Living in the Shadow of the Future

What should we do with what we know? by Loren Stacy

As American pioneers struggled west through the arid desert of Nevada toward California's San Joaquin Valley, the looming presence of the Sierra Nevada mountain range must have been both welcome and fearsome: welcome because it signaled the soon-coming end of a long, dangerous, wearisome journey, yet fearsome because crossing those mountains was no easy task. There were raging rivers, huge boulders, fallen trees, winter storms, and dangerous men and animals along the way.

At times, as they struggled up the eastern slopes, the pioneers must have wondered, What are we doing here? Is it worth it? Is California really as good as we've been told? What are we doing here?

Every evening when the sun sank, the travelers moved in dark shadows, which made their journey even more difficult. Behind them lay the Nevada desert -- the past -- ablaze with the evening sun; ahead lay the western mountain ridge -- the future -- with the sun just out of sight. So close to home, so near the end of their journey, the pioneers struggled in the twilight, living in the shadow of the future.

Sometimes we, too, feel like we are struggling in the shadows. We're at the end of one millennium, poised to begin a new millennium. Often we wonder, What's going on? What's the right thing to do? What direction shall I take?

In 2 Corinthians 5, the biblical writer, Paul, offers hope and encouragement. In essence, he says, "Look ahead! Your journey is almost done; your home is just over the next rise." He then says, "Look back! You may now be in shadows, but the past is still aglow with what God has done for you. Never give up! Things may be dark and uncertain, but now is the time for redoubled effort.

Future resurrection

Those who have accepted Christ's death for their sins before they died will be resurrected from the dead the day Christ returns to earth. In 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 Paul uses three different metaphors to explain the certainty of this resurrection and of our bodies' change from mortal to immortal.

First, he speaks of the body as an "earthly tent." If our "tent" should be torn down, God will replace it with a building, "an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands" (v. 1).

Paul also refers to the body as clothing: "We groan, longing to be clothed with our [immortal bodies] . . . when we are clothed, we will not be found naked" (vv. 2, 3).

Then Paul switches to a third metaphor: eating. We want to be clothed "so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life" (v. 4).

Paul had no doubts about future resurrection. It was not a maybe, but an is. Paul's message: "Resurrection is coming!"

Confidence

As so often is the case throughout the Bible, the word is is followed by the word ought. Because the resurrection is certain, we ought to live as God desires.

Second Corinthians 5:6-9 gives two desired responses to the coming resurrection. The first is confidence: "We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident . . . and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord" (vv. 7, 8).

Confidence of the resurrection gives hope. Things may become tough here and now -- more violence in schools and the in workplace, Y2K -- but better days will come. This world isn't all there is!

Assurance of the resurrection also gives us boldness. If we defend our faith as did several students at Columbine High School, what's the worst that would happen to us? Injury? Death? If we die, we will be resurrected one day to eternal life in Christ. We win!

In battle there is nothing so fearsome and effective as an army that has renounced all desire for this life and is thoroughly convinced that to die is an iron-clad guarantee of eternal life in paradise. Confidence of the resurrection should give us that kind of courage -- not to die in physical combat, but to live and overcome for Christ in our spiritual battles.

Good conduct

Second, the resurrection should lead us to good conduct: "So we make it our goal to please him [God], whether we are at home in the body or away from it" (v. 9).

We please God by living the way He wants us to live while we wait for Christ's return. The temptation, of course, is to give into the sin that surrounds us everyday. Galatians 5:16-26 contrasts two behaviors: sinful (vv. 19-21) and God- (or Spirit-) led (vv. 22, 23). Future resurrection should compel us to live in "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

We need to live so we're ready for a certain resurrection. Is leads to ought!

The coming judgment

Paul immediately follows the assurance of coming resurrection with the assurance of coming judgment: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).

The Bible speaks of two kinds of judgment. For some, judgment will mean condemnation instead of salvation. For others, judgment will mean reward in addition to salvation. But all must appear, and all will be revealed.

To Paul, judgment, though future, is an is. And once again, the is is followed by the ought. Verses 11-13 give two desired responses to the assurance of the coming judgment: 1) fear the Lord (that is, live in a healthy awe and respect of God, because He will judge us) and 2) persuade others. Paul is speaking here of his own integrity, but we might also expand this thought to persuading others of the reality of Jesus and the reality of their need for Him.

Judgment is certain! We need to be ready. Is leads to ought!

Past and present

Here the past and present meet. Here we see what is and what ought to be. Look what God has already done for us in Christ:

compelled us by His love (v. 14)
died for our sins, in our places (v. 15)
given us a new perspective in our relationships with other people (v. 16)
recreated us and our worldview (v. 17)
reconciled us to Himself (v. 18)
given us the duty of reconciliation (vv. 18, 19)
made us ambassadors for Christ (v. 20)
made Jesus to be sin on our behalf; we are thus made right with God (v. 21)
That's the gospel -- the good news! It is done! It is!

But don't overlook the oughts. True belief in Jesus Christ is marked by grateful and obedient response -- a life not only rejoicing in the is, but also involved in the ought. Here's what ought to be our response:

focus on the love of Christ (v. 14)
stop living for ourselves and begin living for Christ (v. 15)
view all people with the new perspective God has given us (v. 16)
live as new creatures in Christ (v. 17)
faithfully fulfill the duty and proclaim the word of reconciliation with which God has charged us (vv. 18-21)

Unity

If your life is missing the ought, it is probably also missing the is. Why? Because in the gospel, the ought follows the is. You can't earn the is by doing the ought. But if you truly accept the is, you'll work in the power of the Holy Spirit at accomplishing the ought.

The gospel unifies the past, present, and future. The resurrection is coming! Though future, it is certain. Judgment is coming! Though future, it is certain. Against the certainty of future resurrection and judgment, the gospel calls our attention to the certainty of the past. In the past Christ died for your sins, in your place. In the past God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin on your behalf that you might become right with God. The gospel of Jesus Christ unifies all time by taking what God has done in the past and what God will do in the future and focusing on you in the present. All that is past and all that is future puts a spotlight on you in the here and now. In this instant of now, how will you respond? The is is; is the ought?

Urgency

The gospel is not only unifying, but urgent. In the next chapter Paul pleads, "As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace [favor] in vain. . . . now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:1, 2).

Are you deluding yourself into believing that you have the is, though you are unconcerned about the ought? If so, God will not put up with your uncommitted, ho-hum approach to Him forever. Resurrection coming! Judgment is coming! You can't be a Christian in the past; the past is gone. You can't be a Christian tomorrow; tomorrow never comes. All you've got is now -- the acceptable time, the day of salvation, the time for commitment and action.

Now more than ever we need to feel the quiet thunder of Jesus' second coming. We are living in shadow of the future. The present often seems dark and uncertain, but the past is ablaze with the light of God's great and gracious gift of love: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that we in him might become the righteousness of God (5:21).

Just ahead, beyond the horizon, is Christ's return: resurrection and judgment and eternal life for those are ready.

A version of this article appeared in a past issue of the Bible Advocate print magazine. For a free subscription by regular mail, contact us at BibleAdvocate@cog7.org.

Loren Stacy pastors the Church of God (Seventh Day) in Lodi, CA. Scripture quotations are from the New International Version.

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