Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, (II Corinthians 5:2—NIV)

There are two aspects of the preparation for attaining the first resurrection from among the dead, the resurrection to incorruptible life in Christ. Both aspects are described by the Apostle Paul.

The first aspect has to do with our moral transformation. The second aspect has to do with our house, or robe, from Heaven.

Our moral nature has been corrupted in three dimensions. The first dimension is love for the world and trust in the world for security and survival.

The second dimension comprises the various lusts and passions that dwell in our flesh and soul.

The third dimension is our fierce desire to maintain our own way, to preserve our own identity apart from rest in the Father's Person and will.

Until we have experienced moral transformation in these three areas our inward nature is still abiding in corruption and cannot be clothed with incorruption. This is what Paul means when he says that if we live in the flesh we will die. We will seriously if not fatally impair the nature of our resurrection.

We are changed from looking to the world spirit for survival and security by presenting our body a living sacrifice to God and being transformed by the renewing of our mind.

We are delivered from the various lusts and passions that dwell in our flesh and soul as we confess our sins to God and receive forgiveness and cleansing. Then we are to draw near to God and resist the devil.

We are brought from self-will and self-love, the fierce desire to preserve what we are, into union with God's Person and will as we endure the suffering into which we are led. We must remain in the prison in which we are placed and not try to break out. It is always correct to tell God the desires of our heart, but we are not to seize our desires when to do so breaks God's laws or injures other people. This is true no matter how fervent or "righteous" our desires seem to be. It is through prolonged denial of our desires that our self-love is destroyed and we are set free to dwell in the Presence of God. Believers who refuse to deny themselves what they desire, who always save their life when God is calling for them to lay down their life, are not candidates for the redemption of the body. They are wandering stars in the universe.

This is what Paul meant by forgetting all that is behind, all his attainments, that he might gain Christ. Paul left all that he might grasp the resurrection Life of Christ.

We have to be transformed in these three areas if we hope to participate in the first resurrection from among the dead, the redemption of the body.

We said there are two aspects of the preparation for attaining the first resurrection from among the dead, the resurrection to incorruptible life in Christ. The first aspect has to do with our moral transformation. The second aspect has to do with our house, or robe, from Heaven.

We have just described the first aspect, our moral transformation in three dimensions of our personality.

To be continued.