Philippians 3:20 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 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.”
The word “working” is translated from a Greek word that is somewhat like our English word ‘energy’. The contextual meaning is that our “Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” has the Sovereign Power, Ability, and Will to raise us from the dead and “change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body”; thus, He is absolutely certain to accomplish it. It is further explained that He has this “working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself”. To “subdue” is to conquer and to bring under His Sovereign control; somewhat like a conquering army subdues its enemies and renders them unable to fight back or resist. So it is with our Lord, Who has conquered Sin, Death, and the Grave; thus, at His appointed time, our Lord will simply command and this Great Eternal Change will occur instantaneously. The Apostle goes to such great lengths to explain this magnificent “change” to console and comfort us and to heighten our zeal to lovingly worship and serve our Lord. It is hard for us to imagine such mystic power, but the truth of it harmonizes with the “work” that our Lord has already accomplished in our mind’s heart; thus, we can now “greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations” (I Peter 1:6)!