Closer To Heaven
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Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, Dr. Clinton Wahlen, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson,
Daily Lesson for Thursday 5th of February 2026
Surely there is nothing more important than knowing Christ, which guarantees in the end that He will know us and acknowledge us before the Father (see Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 10:32-33). How do we know Him? Through His Written Word—reading it and living it. We cannot know Him face-to-face as the disciples did. But interestingly, despite that knowledge, they still failed to comprehend His words, underscoring our need of the Holy Spirit to guide us (see John 16:13). The more we know Him, the closer we come to Him, because we experience “the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10), which raises us to “newness of life” (Romans 6:4, NKJV).
Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com
Another way we come closer to Jesus is through “the fellowship of His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10, NKJV). Every trial faced, every painful experience borne, helps us to know and appreciate more what Jesus went through for us, and also to understand Him and His will more clearly.
A third way we come closer is by pressing onward “toward the goal” (Philippians 3:14, NKJV). What is that goal? It translates a word used only here in the New Testament (skopos). It refers to the finish line of a race and the prize awarded the victor. Paul calls it “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, NKJV). Just as Christ, through His death and resurrection, ascended upward to heaven, God invites us to receive the same heavenly reward—eternal life.
Obviously, we have not attained that yet. We will not be perfected in the fullest sense until our “lowly body” is transformed “that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21, NKJV). But by knowing Him and inviting His presence into our lives every day, we press on toward the goal of being like Jesus in every way possible now. This is the “one thing” Paul focused on, too. Just like running a race (see 1 Corinthians 9:24-27), we pay no attention to where we’ve been or who trails us. Our single focus is on the things that lie ahead—that heavenly prize that awaits us. The image here is vivid: a runner’s full focus on the goal, straining every muscle and leaning forward to reach the finish line.
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Why, in your walk with the Lord, is it so important not to keep looking back, at least back at your sins and failures, but instead to look ahead to what you have been promised right now in Christ? |
View an in-depth discussion of Confidence Only in Christ in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris.
Click on the image below to view the video:
With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 4th of February 2026
Paul’s main point must not be missed. There was a wonderful exchange that he experienced on the Damascus road, trading his old, law-based life for the presence of Christ Himself—“that I may gain Christ and be found in Him” (Philippians 3:8-9, NKJV).
Image © Kevin Carden at Goodsalt.com
Paul’s reference to being in Christ has been widely discussed. Not surprisingly, perhaps the best explanation of it comes from Paul himself: “That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him” (Ephesians 1:10, NKJV). That has been God’s purpose from the start. And Paul makes clear how that happens: “You are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30, NKJV).
Being “in Christ” comprehends everything that the plan of salvation encompasses, from the dawning of our spiritual intelligence (wisdom), to justification by faith (righteousness), to preparation for heaven (sanctification), and finally to glorification at the Second Advent (redemption). Salvation is Christ’s work from start to finish—for us and in us. Thus, by gaining Christ, we have everything we need.
As Paul came to realize, having one’s “own righteousness” is not real righteousness because the law cannot give life (see Galatians 3:21-22); only Christ can, through faith. And not just any faith. After all, the devils believe and tremble (James 2:19). The only saving faith is “the faith of Christ.” Only His faith has obeyed fully and can obey. (The Greek word for faith, pistis, also means faithfulness.) So, if we are in Christ and He lives in us (Galatians 2:20), then we live by His faith through our faith in Him.
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; Philippians 3:8-9 NKJV.
As I read this passage while studying this week’s Sabbath School lesson, I could not help but think about Jesus’ counsel to the church of Laodicea. While Laodicea had good works that were hot, their motives were cold. Righteousness is hot. Self is cold. So their self-righteousness left them lukewarm.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Revelation 3:17.
How plainly is pictured the position of those who think they have all the truth, who take pride in their knowledge of the Word of God, while its sanctifying power has not been felt in their lives. The fervor of the love of God is wanting in their hearts.
Many are Laodiceans, living in a spiritual self-deception. They clothe themselves in the garments of their own righteousness, imagining themselves to be rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing, when they need daily to learn of Jesus, His meekness and lowliness.
What is it that constitutes the wretchedness, the nakedness, of those who feel rich and increased with goods? It is the want of the righteousness of Christ. In their own righteousness they are represented as clothed with filthy rags, and yet in this condition they flatter themselves that they are clothed upon with Christ’s righteousness…. They may be crying, “The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we,” while their hearts are filled with unholy traffic and unrighteous barter. The courts of the soul temple may be the haunt of envy, pride, passion, evil surmising, bitterness, and hollow formalism. Christ looks mournfully upon His professed people who feel rich and increased in the knowledge of the truth, and who are yet destitute of the truth in life and character.
Jesus says, “I, your Redeemer, know your works. I am familiar with the motives that prompt you to declare boastingly in regard to your spiritual condition, ‘I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.’ Thou ‘knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.’” …
What a position to be in! They stand in their own light. But notwithstanding their willful ignorance, they are not left by the Lord without added warning and counsel. – Ellen White, Our High Calling, Page 349
Jesus continues his counsel to Laodicea,
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. Revelation 3:18 NKJV
Photo by Pablo Heimplatz on Unsplash
Salvation is free, so why is Jesus telling us to buy gold refined in the fire and white garments? I believe Jesus wants us to use the bartering system. He wants us to trade in our self-righteousness. The refining fire removes self-confidence as we trade in our self-reliant righteousness and accept Jesus’ robe of righteousness. Like Paul in Philippians 3, we need to let go of our self-righteousness and take on Christ’s righteousness as our own. This has been an ongoing struggle with humanity throughout history. In Numbers 13, the children of Israel could have put their faith in God’s love and taken the promised land, but instead they looked at themselves and thought it could not be done. Because of their lack of faith, God tells them in Numbers 14 that they will not be able to enter the promised land, but their children will in 40 years. But at the end of Numbers 14, Israel decides to go ahead and take the land by themselves, and they ended up getting defeated. They failed to learn in Numbers 13 that with God’s grace, they can do all things, and in Numbers 14 they failed to learn that without that same grace they can do nothing.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13 NKJV.
I believe that our work is to get ourselves out of the way so that God can do His work in us.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:19-21 NKJV.
Jesus is rebuking us of our self-righteous pride, because He loves us. When self is dead, Jesus sees us as overcomers just like Him! What is impossible to do in our own strength, we can do in God’s strength and grace. Self-righteousness is only a pretended righteousness, while the righteousness of Christ, which is by faith, makes righteousness a reality.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. Hebrews 11:8 NKJV.
Abraham disobeyed God when he put faith in himself. This is why Abraham had to be circumcised. Self-confidence in the flesh had to be removed. When Abraham wholly relied on God, and put His faith in God instead of relying on self he obeyed. This is why today our hearts need to be circumcised. The heart is deceitful and leads us to trust ourselves. Once the self is dead, God’s grace gives us genuine obedience.
Jesus rebukes us because he sees potential in us. Once while working at UPS, I did something that made my supervisor very upset. He chewed me out to the point where I thought I was about to be fired. But then he turned around and said, “You may think I am getting too upset about this, but when you become a supervisor, you will understand.” So he rebuked me and then talked about me becoming a supervisor one day, which I did!
Likewise, Jesus rebukes us because He sees us as overcomers, as He overcame, once we repent of our self-reliant righteousness and accept the righteousness of Christ as our righteousness.
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