JESUS, THE GREAT ACCOMPLISHER -- Tomorrow:
"And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled, in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight." (Colossians 1:20-22)
Devotion 23 of 32
" . . . yet now hath He reconciled . . . "
Salvation involves things so radically different from this present evil world, that those who look only upon its surface are led to imagine the fulness of it is experienced in this world. This erroneous conclusion is the mother of backsliding and flawed theology. However, the salvation is also of such magnitude that others are tempted to imagine it is all in the future, with no genuine participation taking place in this world. This attitude is the mother of discouragement and faintheartedness. It has also generated the view that our nature is not really changed, and thus believers must be governed by Law.
The Spirit will now establish that there is a very real participation in the reconciliation by those who are in Christ Jesus – and that it is taking place in "this present evil world." There are very real benefits that are realized at this time, and in this world. Although they are not the fulness of the blessing, they are remarkably extensive and large. Paul referred to this circumstance when he said godliness is "profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (1 Tim 4:8).
NOW
" . . . yet now . . . " When the word "now" is employed in this kind of context, it does not merely refer to time, but to the effects of faith within time. That is, faith brings heavenly realities to the one who is living in this world.
Much is made of this "NOW" circumstance in Scripture. The particular Greek word that is translated "now" in this text means "now, at this very moment; precisely now, neither before nor after" (THAYER). It is not that the experience of "NOW" does not apply to the past, or will never apply to the future. Rather, what is mentioned is taking place at this very moment.
This is the posture of faith, for faith lives in the "now," taking hold of what was accomplished by Jesus in the past, and also grasping what will yet be revealed in the future. It is as though faith has two hands – one to lay hold of what was wrought in the past, and one to take hold of what is to come. Both are apprehended "now," at this present moment.
The following texts employ this word in precisely the same manner as our text. They all speak of conditions that exist at this very moment, which is the sense of our text.
1. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD MADE KNOWN NOW. "But NOW the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets" (Rom 3:21).
2. JUSTIFIED NOW. "Much more then, being NOW justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Rom 5:9).
3. THE ATONEMENT RECEIVED NOW. "And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have NOW received the atonement" (Rom 5:11).
4. FREE FROM SIN NOW. "But NOW being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life" (Rom 6:22).
5. DELIVERED FROM THE LAW NOW. "But NOW we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter" (Rom 7:6).
6. NOW THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION. "There is therefore NOW no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom 8:1).
7. MADE NIGH NOW. "But NOW in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ" (Eph 2:13).
8. WE ARE NOW LIGHT IN THE LORD. "For ye were sometimes darkness, but NOW are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (Eph 5:8).
9. WE ARE NOW THE PEOPLE OF GOD. "Which in time past were not a people, but are NOW the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy" (1 Pet 2:10).
10. WE HAVE NOW RETURNED TO THE SHEPHERD. "For ye were as sheep going astray; but are NOW returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls" (1 Pet 2:25).
11. WE ARE THE SONS OF GOD NOW. "Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).
Here, then, is something that is presently being realized – something that has been effected by a work accomplished in the past, and is preparing us for the future.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for a present salvation, a present grace, and the present truth!