Paul in verse 11 mentions an
argument for holy living, and that is the passing of time which is taking us
ever closer to the return of Jesus. This argument should be more effective in
our lives than in those of the original readers because we are two thousand
years closer to that event than they were.
What does Paul have in mind by the
salvation that is nearer? He uses shorthand for the many blessings that will
come to God’s people on that wonderful day of the return of Jesus. But since he
uses the word salvation to describe it, he must have in mind negative and
dangerous things that we will be delivered from then. So what are some of them?
One dangerous enemy that will be
destroyed then will be death. Although Jesus has through his resurrection
defeated death and turned it into a door through which his people enter heaven,
it is still an enemy to our humanness because it separates our souls from our
bodies. And we should not be fully delighted that is going to happen, even
although our souls will be in heaven. Our souls going to heaven is better than
them living here in sinful bodies, but it is not better than living hereafter
in perfect bodies. So we join with the saints in heaven and look forward to the
effects of death being removed from the experience of Christians.
On the day of Jesus’ return, we
will receive our bodies made new. They will be capable of doing things that
they cannot do now because they will then be in a world where such activities
will be normal. I would say it is pointless trying to imagine what they are,
mainly because we cannot do it. We can imagine what life is like in another
country because even with its differences it is similar to ours. But the new heavens
and new earth will not be like this world. So a better word for such
imaginations is day-dreaming or speculating, neither of which is good. We
should read what Paul says about our glorified bodies in 1 Corinthians 15 and
rejoice that it will happen.
On that great day of future
salvation we will receive the eternal inheritance, which we will share with the
people of God who were saved from all periods of time and in a wide variety of
places. On that day we will see that the gospel was the power of God unto
salvation. And we will also see the power of God as he brings into existence
the restored creation, the new heavens and new earth. Then God and his people
will be together for ever. It is good to know that we are nearer to it than
ever before.
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