The common teaching that all Christians are raised from the dead leaves out some extremely important considerations. First of all, every person will be raised from the dead, not only the Christians. Second, our hope is not just that we will be raised, our great hope has to do rather with what will happen to us after we are raised. Third, we may ask, why was Paul so anxious to attain a spiritual resurrection? What end would a spiritual resurrection serve if such an inner, spiritual resurrection were to have no effect on his outer, material resurrection?

We know that the inner spiritual nature of every true saint has died with Christ and now is alive with Christ. Also, our inward nature already has ascended to the right hand of the Father in Christ.

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 2:6)

It appears Paul was striving to bring his daily experience into line with that which already was spiritually true of him. Our entire Christian experience is a bringing into view that which already has been spoken concerning us. We are fighting our way downward, striving to bring our throne-life down into our daily behavior, and finally into our death-doomed physical body.

But are we to say we shall receive a body like that of the Lord Jesus whether or not we succeed in being transformed in our inner nature ? Is it not true, rather, that in the resurrection our outer man will reflect that which the inner man has become? To think otherwise is to dwell in an unscriptural land of fantasy.

When Paul was striving to attain the out-resurrection from among the dead he was speaking of his entire personality—spirit, soul, and body. All that Paul is, is to be filled with Christ. All that is not filled with Christ is garbage, from Paul's point of view.

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ. (Philippians 3:12)

Notice that Paul speaks of attaining the out-resurrection as being perfection. Paul did not count that he had attained perfection but was pressing forward to grasp that for which he has been grasped. Christ has grasped Paul with the intention of filling all of Paul's personality with Christ's incorruptible life—the incorruptible life that makes Christ's priesthood superior to that of the Aaronic priesthood.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (Philippians 3:13)

We Christians, if we would live victoriously in the Lord Jesus, must not look back. Let us forget the past. God has brought us to where we are now, even though our pathway on many occasions has led us through a minefield.

Are we reaching forth to the goal set before us? And what is that goal? It is to be part of the royal priesthood when the Lord appears. It is to receive back our body at His appearing so we may rule with Him over the saved nations of the earth.

To be continued.