Realized Eschatology

Last night we were studying Colossians and we were talking about the tension of having been raised with Christ above, but still living here below.  In other words, what does it mean to be a citizen of heaven, but to live in a world that is not heaven? 

It's a tough question to even ask, because it just sounds confusing.

We belong to Christ's Kingdom because we have participated (in a mysterious way) with Christ in his death and resurrection.  So in a real (and mysterious) way, we are new people designed to live a new life.

But we're still our old selves for right now.  With our old habits.  Our old ways of thinking.  Our old friends.  Our old society.  Our old world.  Living in our old bodies (not chronologically old, metaphorically old). 

Just because we are new doesn't mean everything else is.

Do you have any 2's?  Go Fish.

That's where the tension comes in.
That's why when we celebrate communion we hear the words "you proclaim Christ's death until he comes again." 
That's why the New Testament refers to our hope laid up in heaven, and our salvation which will be revealed in the last time.

See, we're saved now.  But we will be saved in the future.  Yes, that means in heaven.  No, we're not discussing the nature of heaven right now.

Yes.  Yes, I am.

Catholic Apologist James Akin (not to be confused with Clay Aiken) put it succinctly:  "I have been saved; I am being saved; and I will besaved."

Confused yet?  What does any of this have to do with Bible Study last night?  I'm getting to that.

Last night we were discussing this topic and everyone got understandably confused.  We all knew what we were talking about and got the general idea of how it worked, but it was still murky.  So one person laid it out very simply:


"Being a Christian now is fine.  Being a Christian in heaven will be fine and dandy."

I said, "Exactly!"

**BTW, the title of this post is the technical term for this entire discussion -- salvation is now and not yet**