the tenses

i've been thinking about tenses in this new year; the past, the present and the future.
and i think that's the balance we need in the Christian life.

the present is only a third of the things we need to consider. most of our motivations for living life now the way we do come from what God has done in that past. now that covers a lot of things, His faithfulness to His promises, His revealed character, so much of it is tied up in Christ and His cross and resurrection. if all these things are true then what impact should that have? i should live like i know the Creator God who makes covenants with sinful people and who always comes through on His promises. i should live like i've been forgiven because Jesus' scars show that someone has experienced God's wrath, but it wasn't me. i should live like death's been torn in two and life leads on to eternal life.

and in the future what is there to motivate us? there's a kingdom that cannot be shaken, there is an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, there's full adoption and being a co-heir with Christ, there is true life and immortality and sinlessness and seeing Jesus face to face, being known as i am known, the wedding banquet of the Lamb, the New Creation, thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, a kingdom of precious jewels and walls to keep out every evil, the abolition of death, mourning, crying and pain.

and there's present day. where the light on the horizon could be sunset or sunrise. where the appearances speak of insignificance and unlikely promises. there are persecutions and famines and war and pain. but life is never face-value for us. and there's also a people gathering with nothing in common except love for Jesus and there's a new power in us to kill sin and a displaced feeling where more and more we're unsure where our home is, because it's not here. and there are answered prayers and a joy in suffering and we read from a living word and all around us the dead are hearing His voice and coming to life.

and when we're told to have faith, hope and love i think it makes sense that we have faith in what God has done, hope in what He is going to do and in the present we love. faith and hope allow me to love. our present day is completely affected by the past and the future. if all you do is stare at yourself in present day you're missing two thirds of the picture. if i look at me now i see mostly a sinner who has reason to be thankful for God's grace. but when i look back i'm dead-certain that i'm forgiven because Jesus did hang on the tree, and when i look ahead i see that this is not the best i'll ever be. but right now versus who i will be is comparable with a seed and the flower it becomes.

there is so much more to things than meets there eye and there is so much more to here than now.