Now is Not Always
Now is not always.
If you hang around members of CLC or show up on a Sunday, this phrase is expressed pretty frequently as a way to summarize the gospel message quickly. It's even become a track on Ciara & Brody's new album, "More Than Chemical".
Here's the story of how it came about.
As part of our Matthew sermon series, on April 25th 2021 ,I preached from Matthew 5:4 and Luke 6:21. In these passages Jesus promises that those who mourn now will be comforted then and those who weep now will laugh then.
Studying these passages and preaching this sermon came at a signifigant two year stretch in my personal, family, and church life.
In our church, we'd felt the devastating and crippling effect of death in the loss of several members; some due to the age and decay that comes with these present bodies and some due to the cruelty of cancer.
In my family, my grandma gave up the ghost, my "awwesome" uncle succumed to cancer, and my cousin's baby boy died in the womb a few days before he was supposed to join the family on the outside.
In my personal life, Ciara was in the midst of a two-year stretch of unexplainable chronic physical pain that prevented us from doing what married people are supposed to do (which is usually required to make children, so double bummer) and a decade long stretch of mental/emotional issues. Panic attacks were frequent and the happy girl I'd married was now anxious, fearful, and nearly suicidal.*
From my perspective, our church, our family, and our home, were bending under the weight of this present evil age and were about to crack.
But was into this season the Lord gave us the phrase, "Now is not always."
At this point in my life I'd been rearranging some things theologically and working through trying to understand the gospel the apostles believed, proclaimed, and gave their lives for; and with lots of help** had come to see that the heart of the good news was essentially, as Bill & Josh often say, "things won't be this way forever."
Consider how the Israel's prophets & apostles speak concerning NOW (this age) and THEN (the age to come)
- NOW is “a present evil age (Gal. 1:4)”
- NOW there are “anxieties (1 Pet. 5:7)”
- NOW there are “sufferings in the present time (Rom. 8:18)”
- NOW “creation is subjected to futility ” and in “bondage to corruption (Rom. 8:19-20)”
- NOW there is “mourning, crying, pain” and worst of all “death (Rev. 21:4)”
Most of us don't need Israel's oracles to tell us this. We live this.
However, Israel's scriptures don't leave us without hope.
In the midst of these ills, they teach that because "God loves the world (Jn. 3:16-17)"
- He has“set a Day when he will judge the world (Ac. 17:31)”,
- “banish ungodliness (Rom. 11:26)”
- And “punish (Is. 24:21-22)” the wicked and evil doers that have, through their sin, brought all of these ills upon the world.
And in doing so, God will
- “fulfill His promise (2 Pet. 3:9)”
- To “restore all things (Ac. 3:21)”
- In a “new heavens and new earth (2 Pet. 3:13)”
- And “wipe every tear” and “swallow up death forever (Is. 25:8)”
Or, as Paul writes:
(Ro 8:18, CSB)
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.
The good news for the suffering, the poor, the broken, the dying, & the mourning is: one day this will stop.
As this truth was slowly burrowing it's way into my heart in the middle of that vile season and I was preparing to preach Matthew 5:4 and the promise for mourners and weepers, Leon Morris's commentary sealed "Now is Not Always" on my soul as he wrote:
"It is to such [those who mourn & weep] that Jesus holds out the prospect of ultimate consolation. Now they mourn; but now is not always. God’s ultimate triumph, and with it the comforting of those who have grieved over evil, is sure."
While the Lord has been kind in this age (Ciara's mental issues are constantly improving and we are welcoming a little girl into the world in November) the sting of this age remains.
- Anxieties still take a hold.
- Bills still pile up.
- Wicked rulers still run the place.
- Kids outlive their moms and dads.
- Moms and dads outlive their kids.
This age is still this age.
But it's into this age that the gospel speaks, "Now is not always."
Sun lights up my face / tears fall on my cheek / I've never felt so seen
I'm ok / I'm ok
I can hear You say / Do not be afraid / I can hear You say / Hold on one more day
Now is not always
Finally awake / Breathing deep again / You call me your friend
I'm ok / I'm ok
I can hear You say / Do not be afraid / I can hear You say / Hold on one more day
Now is not always
*Ciara & Brody's album chronicles this journey from start to finish; crippling depression and confusion ("Dysregulation", "Loop de Loop") spiritual & chemical warfare ("More than Chemical / "I'm Tryin'" / "Bandaid"), and hope in the gospel ("Trenches", "Now Is Not Always")