The Race Set Before

Us
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The Race Set Before
Us
Chapter 2
The Prize to
be Won
Our Present
& Future
Salvation
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The Prize to be Won
Our Present & Future
Salvation

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Salvation Already Possessed
& Not Yet Attained
 Salvation is Present.
 Salvation is Future.

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Salvation is a Unitary Whole
that consists of Two Aspects

 Salvation is a present reality for

us.
 Salvation is our future destiny.

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Eternal Life is One Indivisible
Whole that Consists of Two
Aspects
 Presently we have life eternal.
 Presently we have not yet
attained unto eternal life.

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 John 5:24-29
Already raised from the
dead
but
Not Yet raised from the
dead

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 Not yet.
John 5:24-29 Already.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and

believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not
come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now

here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
Not yet.
For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the
Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him
authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of
Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all
who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out,
those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and
those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. 9
 Already raised from the
dead
but
Not Yet raised from the
dead
(but not in the same sense)

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 Already.

Hebrews 1:1-2
Long ago, at many times and in many
ways, God spoke to our fathers by the
prophets, but in these last days he has
spoken to us by his Son, whom he
appointed the heir of all things,
through whom also he created the
world.

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 “In these last
days”
The Age to Come

In the In these last days

past The Present Age
 The Structure of the OT Expectation
of the Last Days

The Present Age The Last Days

The Time of Promise The Time of Fulfillment

The NT Restructuring of the OT

Expectation of the Last Days
The Age to Come
The Last Days
Already Realized

The Present Age The Present Age

The Time of Promise The Time of Fulfillment
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Biblical Imageries of
Salvation

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 Salvation is like a Pearl of
Great Beauty and Worth

Salvation is
the Pearl to
be Won
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Salvation is like a Diamond
As the beauty of a diamond is
manifest through its many facets, so
the glory of salvation is manifest
through its many aspects.

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Salvation is like a Diamond
As the beauty and worth of a diamond
are manifest through its many facets,
so the glory and worth of salvation
are manifest through its many
aspects.

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 Redemptio Kingdom of
Justification Salvation
n God
Forgivenes
s Reconciliation Regeneratio
n
Heirs
Sanctification

New
creation

Resurrection

Eternal life

Adoption
Children of
God
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Salvation is like a Diamond
of Great Beauty and Worth

Salvation is
the Prize to
be Won
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 Salvation is like a Diamond
of Great Beauty and Worth

Salvation is
the Jewel to
be Won
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 Salvation is like a Wreath
of Great Beauty and Worth

Salvation is
the Prize to
be Won
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Deliverance Metaphors or Imageries
 Salvation
 Already—Eph 2:5, 8; Titus 3:5; 2 Tim 1:9
 Not Yet—Matt 10:22; 24:13; Rom 5:9; 1 Thess

5:9; Rom 13:11; 1 Cor 5:5; 1 Tim 4:16; Heb 1:14;

9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; James 1:21
 Kingdom of God
 Already—Matt 4:17; Mark 1:15
 Not Yet—Matt 6:10; Luke 11:2; Matt 25:31; Acts

14:22; 1 Cor 6:9; Gal 5:21

 Redemption
 Already—1 Cor 1:30; Col 1:14; 1 Pet 1:18-19; Heb
9:12
 Not Yet—Luke 21:28; Rom 8:23; Eph 1:14; 4:30
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 Renewal Metaphors or Imageries
 Regeneration (Born Anew)
 Already—John 1:12-13; 3:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 1 Pet 1:3;
Titus 3:5
 Not Yet—Matt 19:28
 New creation
 Already—2 Cor 5:17; Eph 2:10, 15; 4:24
 Not Yet—1 John 3:2
 Resurrection
 Already—Matt 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20-21; Rom 1:4;
John 5:25; Rom 6:4; Phil 3:10
 Not Yet—John 5:29-29; 6:39-40, 44, 54; 11:24; 2 Tim 2:18 1
Thess 4:13-18; 1 Cor 15:1-58
 Eternal life
 Already—John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47; 6:54; 1 John 5:11-13
 Not Yet—Matt 12:32; Mark 10:29-30; Rom 2:6-7; 6:23; Gal
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 Family Metaphors or Imageries
 Adoption
 Already—Rom 8:15; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5
 Not Yet—Rom 8:23
 Children of God
 Already—Rom 8:14-17; Gal 4:4-7
 Not Yet—Matt 5:9; Rom 8:19; Phil 2:15
 Heirs
 Already—Rom 8:14-17; Gal 3:26-29; 4:4-7; Titus 3:7
 Not Yet—Matt 25:34; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Heb 6:12; 1 Pet 1:4
 Reconciliation
 Already—Rom 5:10-11; Col 1:22; 2 Cor 5:18; Eph 2:16
 Not Yet—Col 1:20

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 Cultic Metaphors or Imageries
 Sanctification
 Already—Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2; 2 Cor 1:1; Eph 1:1; Phil 1:1;
Col 1:2
 Not Yet—1 Thess 3:13; 5:23; Eph 5:26-27

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 Legal Metaphors or Imageries
 Forgiveness of sins
 Already—Acts 2:38; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14;
Heb 10:22
 Not Yet—Matt 6:14-15; 1 John 1:9;
 Righteousness (Justification)
 Already—Acts 13:39; Rom 3:21-26; 4:25; 5:1, 9; 8:30, 33;
Gal 3:6
 Not Yet—Matt 12:36-37; Rom 2:13; 3:20; Gal 5:5

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“Our future prize may be described as the kingdom,
salvation, redemption, eternal life, resurrection,
sonship, an adoption, an inheritance, sanctification,
perfection, and righteousness. Yet in every case the
prize is the same: the possession of the eternal
inheritance in the kingdom of God” (The Race Set Before Us,
p. 79).

Salvation is
the Prize to
be Won
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“We do not claim that we have presented every
metaphor used in the Scriptures. . . . Our point is that
there is a diversity of metaphors that convey the idea
that our salvation has been inaugurated but is not yet
consummated. ” (The Race Set Before Us, p. 79).

“Sometimes writers speak of inheriting

the kingdom (Mt 25:34; 1 Cor 6:9; 15:50;
Gal 5:21; Eph 5:5; Jas 2:5) and on other
occasions of inheriting eternal life (Mt
19:29; Mk 10:17; Lk 10:25; 18:18). It
would be a serious error to conclude that
inheriting the kingdom is distinct from
inheriting eternal life” (pp. 79-80). 30
“When the Scriptures speak of winning the prize, occasionally the
image of a crown is utilized. For example, believers will obtain a
crown of life (Jas 1:12; Rev 2:10), a crown of righteousness (2 Tim
4:8) and a crown of glory (1 Pet 5:4). Some interpreters
understand these terms to refer to a reward that is above and
beyond eternal life, reserved only for ‘faithful Christians.’ On the
contrary, we maintain that each of these crowns is a metaphor for
obtaining the heavenly inheritance. That is, apart from receiving
these crowns, no one will be saved on the final day, for to be
saved is nothing short of being crowned with life, righteousness
and glory. ” (The Race Set Before Us, p. 83).

The crown
to be won
is salvation.
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“We conclude . . . That the prize to be won is
nothing other than eternal life itself, entrance
into the heavenly kingdom and final
redemption. Nothing less than our eternal
inheritance is at stake, and thus the issue of
perseverance is weighty indeed” (The Race Set
Before Us, p. 86).

The prize to
be won is
eternal life.
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