Life #21 - A Promise of Life in Two Timelines

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If we are to apprehend life, then we are wise to apprehend all those things that pertain to life. The bible informs us that holiness and righteousness are characteristics that lead to life. A third characteristic is godliness.

“…godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8 KJV).

Yes, godliness holds a promise of life in two timelines.

The first timeline is the present. Zōē-life believers partake of the promise of life “that now is”. We are few, but we’re here. The world laughs at our holiness and derides our godliness, but these characteristics qualify us to boldly apprehend zōē-life "today", "now", "currently", "in the present"—while we are alive—so that whoever lives and believes in Jesus will never die (John 11: 26 NIV).

The second timeline is for the future. The majority of Christians will die because we live to partake of the promise of the life “which is to come”. This means “later”, “not now”, and “in the future”. We all know the promise of that life, called the resurrection of the dead.

Although God is a generous God, much of our Christian walk depends upon how we choose to appropriate faith to access his generosity. Our faith-choice determines the timeline we end up in: to live now and not die; or, to die now and live later.

Godliness holds the promise of life for now or for the future.

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts from our book to be released next year.