How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word.

Welcome to Through the Bible, I'm Steve Schwartz holding open the doors of the Bible

at least figuratively as we prepare for our

continuing study in the New Testament Book of Philippians. Now today Dr. McGee

has a lot to share with us about the essentials for the Christian life so let's pray and get started

Heavenly Father it's been such a joy to study your word help us to set aside the

cares of the day and then open our hearts to you and make clear to us what you want us to learn here in

Philippians in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Now let's go to Philippians 3 on

through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McKee.

Now we're in the last section of this third chapter

where Paul changed his hope for the future,

not only changed his bookkeeping system of the past, and not only changed his purpose

for the present, but now he changes his hope for the future, and he is attempting to live for Christ today, but now he has a glorious, wonderful

hope for the future for our conversation, that is, our way of life. We're a colony of heaven down here and as I used

to hear Dr Herbert Beba put it all the way to heaven is heaven.

Therefore the child of God should be experiencing the joy of the Lord, the peace of God and the love of God.

These are things that are present experiences for the

child of God, for our citizenship is in heaven from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the whole tenor of

scripture of the New Testament and the hope of the believer is never the great tribulation period.

Paul doesn't say here and he has it here with such a note of joy and on the high plane of praise to God

from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he doesn't say after you go through the Great Tribulation Period.

Now the Great Tribulation Period is a time of judgment and the church is delivered from judgment

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