(272) Nov 28/2016 – Past, Present and Future

Monday Meditation
November 28, 2016
From the desk of A.J. Higgins

Gold from the Grammar
The Power of Prepositions
Past, Present, and Future

Divine grace reaches back to a past eternity and stretches on to the ages to come. The landscape of our lives has been altered by that grace. Whether we look into the past and the counsels of God, in the present and all that we have received in Christ, or scan the limitless horizons of the future, all has been secured by grace.

We take the tenses of verbs for granted, scarcely at times thinking of the importance attached to them. Even a cursory reading of Ephesians 1 must impress the reader with the fact that it stretches from a past eternity on to the “dispensation of the fullness of times” (v 10). Paul’s ‘mega-sentence’, stretching from verse 3 all the way to verse 14, is a treasure trove of truth, containing an array of blessings which have been brought to us by grace through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many of the tenses in chapter 1 are in the infamous “aorist” tense which, depending on other factors, can be an act complete in the past or at an undefined time.

Consider just two examples of blessings in the past tense in our chapter:

“The God and Father … Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3)

Here is an accomplished fact. When God saved us, at that very moment in time, He conferred upon us every blessing His heart of love could confer on human beings. The remainder of the chapter “unpacks” the blessings and relates the majestic sweep of benevolence toward us. Not one blessing must be prayed for, labored for, or waited for. Everything is conferred upon us because we are now “in Christ.” In love for the Son, the Father has blessed us in Him.

“Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise” (v 13).

This could be translated, “having been sealed …” Not only have we received all the blessings the infinite heart and hand of God can give, but He has sealed us with His Holy Spirit, spoken of here as the earnest or down payment on what is to come. Every step from conversion to being conformed to the image of His Son has been the object of God’s forethought and preparation. Nothing has been left for us to secure or accomplish.

But look at several blessings in the present tense.

A Present Possession

“In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph 1:7).

Among the many blessings with which the Father has blessed us, Paul lists this golden gem – redemption and the forgiveness of sins. These are present possessions. And while there is an aspect of redemption which is still future and is linked with our bodies, we have been redeemed and we have known the forgiveness of sins.

A Present Power at Work

“According to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (v 11).

Presently, God is working in our world. He has a master purpose and everything is working to that end. He is neither absent nor idle. He may choose to remain unseen and anonymous, moving by providence, but He is very active. His grand design is to head up everything in His Son. And linked with this is the fact that we should be to the “praise of His glory” (v 12).

Consider

As you read through Ephesians, note what was done in a past eternity, what was accomplished at conversion, what is being accomplished now, and what lies ahead in God’s plan for us.

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