The Race Set Before Us--mmebs 3

The Race Set Before Us 1

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The Race Set Before Us Chapter 2 The Prize to be Won Our Present & Future Salvation 3

The Prize to be Won Our Present & Future Salvation

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Salvation Already Possessed & Not Yet Attained Salvation is Present.  Salvation is Future. 

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Salvation is a Unitary Whole that consists of Two Aspects Salvation is a present reality for us.  Salvation is our future destiny. 

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Eternal Life is One Indivisible Whole that Consists of Two Aspects Presently we have life eternal.  Presently we have not yet attained unto eternal life. 

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John 5:24-29 Already raised from the dead but Not Yet raised from the dead 8

Not yet.

John 5:24-29

Already.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

Not yet.

For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. 9

Already raised from the dead but Not Yet raised from the dead (but not in the same sense) 10

Already.

Hebrews 1:1-2 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 11

“In these last days”

The Age to Come

In the In these last days past The Present Age

The Structure of the OT Expectation of the Last Days The Present Age

The Last Days

The Time of Promise

The Time of Fulfillment

The NT Restructuring of the OT Expectation of the Last Days The Age to Come The Last Days Already Realized

The Present Age

The Present Age

The Time of Promise The Time of Fulfillment

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Biblical Imageries of Salvation

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Salvation is like a Pearl of Great Beauty and Worth Salvation is the Pearl to be Won 16

Salvation is like a Diamond As the beauty of a diamond is manifest through its many facets, so the glory of salvation is manifest through its many aspects.

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Salvation is like a Diamond As the beauty and worth of a diamond are manifest through its many facets, so the glory and worth of salvation are manifest through its many aspects.

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Justification Forgivenes s

Redemptio n

Salvation

Reconciliation

Heirs

Kingdom of God Regeneratio n

Sanctification

New creation

Resurrection Eternal life Adoption Children of God 19

Salvation is like a Diamond of Great Beauty and Worth Salvation is the Prize to be Won 20

Salvation is like a Diamond of Great Beauty and Worth Salvation is the Jewel to be Won 21

Salvation is like a Wreath of Great Beauty and Worth Salvation is the Prize to be Won 22

Deliverance Metaphors or Imageries 

Salvation Already—Eph 2:5, 8; Titus 3:5; 2 Tim 1:9  Not Yet—Matt 10:22; 24:13; Rom 5:9; 1 Thess 5:9; Rom 13:11; 1 Cor 5:5; 1 Tim 4:16; Heb 1:14; 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; James 1:21 



Kingdom of God Already—Matt 4:17; Mark 1:15  Not Yet—Matt 6:10; Luke 11:2; Matt 25:31; Acts 14:22; 1 Cor 6:9; Gal 5:21 



Redemption Already—1 Cor 1:30; Col 1:14; 1 Pet 1:18-19; Heb 9:12  Not Yet—Luke 21:28; Rom 8:23; Eph 1:14; 4:30 23 

Renewal Metaphors or Imageries 

Regeneration (Born Anew) 





New creation  



Already—2 Cor 5:17; Eph 2:10, 15; 4:24 Not Yet—1 John 3:2

Resurrection 





Already—John 1:12-13; 3:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 1 Pet 1:3; Titus 3:5 Not Yet—Matt 19:28

Already—Matt 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20-21; Rom 1:4; John 5:25; Rom 6:4; Phil 3:10 Not Yet—John 5:29-29; 6:39-40, 44, 54; 11:24; 2 Tim 2:18 1 Thess 4:13-18; 1 Cor 15:1-58

Eternal life  

Already—John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47; 6:54; 1 John 5:11-13 24 Not Yet—Matt 12:32; Mark 10:29-30; Rom 2:6-7; 6:23; Gal

Family Metaphors or Imageries 

Adoption  



Children of God  

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Already—Rom 8:14-17; Gal 4:4-7 Not Yet—Matt 5:9; Rom 8:19; Phil 2:15

Heirs  



Already—Rom 8:15; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5 Not Yet—Rom 8:23

Already—Rom 8:14-17; Gal 3:26-29; 4:4-7; Titus 3:7 Not Yet—Matt 25:34; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Heb 6:12; 1 Pet 1:4

Reconciliation  

Already—Rom 5:10-11; Col 1:22; 2 Cor 5:18; Eph 2:16 Not Yet—Col 1:20

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Cultic Metaphors or Imageries 

Sanctification 



Already—Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2; 2 Cor 1:1; Eph 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:2 Not Yet—1 Thess 3:13; 5:23; Eph 5:26-27

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Legal Metaphors or Imageries 

Forgiveness of sins 





Already—Acts 2:38; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; Heb 10:22 Not Yet—Matt 6:14-15; 1 John 1:9;

Righteousness (Justification) 



Already—Acts 13:39; Rom 3:21-26; 4:25; 5:1, 9; 8:30, 33; Gal 3:6 Not Yet—Matt 12:36-37; Rom 2:13; 3:20; Gal 5:5

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“Our future prize may be described as the kingdom, salvation, redemption, eternal life, resurrection, sonship, an adoption, an inheritance, sanctification, perfection, and righteousness. Yet in every case the prize is the same: the possession of the eternal inheritance in the kingdom of God” (The Race Set Before Us, p. 79).

Salvation is the Prize to be Won 29

“We do not claim that we have presented every metaphor used in the Scriptures. . . . Our point is that there is a diversity of metaphors that convey the idea that our salvation has been inaugurated but is not yet consummated. ” (The Race Set Before Us, p. 79).

“Sometimes writers speak of inheriting the kingdom (Mt 25:34; 1 Cor 6:9; 15:50; Gal 5:21; Eph 5:5; Jas 2:5) and on other occasions of inheriting eternal life (Mt 19:29; Mk 10:17; Lk 10:25; 18:18). It would be a serious error to conclude that inheriting the kingdom is distinct from inheriting eternal life” (pp. 79-80). 30

“When the Scriptures speak of winning the prize, occasionally the image of a crown is utilized. For example, believers will obtain a crown of life (Jas 1:12; Rev 2:10), a crown of righteousness (2 Tim 4:8) and a crown of glory (1 Pet 5:4). Some interpreters understand these terms to refer to a reward that is above and beyond eternal life, reserved only for ‘faithful Christians.’ On the contrary, we maintain that each of these crowns is a metaphor for obtaining the heavenly inheritance. That is, apart from receiving these crowns, no one will be saved on the final day, for to be saved is nothing short of being crowned with life, righteousness and glory. ” (The Race Set Before Us, p. 83).

The crown to be won is salvation. 31

“We conclude . . . That the prize to be won is nothing other than eternal life itself, entrance into the heavenly kingdom and final redemption. Nothing less than our eternal inheritance is at stake, and thus the issue of perseverance is weighty indeed” (The Race Set Before Us, p. 86).

The prize to be won is eternal life. 32

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