Saints & Sinners // Already, But Not Yet

Followers of Jesus live in a constant tension—it’s an ”Already, But Not Yet” state of being. We’re already saved in Christ (Ephesians 2:8), but not yet saved in Christ (Romans 5:9). We’re already sanctified in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2), but not yet sanctified in Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24). Confusing? Join the club! There is no doubt that this can be a tricky and difficult concept to understand, but we need to understand it. If we don’t embrace the truth of the “Already, But Not Yet” state of tension in the Christian life, we will inescapably misread Scripture—and misread Scripture results in a misled life.

Sanctification—becoming more like Jesus—is a fundamental component of the Christian faith. When we put our trust in the work of Jesus, Scripture says that “...the old is gone, the new has come!” But it doesn’t always feel like the “old is gone”—does it? In fact, it feels like we make the mistakes we’ve always made. How do we handle the disconnect?