I have been jumping from theme to theme this morning looking at scriptures about redemption, deliverance and salvation. Each has a different nuance to it. Then I came upon this group of verses...
"For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end (as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus." - 2 Corinthians 1:12-14 NKJV
Redemption is interesting... The payment happened in the past but it will not be complete until God takes possession of what He has bought. This has not happened yet. That day is the day when clarity will be complete.
We can't really know each other fully until that day. We look at each other through eyes of faith understanding each other only partially. The thing that usually happens when we don't understand something is that we make mistakes and fumble around because of a lack of information. We jump to conclusions and make assumptions then afterwards we feel a little guilty or sorry for the misunderstanding.
Here Paul is saying he has a clean conscience because he functioned in simplicity and sincerity that was linked directly to grace. Grace works even when we don't see the full picture. Grace leaves no residue of regret in relationships.
"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." - 1 John 3:2 ESV
What we will be has not appeared yet but grace is how we will function in that future time. Living in it by faith now is an amazing privilege.
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