Considering Our Future with Christ

Nov 16 – Nov 25

Past, Present, and Future

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  11/16/20

The Bible teaches us very clearly that the past, the present, and the future must be held together if we are to live a balanced Christian life. From the past we learn from mistakes and grow through them. In the present we walk with God today. And we joyfully anticipate our hope in Christ in the future. All of these must be together.

The Bible teaches us that many aspects of Christian life are past, present, and future:

Salvation—We were saved in the past. The moment you said “yes” to Jesus, you were saved. We are being saved every day. And we will be eternally saved.

Transformation—When we received the gift of salvation, God also poured into our hearts the Holy Spirit, and we became new creations—a past event. But we must also grow in Christlikeness in the present. In the future we also will be changed, and this is the most glorious change of all because we will become perfect like Christ.

Kingdom of God—The Kingdom of God came with Jesus. In Mark 1:15 Jesus said the Kingdom of God had come—the rule of God in lives and hearts. This happened in the past, but the Kingdom of God is also now as God reigns and rules in our hearts every single day. And the Kingdom of God is yet to come: At the end times, we will see Jesus reigning and ruling with our very own eyes.

The End Times—In the book of Revelation, we see that prophecy has been fulfilled, is being fulfilled, and will be fulfilled meticulously.

We must have this complete picture of the Christian faith—past, present, and future—to fully grasp the awe-inspiring hope that we have in Jesus, our Savior.

Prayer: Lord, give me wisdom and understanding as I look into Your Word to see Your sovereignty at work and grant me joy, love, and thankfulness as I remember the past, follow You in the present, and anticipate my future with You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).