“Jesus has already made a better place in this world. The role of God's people is to embrace, display, and proclaim this better place… God's people… are called to be the better place that Christ has already made and that the wider world will not be until Christ returns.”

Embracing God's better place

We have entered a new era in world history.

  • The kingdom has come near (Matt 4:17; 10:7; Mark 1:15).
  • The kingdom has come upon us (Matt 12:28; 2 Tim 4:1).
  • The kingdom is among us (Luke 17:20-21).
  • The kingdom is being entered (Matt 21:31).
  • The kingdom is possessed by God's people (Matt 21:43).
  • Prophets, righteous ones, and kings longed to see what we see and hear what we hear (Matt 13:17; Luke 10:23-24).
  • Angels yearn to look into the salvation that has been announced to us (1 Pet 1:10-12).
  • We experience what that the Scriptures had foretold (Acts 2:14-21; 2:29-36).
  • Now is the acceptable time (2 Cor 6:2).
  • Now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2).
  • The mystery of the ages has been revealed (Col 1:26).
  • The end of the ages has come (1 Pet 1:20).
  • The fullness of time has come (Gal 4:4-5).
  • We have entered into God's Sabbath rest (Heb 4:3, 10-11).
  • People are scrambling to get in on our experience of God's kingdom (Luke 16:16-17).
  • The pivotal time in world history is here and the masses don't realize it (Luke 12:54-56).

We have entered into a new world reality.

  • This world's desires are passing away (1 John 2:17).
  • The present form of this world is passing away (1 Cor 7:29-31).
  • Creation is new (2 Cor 5:17).
  • Everything old is passing away (2 Cor 5:17).
  • Everything has become new (2 Cor 5:17).
  • New creation is everything (Gal 6:15).
  • The true light is already shining (1 John 2:8).
  • The darkness is passing (1 John 2:8).
  • All things in heaven and earth have been reconciled to God through Christ and are at peace (2 Cor 5:18-19; Col. 1:20).
  • We are the firstfruits of God's creatures (Jas 1:18).

We have entered into a new life.

  • We are dead to sin (Rom 6:11; Eph 2:1-6).
  • We have passed from death to life (John 5:24; ; 1 John 3:14).
  • We have been raised with Christ to life from above (Col 2:12; 3:1).
  • We have eternal life (John 3:15, 16, 36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 10:28; 1 Tim 6:12, 19; 1 John 5:11-12).
  • We walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4).
  • We have been given abundant life (John 10:10).
  • We are alive to God (Rom 6:11).
  • We are alive together with Christ (Eph 2:5; Col 2:13; 3:3).
  • We live forever (1 John 2:8).
  • We have living water (John 4:10).
  • We have been born from above (Jas 1:18).
  • We have been born of God (1 John 3:6, 9; 5:18).
  • We have been born anew by the word of God (1 Pet 1:23).
  • We have been born again into a living hope (1 Pet 1:3).

We have entered into a new social reality and set of relationships

  • We have been reconciled to God through Christ (2 Cor 5:18).
  • We no longer view anyone from a human point of view (2 Cor 5:16).
  • We are at peace with those from whom we were once estranged (Eph 2:1-17).
  • There is no longer Jew or Greek (Gal 3:28; Eph 2:11 - 15; Col 3:11).
  • There is no longer circumcised or uncircumcised (Col 3:11).
  • There is no longer slave or free (Gal 3:28; Col 3:11; Phlm 1:16-17).
  • There is no longer male or female (Gal 3:28; Acts 2:18).
  • There is no longer barbarian or Scythian (Col 3:11).
  • We have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7).
  • We are God's household (1 Pet 4:17).
  • We have become companions of the Holy Spirit (He 6a).
  • We are the new humanity (Eph 1:13-15).
  • We have been built together into a dwelling place for God (Eph 2:21-22).

We have entered into a new way of living

  • We have come to fullness in Christ (Col 2:10).
  • We have been made clean (John 15:3).
  • We have been cleansed of sin (1 John 1:7).
  • We have been stripped of our old self and clothed with a new self (Col 3:9-10).
  • We are clothed in Christ (Gal 3:27).
  • We are being renewed according to the image of God (Col 3:10-11).
  • We have been washed (Titus 3:5).
  • We have been regenerated (Titus 3:5).
  • We are children of light (1 Thess 5:4-5).
  • We walk in the light (1 John 1:7).
  • Truth abides in us and will do so forever (2 John 1:2).
  • Our inner nature is being renewed day by day (2 Cor 4:16).

We have entered into a new status

  • The least person in God's kingdom is greater than all pre-kingdom people (Luke 7:28).
  • God's love reaches perfection in us (1 John 2:5; 4:12, 16, 17).
  • The lowly are raised and the rich are being lowered (Jas 1:9-10).
  • Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20).
  • The immeasurable greatness of God's power belongs to us (Eph 1:19).
  • All things are ours (1 Cor 3:21-23).
  • We possess everything (2 Cor 6:10).
  • We have been saved (Luke 19:9; Eph 2:5, 8).
  • We are being glorified by God (Rom 8:19, 21).
  • We are the children of God (Gal 4:4-5; 1 John 3:1-2; 5:19).
  • We are Abraham's offspring and heirs to God's promise (Gal 3:29).
  • We abide in Jesus (1 John 2:6).
  • We are raised up and seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph 2:6).
  • We are God's temple and he lives and walks among us (2 Cor 6:16).
  • We are saints or holy ones (Phil 1:10).
  • We have become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21).
  • We are the aroma of Christ, a fragrance from life to life (2 Cor 2:15-16).

We have entered into God's abundant blessings

  • We receive in this life hundredfold houses, family, and fields (Mark 10:29-30; Luke 18:28-30).
  • Good news is proclaimed to the poor, captive, and oppressed (Luke 4:18-21).
  • The truth has set us free (John 8:32).
  • The son has set us free (John 8:36).
  • We are free from law, sin, death, and bondage (Rom 8:1-2, 21).
  • We are free from this present evil age (Gal 1:4).
  • We are free from the elemental spirits of the universe (Col 2:20).
  • We have received God's long-awaited Holy Spirit (John 14:16; Acts 2:14-21; 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 1 John 3:24; 4:13).
  • We have been enlightened (Heb 6:4).
  • We have tasted the heavenly gift (Heb 6:4).
  • We have tasted God's word (Heb 6:5).
  • We have tasted the powers of the coming age (Heb 6:5).
  • We have tasted God's goodness (1 Pet 2:2-3).
  • We are receiving the salvation of our souls (1 Pet 1:9).
  • We are receiving an unshakeable/eternal kingdom (Heb 12:28; 2 Pet 1:11).

– John Nugent, Endangered Gospel

Endangered Gospel