The sense of already, but...
Illustration
The sense of "already, but not yet" penetrates this passage. Shirlie Guthrie, in his work Christian Doctrine, cites a wonderful illustration. June 6, 1944, changed the course of the European war. The landing of a powerful Allied force on the D-Day beaches in Normandy guaranteed the destruction of Nazi Germany. It was beyond the capacity of the German regime to resist the Allies effectively on the eastern front, in Italy, and also in France. Once the beachhead was safely ashore and established, the eventual outcome of the conflict was assured. Nevertheless, though the outcome was no longer in doubt, the conflict would still rage for almost a year. There were yet to come many terrible battles and losses for all nations involved. Great struggles like the Battle of the Bulge were still to come. This reality, the outcome assured in the context of present struggle endured, mirrors the biblical struggle of life in a broken world while anticipating the kingdom.
