Present Tense

Bible Reading: John 5:19-24
Author: Michael Macdonald (North Carolina, US)
Wednesday 17 August 2022 © The Upper Room.
Recently, my wife and I took a course in personal finance to try to be prepared for our retirements in about ten years. 

The basic lesson was that we have to sacrifice now to have a better future. Then, when I went to the doctor, he urged me to go on a diet and lose weight. 

The message was the same: I need to sacrifice pleasure now for a better future.

Some people consider the Christian life as a third example of sacrificing now for a better future. But I believe scripture presents a different view. 

In this passage from John, Jesus tells us that eternal life and passing from death to life is a present-tense reality. When we believe in and follow Christ, we already have eternal life; we do not have to wait for it at some later date.

The abundant life that Jesus offers (see John 10:10) is not something we have to wait until physical death to receive. It is here now, in the present tense.

Prayer: Our Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for the abundant, eternal life that we have in you now. Amen
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Fantastic! I’m so thrilled by God’s goodness that He has brought about such a wonderful way of communicating His love and Gospel to Deaf people. I’m convinced God will use it to His glory and that it will be an effective means of nurturing Deaf Christians for whom church and the Bible is often difficult. You can be assured of my prayers in asking our Father to use these means to reach Deaf people who would never dream of entering a church building. KS