Almost, but not yet

I finally figured out how to summarize what Bible teacher Beth Moore has done for my Christian life: she has taken back out of the "not yet" basket all the things that belong in the "already" basket. (People of my church affiliation will be familiar with this quaint terminology.) Few theological concepts have done more mischief in my life than this one.

The "already/ not yet" is a catchy formulation that has some value as a way of explaining that Christ has purchased a great salvation for us, some of whose benefits are available to us now ("already") and the rest of which will be ours at the Second Coming ("not yet"). Can I receive my glorified body now? "Not yet." Is it time to stop daily confessing my sins? "Not yet." Can I be with the Lord in every sense now? "Not yet" (Philippians 1:23).

But any slogan can end up displacing the reality it was meant to capture, and though Systematic Theology is helpful, the Bible has to be primary; it has to be the constant touchstone of truth. "Already - not yet" has become a hackneyed mantra invoked in a way that discourages a fresh word from the Spirit in my Bible reading.

I am not at all convinced that all of the power that Christ won for His church is not being seen today because it is meant to be "not yet." Know what I mean? (Ephesians 3:20).