Introduction-T.M.
Salvation is past, present, and future.
If we are a believer in Christ there was a specific point at which we turned away from the world and entered the Kingdom of God through Christ. This for us is the past salvation.
If we are abiding in Christ today, then we currently are working out our salvation with fear and trembling. This is the present salvation.
We hope for salvation in the future. Usually we think of our future salvation as being the time we die and go to Heaven. There is nothing "wrong" with such a point of view. The hope of Heaven has served the saints well for two thousand years. However, the idea of eternal residence in the spirit Paradise is a limited view of what salvation is. Now that we are drawing close to the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth our understanding of salvation will be increased.
The present article will emphasize the future aspect of salvation.
It will be impossible for us to understand the future aspect of salvation until we define salvation correctly.
When we of today think of being "saved" we picture our entrance into Paradise when we die. We Christians have a strong tradition of Heaven. There have been countless glimpses of the spirit Paradise by people who have died and been resuscitated or have nearly died or have been approaching death or who have seen a loved one after he or she has passed away.
The general vision is one of a garden or park, sometimes with beautiful homes. Often deceased loved ones and friends are present. There is great joy, peace, and love and an absence of pain, dread, and fear. Sometimes there are angels in sight or even the Lord Jesus.
This is Heaven as we view it, and the vision is probably accurate even though it is based on experiences of people and not the Scriptures.
Paul tells us we should set our affections on things above. Since we cannot actually see into Heaven we have to use our imagination, and there is nothing wrong with this. Thinking about the things of Heaven may be the best possible use of our God-given imagination. It is a joy we can choose to set before us.
There is one problem with this hope, this vision of the future of the godly. It is a problem that is being addressed now by the Spirit of God because the Kingdom of God is at hand.
When we envision Heaven we do not see the presence of sin there. Somehow we know there is no sin in the Paradise of God now that it has been lifted from the earth and placed in the third heaven.
There are great cities on the earth containing majestic works of architecture. The spires reach to the skies. The beauty is dazzling. But this is an illusion. There are neighborhoods in that very city filled with poverty, disease, filthiness, murder, robbery, rape, child prostitution, adultery, witchcraft, gossip, slander, strife, dread, fear, and every other undesirable situation and practice. These human conditions put the lie to the glory of the city.
Now, when we picture the Paradise of God we see beauty, peace, love, generosity, patience, kindness. There is a total absence of poverty, disease, filthiness, murder, robbery, rape, child prostitution, adultery, witchcraft, gossip, slander, strife, dread, fear, and every other undesirable situation and practice.
Are you with me so far?
Now, what happened to the poverty, disease, filthiness, murder, robbery, rape, child prostitution, adultery, witchcraft, gossip, slander, strife, dread, fear, and every other undesirable situation and practice?
Think carefully about this question. The answers given today are usually not scriptural and therefore not dependable. But there is a scriptural answer.
You may notice that we have intermingled, in our list of undesirable features, conditions such as poverty, which is not sin, along with adultery, which is a sin. The reason is, disease, poverty, fear, and dread, would no longer exist if everyone was righteous. It is not that it is a sin to be poor or sick, or that one is poor or sick because he or she has sinned, rather it is that sin brings about such problems in the social order. The wealthy are greedy and hoard their money and resources and many people are impoverished as a result. Also, when sin is practiced or the worship of demons there is much sickness in the environment and many people suffer as a result.
When a family or community or nation practices righteousness in the name of Jesus Christ there will be Divine blessing and much good coming to those people.
The vision of a wonderful world of beauty, peace, and joy is a true one. But the problem of worldliness, lust, and personal ambition will not vanish except according to the scriptural specifications. Sin will not just stand up and leave!
Obviously there can be no Paradise to look forward to if sin is still present!