Already Not Yet

A friend once told me he wasn't convinced of Christianity because he didn't see a very high success rate of victory in Christlike living. This statement bothered me. Why aren't Christians experiencing more "success" in doing the things God calls them to do? Part of the answer lies in the biblical concept of "Already Not Yet."

Josh preached a great sermon on the topic several months ago and gave me permission to swipe some (all) of his ideas for this article. (Thanks, Josh!)

After the words were out, I regretted them.

She had challenged me. My irritation had flared. And instead of choosing the path of love, I had put her in her place. It didn't feel as good as I thought it would. In fact, it felt horrible.

After the incident, I was ashamed. I wondered how I — someone who claims to desire to be like Christ — could react in such an ugly, selfish way. There was precedent, of course. This wasn't the first time I'd acted in a way that didn't exactly reflect the renewed mind.

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