known Christ after the flesh now we no longer know Him this way. Now we know Him in that He has been formed in us and we are an integral part of Him.

Christians understand about the Christ of Christmas and Easter. Now we are to know Him as He is formed in us and then the Father and He come to abide for eternity in the new creation who has been formed in us. This is the new covenant. This is eternal life. This is all the fullness of God.

To be continued.