Already But Not Yet
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Genesis 1:20-2:4a; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
As I continue to process Resurrection Sunday I continue to be struck by the idea that was real is beyond our immediate circumstance.
Reading this passage in particular reminds me of this truth again.
Is there death still? Yes and no.
Is there sin and law? Yes and no.
This yes and no of the resurrection is the tension within which we live. This is often referred to as the “already but not yet.” This is why we must constantly be reminded that there is more to life than what we see. Christ in his resurrection has already defeated sin and death. But, until the second coming we live with the continuing ramifications of sin and death.
Paul tells the Thessalonians that we need to not mourn like those without hope. We know of the resurrection, we know of the life to come, we know that sin and death has been defeated. So, we mourn but we do so with hope of the life to come.
The not yet is where we experience much of our lives. We can press into our daily lives and not become cynical, jaded, or bitter because we know of the already.
The already is the foundation for our hope in the midst of the pain of the not yet.
I am pondering today with this question, “Will I trust in the already in spite of my immediate experience of the not yet?”