RHAPSODY OF REALITIES TEEVO ;
PAST, PRESENT OR FUTURE?
(Understand The Tenses Of God’s Word)
TO THE BIBLE 2 Corinthians 5:17 RSV
“Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.”
LET’S TALK
One major problem many Christians have in understanding God’s Word is with comprehending the tenses used in Scripture; whether they’re past, present, or future tenses. The way tenses are used in the Bible shows us what is in the past, what belongs to us presently, and what God has promised us in the future.
For instance, some people still assume 2 Corinthians 5:17 is a promise for the future, whereas it says “Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation…” (RSV). That’s not a promise; that’s for now! The one who is in Christ is already a new creation; he’s not going to be a new creation when he gets to heaven or prays hard enough! So, what do you say as one in Christ: “I’m a new creation in Christ!” That’s the right use of the Word.
In your study of the Word, carefully observe the use of the tenses. Always check whether the writer stated a present-tense reality or a promise for the future. If you don’t watch out for how the tenses are used, you’ll continually assume many things in the New Testament are promissory notes, and by that deprive yourself of the rights and privileges purchased for you with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. So get the tenses right, and live in the realities of God’s Word.
Go Deeper
John 5:39, 2 Timothy 2:15
Pray
Dear heavenly Father, I thank you because you’ve given me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of your Word to know all that’s mine in Christ and activate them in my life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
ONE YEAR
1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Psalms 135-138
TWO YEAR
Luke 18:35-43, 1 Samuel 13
Identify which of these scriptures have past, present or future tenses:
1. 1 John 3:2
2. 1 Peter 2:24
3. Romans 10:17
4. 2 Corinthians 5:21