The Hope of the Resurrection

"For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation" (Psm. 149:4). The Hebrew word for the word 'beautify' in this verse is 'pawar,' which in the Hebrew language means 'glorify.' The point I am making here is that salvation is not something that anyone procures at the beginning of their faith in Christ, but rather it is something that is obtained through patient endurance in holiness until the "END of our faith," even as Peter testified to (Mat. 24:12,13; II Tim. 2:10; Heb. 6:13-15; I Pet. 1:7-9). Salvation, as our text scripture plainly states, means attaining to a glorified, immortal body at the first resurrection: "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained... For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself" (Philip. 3:10-12; 20,21). So the apostle Paul makes it abundantly clear here that his goal in the service of the Lord was to "attain unto the resurrection of the dead," which he also stated that he had not yet done. And he makes it just as clear that that resurrection is all about the faithful receiving a glorified body like unto the one Jesus has. And to these things the beloved apostle John agreed: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (I Jn. 3:2). And John in the very next verse leaves no doubt that attaining unto this glorious resurrection of the dead is not something that can be passively pursued, or obtained with sin in one's life: "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he [Jesus] is pure" (I Jn. 3:3). Now "this hope" that John refers to is the "one hope" of the gospel, which is "the hope of salvation," which is to come about at the second coming of the Lord, at which time the righteous dead will be raised, as well as the righteous who are yet alive (Rom. 8:24,25; Eph. 4:4; I Thess. 4:15-17; I Thess. 5:8). The apostle Peter, whom is referenced above as saying that salvation is at the END of the faith of those who are "kept [from sin] by the power of God," was in perfect agreement with John's view of the calling to "purify [ourselves] even as he is pure." Not only so, but he also tells us by what means we must purify ourselves, and for what purpose: "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently" (I Pet. 1:22).

Yes friend, the calling is to purify our hearts daily by the power of the holy Ghost, which alone can wash away sin and the nature of the flesh (Acts 15:8; I Cor. 6:11; Tit. 3:5). And the result of a pure heart is that we have "unfeigned love of the brethren," because "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Rom. 5:5). And that brings us full circle about who among God's people it is that will obtain salvation at the first resurrection, and who will not. Jesus spelled the whole thing out for us in no uncertain terms: "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Mat. 24:12,13). So then it is a very simple equation; those who CONTINUE to purify their hearts by the Spirit of God, or be "kept by the power of God," will be those who "attain unto the resurrection of the dead," wherein they will be "beautified," or glorified with an immortal body like unto Jesus. The apostle Paul said it this way: "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 15:51-57). So that is it right there my friend. If we keep ourselves free from sin through the power of God's Spirit, we will have the victory over sin and death, and we will attain unto the resurrection of the dead, and be changed into a glorified, immortal body; which itself IS salvation, or the "beautifying of the meek." But if we finish our course with sin present in our lives, we will most certainly be "stung" by death, and be left out of that one time glorious event. "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it" (Heb. 4:1). Amen.