Key Idea: God, who knows and controls now, hope, and the finale, makes sure his people suffer the consequences of ungodly choices now and provides truth-grounded assurance of hope in Messiah the King, who makes trusters the temple of God in the finale.
God is always present among his people, and he is always their God. His presence is not simply nearness but towardness. He is with us and for us whether we are moving our hearts to him or have turned to our own things.
When we choose to turn aside, we suffer the logical consequences of our choices. We experience justified outcomes that follow from our actions. God uses these consequences to turn our faces and hearts back to him.
When our hearts move toward him, we experience truth-grounded assurance in his presence. He is always right here, but we do not feel him when we turn away. Hope remains our truth-grounded assurance that we are his and he is ours. Trusting him gives us confidence in the reality of something not yet seen, for hope is not wishful thinking but seeing reality through God’s eyes.
Reality through God’s eyes has a sure and good end, for that end is Messiah the King. Before his incarnation, the promise of Messiah was sure. After his incarnation, the promise of life in Messiah forever is sure. And this life is not just about being in heaven, for life in God’s presence starts right now. Jesus is forming us as the dwelling of God, where he abides in us and we in him.
