A Collision of Ages

We live in a collision of ages. In this present age, sin and death ravage us and our world, and Satan is both ruler (John 12:31) and prince (Ephesians 2:2). And yet, another age, “the age to come” (Luke 18:30) has broken through and taken root. Jesus Himself heralded the arrival of this new age, saying: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). A new age is here, an age when God will reign over a perfect, sinless new heaven and earth full of blood-bought, redeemed followers of Christ, just as a king rules over his kingdom.

While the kingdom of God is already, here, it has not yet come in fullness. This is why many Christian writers and thinkers use the terms already and not yet to refer to our present overlap of ages. There are aspects of our lives that are already true in Christ but have not yet been fully realized. We have been adopted as children of God already (Romans 8:15) but do not yet experience adoption’s fullness (Romans 8:32). We are redeemed already (Ephesians 1:7) but have not yet been rescued from sin’s lingering effects (Ephesians 4:30). We have been sanctified already (1 Corinthians 1:2) but have not yet been taken from a fallen world (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

This “already/not yet” way of viewing our lives helps us build a proper identity in Christ. Christians are defined by who God says we already are in Him. And understanding that we are in process, not yet perfected, encourages us to press on in repentance and faith without despairing that we still struggle with sin.

Who God Says You Are

Think of the changing of the seasons. In early autumn, the air is cooler and the trees may start to show their color, but the full experience of autumn is still to come. Autumn is both already and not yet. When it comes to our faith, this “already/not yet principle can help us develop a proper view of ourselves and our self-worth.

The Bible contains many statements about who we are in Christ that tell us our identity. We are children of God (John 1:12), friends to Jesus (John 15:15), justified and redeemed (Romans 3:24), free from slavery to sin (Romans 6:6), fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4), citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20), loved by God (1 Thessalonians 1:4), and much more. In fact, there is no blessing that has been withheld from us (Ephesians 1:3).  Knowing that these things are already true of us can save us from a low sense of self-worth when the lies of the enemy or our own insecurities tempt us to despair. God defines who we are; He has said these things are true about us, and they will not change.

However, we must be careful not to forget the “not yet” part of these “already/not yet” truths. We should believe that God has chosen us to be “holy and without blame before Him” (Ephesians 1:4) while still understanding that we are not yet without sin. Rather, we progressively become what God has called us to be as we fight against sin in daily life. If we believe that we must immediately become sinless in Christ, we risk either denying and hiding our sin or despairing because we continue to struggle with sin when we think we should no longer do so.

It’s only by holding both the “already” and the “not yet” in tension that we can accurately see ourselves as God sees us and as we truly are in Christ while striving to live more in line with this identity each day. Just as early autumn is already but not yet fully autumn, we are already but not yet fully who God has called us to be. In fact, dwelling on the truths of who God says we are greatly encourages and empowers us to become who God has called us to be. Paul frequently followed this pattern in his letters to the church. First, he would remind Christians of who they are in Christ, then he would call them to act like who they already are in Him.

We pursue growth in Christ knowing that the destination is guaranteed.

The Guarantee of the Spirit

Remembering what is already true of us in Christ can motivate us to greater obedience and faithfulness during this overlap of ages. Knowing that we are positionally holy and blameless in Christ can empower us to fight against temptation and sin in the here and now. But how can we know that the promises of Scripture about those who are in Christ are true for us? How can we be confident that our struggles with sin are simply part of living in this “already/not yet” period, and not because we are not really Christians?

We can have confidence that we belong to Christ and that our destination is secure by seeing evidence of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. Paul described the Holy Spirit as a down payment that guarantees that we are God’s children (Ephesians 1:13-14). This guarantee is like a down payment on a loan, or like an engagement ring before a marriage. The presence of the Holy Spirit in your life shows that you belong to Him and that all the “already” promises will come true even as we live through the “not yet” of our day-to-day lives.

The Bible says much about what the Holy Spirit does in the lives of believers. He convicts us of sin (John 16:8). He allows us to taste the goodness of the Word of God (Hebrews 6:4-5). He gives us freedom from sin (2 Corinthians 3:17). He produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). If you have ever felt remorseful over sin, heard the voice of the Lord through the Bible, experienced victory over habitual sin, or felt a sense of kindness that seemed beyond what you could produce on your own, then you have good reason to believe that the Holy Spirit is working in you. And seeing Him work in you is proof that the “already” is breaking through into the “not yet.” Any sign of growth in Christ is a sign that you are on the path to becoming who God has already declared you to be in Christ.

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Content in this article is taken from the Life in Christ Bible

The Life in Christ Bible invites you to discover, believe, and rejoice in who God says you are. Learn what it means to bear God’s image and find our identity in Christ with notes that trace these themes throughout all Scripture. Explore what it means to live out of your true identity day-by-day with practical wisdom from 16 key topics. And be encouraged with quotes that reinforce what it means to be made in the image of God and conformed to the image of Christ.