Resurrection: Past, Present, and Future

 

 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live (John 5:25).

The hour is coming and now is! In the past, Jesus died on a cross and rose from the dead so that man could be reconciled to God and have eternal life. Those who have put their faith in Him can look forward to the end time when our bodies will also be raised from the dead. It is a wonderful hope for the future, spending an eternity in glory with God!

But eternal life is not just future. It is also NOW. Many believers make the mistake of thinking it is just something to hold on to until we die and go to be with Jesus. But this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent (John 17:3).

Eternal life is all about a quality of life now. It is something to be experienced, as the term "know" represents. The original Greek for "know" means much more than intellectual knowledge or assent. It means to have a thorough acquaintance and experience concerning someone or something.
 
So it is incredible that the only true God has made a way for weak beings like us to actually experience Him and become partakers of the divine nature (2Peter 1:4).

How many Christians are missing out, because they have relegated the resurrection life only to the future. The hour is coming, and NOW IS. Your life can change, but your expectations have to change first. God wants to bless you and use you for His kingdom- which also is now as well as in the future!

The amazing truth is that not only is our resurrection life now and future, but we also need to consider it as past: Even when we were dead in sins, [He] hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:5-6).

Quit saying, "I'm just a sinner saved by grace." That flies in the face of what Jesus has done for you. You WERE a sinner, but now you are saved and He has raised you and seated you together with Him. He wants to reign through His people and bring positive change to them and those around them, but they have to first recognize these spiritual realities and who they are in Christ.

You may feel like a failure, but the real you is hidden in Christ: For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). Stop looking at the outward appearances and start focusing on the truths of God's Word. Then you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind.