Future Glory

New Creation, Resurrection, Spirit

Paul summarizes what God did for us in Jesus and prepares for his explanation of the present status of the Jewish people – Romans 8:18-39. 

In the first half of Romans, Paul presents the “gospel,” the “power of God for salvation to Jews and Greeks.” God provides salvation through the “faith of Jesus Christ” for everyone who responds to it in faith. Death passed from Adam to everyone, both “within the law” and “apart from the law” because “all sinned and lack the glory of God” - [Photo by Lukas Hron on Unsplash].

Redemption of our Body

New Creation, Resurrection

Paul links the bodily resurrection of believers to the New Creation since both are integral to the promised redemption. 

In Romans, Paul declares there is “now no condemnation” for anyone who is “in Jesus.” This happy condition is because the “law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set them free from the law of sin and of death.” And he also links the salvation of believers to the inheritance of Christ and the redemption of the creation itself - [Photo by Jingda Chen on Unsplash].

His Parousia

Day-Lord, Parousia

The arrival of Jesus will mean the resurrection of the dead, the commencement of the New Creation, and the final judgment. 

Several Greek terms are applied to the future return of Jesus. These include parousia (“arrival”), erchomai (“coming”), and epiphaneia (“appearance”). Regardless of which term is used, in each case, it is singular and refers to only one “coming.” Nowhere does Scripture refer to two or more “comings” of Christ - [Clouds photo by Nick Scheerbart on Unsplash].

Redemption, Not Abandonment

Resurrection, Salvation

At the heart of Christian salvation is the future resurrection at Christ’s return and the arrival of the new heavens and the new earth. 

Central to the church’s understanding of salvation is redemption. God is not abandoning what He created, but recovering and restoring what is enslaved by sin, decay, and death. In His redemptive plans, the end state of the redeemed is vastly superior to the original, and this is epitomized in the promise of bodily resurrection - [Photo by Mario Dobelmann on Unsplash].

Crown of Glory

Holiness, Parousia

If the Thessalonians continue to emulate the apostolic example, they will receive the crown of glory at the arrival of Jesus – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20. 

Opposition from the synagogue compelled Paul to leave Thessalonica prematurely. Though initially, some members of that group had welcomed his message, they turned against him once the Gentiles began to embrace the gospel. Even after he left the city, some synagogue leaders pursued Paul when he preached elsewhere in Macedonia - [Crown Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash].