Now But Not Yet...

Since before time began, God has had a plan. He was and is working and will continue to work out His plan. He has revealed this in His Word. 

We as the Church often think of God's work being done or that we have arrived in paradise. At least, that's how we frequently live. Perhaps the Church in North America is too comfortable. 

As believers, we live in the tension of now/not yet; we hope for what's to come. We see this all over the Bible. In Romans 7-8 we see that we are redeemed, but are not yet glorified, dwelling in unredeemed flesh. We hope in what's in store. 1 & 2 Peter explain the eternal hope we have and how we should live in light of this. We are sojourners (2:11-12, Heb. 10-13). If Christ has been raised, life is significant (1 Cor. 15). The Church is pointing to the end, when Christ will come and reign after which God will make all things new (Rev. 21). May I encourage you to study in the word what role the Church has in God's plan now and in the future. How we live now is significant as it points to the end. May we walk worthy of His calling (Eph.). Let us anticipate our Lord Jesus Christ's coming again (Matt. 25). 

    He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

          21      The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. - Rev. 22:20-21

       

     New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Re 22:20–21). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

The Just Shall Live By Faith

          16      For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
          17      For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” - Romans 1:16-17

In the grand sweep of Romans, the Apostle Paul delineates God's character and great salvation. This is broken down into two sections: a. the mercies of God (1-11) and b. how we live by God's mercies (12-16). (See 12:1-2). In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Paul goes over the Gospel in short:

    1      Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
          2      by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
          3      For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
          4      and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
          5      and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
          6      After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
          7      then He appeared to aJames, then to all the apostles;
          8      and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
          9      For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
          10      But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
          11      Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Let's have the word of Christ and His Gospel dwelling in us richly, being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Eph. 4:17-24, Rom. 12:1-2). May our lives flow out of this, "...by the mercies of God" (Rom. 12:1-2).

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ro 1:16–17). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.