Delivered

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, - Galatians 1.3-4

'This present evil age' surely must be a description of the world we live in today. Certainly there has been no other time when things are as evil as they are today. This evil, wicked, ungodly, terrible, sinful world is as bad as it gets. Who would not want to escape from this terrible wicked age we live in? 

The thing is that we are pretty much stuck here. We can’t escape and the world is not going to get any better.  And it is nothing new. The church has always lived in this present evil age. 

The wonderful truth is that though we have to live in this present world there is a deliverance from it. It is not a deliverance that involves being physically removed from it. It is a deliverance from its influences and power and control and dominion. It is God's will that we not be controlled by this present evil age. 

And yet it too often does seem in control. 

But as Paul wrote to the Romans when we have died with Christ and been raised to walk in newness of life the present evil are has no power over us. Sin has no dominion. We have been delivered here on earth before our deliverance in heaven. 

Jesus not only paid the penalty for our sins, but He also delivered us from the power of this evil age. 

Why can't we cop on to that and live like we have been delivered? 

I think it's pretty simple. We just enjoy the evils of this present age too much to give them up.