Resurrection and Then the End

Christ's resurrection is vital to our salvation. Without it, we would still be in the grip of our sins and their judgement. But as it is, he has defeated our death, and the sins that caused them, and so all who trust him will also will be raised from the dead.

Why would anyone deny this? Some at Corinth did, and the problem of living only for this world is still with us. The present must fulfil our dreams, our sins and sufferings are sanitised, and so, Christ is made to look as though all he can do is make us feel good. He doesn't really need to come back and fix anything. Without the future Christ has won for us, we are quickly reduced to living like the rest of the world, even though in religious dress.

Christ cannot rest content until he has defeated all his enemies. He will present the creation to the Father with no remaining contenders. Then, the Father will be everything to everyone. This is the goal, and to settle for less is serious. Paul tells us to sober up and stop sinning. Some, he says, have no knowledge of who God really is, that is, the God of resurrection.

We are reminded that the first descriptor of love is patience. Love is willing to wait. But then, in having such a sure hope, we can afford to wait for the things that are not yet.