Edge of Heaven

One of the songs we sang Sunday morning was "Edge of Heaven," by River Valley Worship. I love the song, because it's a pretty great characterization of the time in which we find ourselves as the Church: Here we are, living on the edge of Heaven, clinging to Your holy presence, longing to be where You are. It got me thinking about something I first learned a few years ago. Scripture shows that we live in a tension, between the "already" and the "not yet."

It is true that we long for Jesus to return. We long to be with Him fully, face to face, as described in Revelation 21, when he will wipe every tear from our eyes (v. 4), for Jesus to reign eternally (22:5), and to reign with Him, for God to dwell among us (21:3), and for all the blessing that is promised to accompany God's reign on earth (all of ch. 21 & 22). In Jewish thinking, this was known as "the age to come," and as they watch and wait for the Messiah, they believe we are currently in "the present age," characterized by injustice, sin and death.

Since we proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah, we have to look to his words to understand when we exist in God's story. Are we in the present age? We certainly see the effects of sin and death around us. But according to Jesus, we are also in the age to come:

• "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." (Matthew 4:17)
• "The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15)

Paul grabs hold of this idea, too, proclaiming that in the resurrection of Jesus the kingdom has come:

• Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:18)

The more we look, the more we see this idea supported: the kingdom of God has already come in Christ, and it is coming in its fullness. That's where we live: on this edge of Jesus' return, proclaiming that the kingdom is available to any who put their trust in Jesus.

This is a message of hope for us. We are no longer ruled by sin; we are blessed by grace. We are no longer alone; the Holy Spirit is with us. We are no longer afraid; we have the God of angel armies on our side. Nothing can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:31-39).

And this is a message of hope for others. They can know God's kingdom right now, and we can share that with them. As you go through this week, look for opportunities to share the hope that you know in Christ: yes, Jesus is coming one day, but also yes, Jesus' kingdom is here!