How then do we redeem time, and how are we redeemed from time? On the one hand, we rdeem the time by living out our lives according to our gifts and callings, thus serving God's purposes in our generation. Those who live out their lives in this way do justice to the best of their time; and they live before all time because they live before God.
On the other hand, we redeem time by trusting the end of our time to the Lord and redeemer of time. Ultimately, we redeem the time and are redeemed from time only through the One who is the redeemer of everything--He who is, the God who is the Lord of time and history and yet is "the same yesterday today, and forever."
In St Augustine's description, God relates to us in time in ways that are "once for all [semel], all at one [simul], and always [semper]." He is before our time, outside our time, and at the end of our time. We can therefore each pray Augustine's celebrated prayer, which applies to time as much as any part of life: "You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You."
Thus until the day of our homecoming arrives, we continually trust that the Lord of time will redeem us at the end of time. And in the meantime that is our lives, we live out our callings in the thick of things, and so set about redeeming time actively though imperfectly, as timely as untimely people can ever be.
Os Guiness
Prophetic Untimeliness
Pgs 118-119
On the other hand, we redeem time by trusting the end of our time to the Lord and redeemer of time. Ultimately, we redeem the time and are redeemed from time only through the One who is the redeemer of everything--He who is, the God who is the Lord of time and history and yet is "the same yesterday today, and forever."
In St Augustine's description, God relates to us in time in ways that are "once for all [semel], all at one [simul], and always [semper]." He is before our time, outside our time, and at the end of our time. We can therefore each pray Augustine's celebrated prayer, which applies to time as much as any part of life: "You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You."
Thus until the day of our homecoming arrives, we continually trust that the Lord of time will redeem us at the end of time. And in the meantime that is our lives, we live out our callings in the thick of things, and so set about redeeming time actively though imperfectly, as timely as untimely people can ever be.
Os Guiness
Prophetic Untimeliness
Pgs 118-119
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