NBC "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker left out a key portion of the Fourteenth Amendment when she challenged President-elect Donald Trump on his plans to end so-called birthright citizenship by executive order. In the interview, which aired Sunday, Welker asked, "You promised to end birthright citizenship on day one....

A monster of its own creation has already begun to devour the Democratic Party. Obsessed with identity-based grievances, Democrats have ironically cultivated those same grievances against their own leaders from inside their own ranks. According to The New York Times, the post-election autopsy on Vice President Kamala Harris's failed campaign...

According to The Washington Times, FBI Director Christopher Wray intends to resign on or before Inauguration Day. The outlet reports that Wray does not want to get fired by President Trump. “He’s going to be gone at the inauguration. On or before the inauguration,” a source said, according to The Washington Times. FBI Director Christopher Wray preparing to resignhttps://t.co/3IYjlz3UPk pic.twitter.com/2hVyMMkZE7 — The Washington Times (@WashTimes) December 10, 2024 GREAT News…Chris Wray plans to resign. Good Riddance, Traitor. pic.twitter.com/XSrkVge84o — Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) December 10, 2024 From The Washington Times: Following Mr. Wray’s departure, Deputy Director Paul Abbate will become acting director and appoint an acting deputy director. Mr. Abbate’s original plan was to stay until May or June so he could help with the transition to a new FBI director. Kash Patel, Mr. Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, is meeting Republican senators on Capitol Hill this week. Mr. Patel, who has served as the defense secretary’s chief of staff and senior adviser to the National Security Council, was tapped by Mr. Trump to shake up the FBI management. Mr. Wray knew his days were numbered at the FBI. Sen. Charles E. Grassley, the Iowa Republican who will become chairman of the Judiciary Committee next month, sent a scathing letter Monday to Mr. Wray saying he should be ousted before his 10-year term as FBI director is up — and he said Mr. Abbate should go, too. “For the good of the country, it’s time for you and your deputy to move on to the next chapter in your lives,” Grassley wrote, according to The Hill. “I therefore must express my vote of no confidence in your continued leadership of the FBI. President-elect Trump has already announced his intention to nominate a candidate to replace you, and the Senate will carefully consider that choice,” he added. “Reform is badly needed at the FBI. It’s time 2 shake things up,” Grassley wrote on X. Reform is badly needed at the FBI It’s time 2 shake things up pic.twitter.com/w9FxE9yS9d — Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) December 9, 2024 The Hill reports: Grassley framed the letter as an “opportunity to tell you where you went wrong, for the benefit of the Bureau and that of your successor.” Much of the letter complains about how the FBI handled the investigations into President-elect Trump and Hillary Clinton, matters that predated Wray’s leadership of the FBI. Grassley also criticized the search of Trump’s home ahead of the Justice Department bringing its classified documents case against him, complaining that “no such raid took place at Hillary Clinton’s premises, even though she and her staff mishandled highly classified information.” Grassley complained that “no such raid” occurred at President Biden’s house during his classified documents probe. Biden, however, was the one who alerted authorities to the documents, whereas Trump resisted multiple times when asked to return the records recovered from his home.

He may not always have been life and soul of the party, but he’s been the heartbeat behind songs across a huge range of genres – to his lasting pride

The Bible says we are completely new creations—we aren’t simply reformed or refurbished. We’re brand new.

Since 2008, when I began compiling an annual list of important theology stories, Christianity has been receding across the West. And while many years include some glimmer of hope, generally the outlook has been dim. News journalism, with its bias toward negativity, could be to blame. A great recession and global pandemic didn’t help. Neither did the ubiquitous adoption of smartphones, which gave rise to an anxious generation. For the first time, 16 years later, it feels like something has shifted. This noticeable new mood is not always Christian, as we see in growing acceptance of assisted suicide and abortion. It’s not always concrete. And it’s not primarily political. It’s more like unexpected doors opening for Christian engagement and evangelism. Consider a few examples: Last year, I noted that October 7 was a turning point, as the “identity synthesis” lost its grip on a public that refused to justify terrorist attacks on Israel. By the end of 2024, even the University of Michigan had dropped its demands for diversity (DEI) statements from faculty, a practice that has weeded out many Christian academics. After years of relativism, the categories of good and evil returned. Morality snapped back to reality as we debate the proper course of action with Israel at war against Iran’s proxies in Gaza and elsewhere, Russia grinding down the defenses in Ukraine, rebels taking down Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria, and China threatening to instigate world war by invading Taiwan. Following years of feminist objections, J. K. Rowling broke the transgender spell as she defied a new hate-crime law in Scotland that would target orthodox Christians. Legacy and mainstream media, with their reflexive skepticism toward Christian beliefs, were strong enough to help push Joe Biden out of the presidential campaign after a disastrous summer debate. But they lost control of public discourse, replaced by podcasts reaching tens of millions by talking about everything from UFOs to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So far, surveys haven’t turned up any signs of younger generations flocking to church in, say, secular Sweden. And I don’t sense this trend is the major cause, or effect, of an election that once again elevated a president overwhelmingly supported by American evangelicals (and more ethnic minorities than any other Republican nominee in decades). It could be nothing more than a vibe, a slightly coherent sense that Christianity has become so transgressive in Western culture that it’s on the verge of cool for the first time since a similarly tumultuous period, the 1960s. All I know for sure is that the kind of rebellious, anti-institutional voices I expected to trash Christianity in 2008 now show openness to hearing and discussing and debating the gospel and its implications for life. I don’t know what the future holds. But 2024 brought many surprises, some of them welcome for the church. Regardless of how people receive Jesus, our calling remains the same: “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2). The gospel will never be accepted by all. But, if the Lord wills, it may be accepted by more these days, even as others continue in their hostility. Remember, “We are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life” (2 Cor. 2:15–16). The gospel will never be accepted by all. But, if the Lord wills, it may be accepted by more these days. Wherever the cultural winds are blowing, thanks to the Lord, we can be “steadfast, immovable” (1 Cor. 15:58). So don’t be anxious about the news as you read this annual retrospective, where I attempt to discern the top theology stories of the year. As always, I write from the vantage point of an American who subscribes to The Gospel Coalition’s confessional statement. Your list will differ, but together we give thanks whenever the gospel bears fruit and increases in the world (Col. 1:6). 10. Bible sales spike. American election anxiety and niche marketing can’t by themselves explain a 22 percent increase in Bible sales during 2024. Most encouraging, it’s not just long-time Christians adding more collector editions. It’s easier than ever for first-time buyers to encounter the Scriptures through podcasts with high-quality narrators. Also of note was the English Standard Version reaching #1 on the translation bestseller list in October. 9. Demographic collapse triggers national debate. It’s not news that fertility is declining rapidly in almost every country around the world. But in 2024, this civilizational collapse—the greatest demographic shift since the bubonic plague in the 1300s—finally became a widespread point of discussion. Vice president–elect JD Vance and his young family drew attention to ways parenting has become more difficult. But no one seems to know how to cure the modern malaise of individualism that inhibits marriage and child-rearing. The challenge for churches will be discipling larger single populations with theology that values singleness, from young to old, while still helping families cut against the grain of modern life. 8. Mainline decline heightens need for Global South leadership. The deadline to leave the United Methodist Church (UMC) was December 31, 2023. So in 2024, the cost was revealed for the mainline denomination joining others in affirming same-sex marriage. Nearly 8,000 UMC churches—26 percent of the total—left for the newly formed Global Methodist Church or closed. Heedless of further fracturing of the global Anglican Communion, archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby likewise abandoned his church’s orthodox stance on sexuality, shortly before he resigned for participating in a cover-up of sexual abuse. The Fourth Lausanne Congress, held this year in South Korea, facilitated more than 50 years of handoff from global church leaders mostly in the West to places such as East Africa, where birth rates continue to rise alongside more orthodox Christian faith. 7. Assisted suicide advances in the United Kingdom. It’s not yet certain if the United Kingdom will permit assisted suicide as some other European countries and American states already do. So far Parliament hasn’t been scared off by the growing popularity of the practice in Canada, where by 2022 more than 4 percent of deaths were aided by physicians. Much debate has focused on individual autonomy and the right to die. Journalist Andy Crouch cut through the misleading rhetoric: “You will have ‘the right to die’ for approximately 15 minutes before you start to feel ‘the obligation to die,’ which will be approximately 15 minutes before you are informed that (for the greater good, to be sure) you are ‘required to die.’” For the modern West, a bigger question is at stake: Why bother to live if humans are no different from other creatures? 6. Amid IVF backlash, GOP becomes pro-choice. Popular opposition to a surprising decision by the Alabama Supreme Court to consider embryos as children helped lead the GOP toward abandoning pro-life convictions, a likely outcome since the 2022 Dobbs decision. Anti-abortion activists salvaged a few restrictions in November amid a recent increase in surgical abortions and extremism from the Democratic Party. So far, Donald Trump has mostly evaded public criticism from pro-life groups, even as he changed the GOP platform and nominated the pro-choice Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services (a department with significant oversight on abortion practices and policies). Churches should prepare to counsel more women confused by why they can’t forgive themselves for abortions in their past. 5. Theological educators seek foothold amid overall slide in student enrollment. The looming demographic decline, along with lower Christian affiliation among millennials, has long spooked theological educators. Pressures related to race and sexuality in the last decade have further strained big-tent evangelical schools that depend on recruiting new students, often recommended by alumni. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary recommitted to on-campus education thanks to proceeds from real estate sales. The president of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School resigned as school leaders recommitted to their affiliation with the Evangelical Free Church. Facing its own financial headwinds, Fuller Theological Seminary seems headed in the opposite direction as it reconsiders its previous sexuality standards. Fuller professor Christopher Hays joined his father, Richard (retired from Duke Divinity School), in authoring a book that suggests God has changed his mind. Meanwhile, ongoing enrollment growth can be found in Southern Baptist schools upholding historic orthodoxy. 4. Paris flaunts post-Christian buffet before Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens. Few events can still elicit truly viral engagement on fractured social media. The Paris Olympics gave us two. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif confused everyone on the way to a gold medal by dominating the undermanned female competition. And the opening ceremonies launched a million hot takes and even hotter rebuttals over the Last Supper parody, the latest sign of a decadent Western culture that can tear down the past but can’t generate a vision for the future. Mockery, though, at least indicates France cares about religion and hasn’t lost all its Christian memory. And if you’re apathetic and forgetful about religion, you probably don’t go to such great lengths to rebuild one of the best-known cathedrals in the world only five years after we thought Notre-Dame might disappear forever in the flames. 3. Cass Review tells the truth about transgender treatments. I asked a cultural commentator why the report led in the United Kingdom by Hilary Cass, “the largest review ever undertaken in the field of transgender health,” barely registered in the United States. Easy answer, turns out: because U.S. hospitals and doctors backed by the Biden administration make a lot of money on these so-called treatments, despite their ineffectiveness. This month, the U.S. Supreme Court took up a challenge to Tennessee’s ban on some procedures for minors and will rule in June. Expect court cases to mount as parents become more aware of dangers associated with gender transition and flee public schools where administrators and teachers conceal these irreversible treatments. Church leaders can help by studying and teaching theological anthropology. 2. Gen Z shows signs of spiritual revival. Around 2016, young women began taking more progressive views on subjects such as abortion, leaving churches and challenging them to bridge a growing gender divide. Then in 2024, for the first time since pollsters began asking, men identified as more religious than women. Or at least they did in Gen Z, where the church offers refuge from rampant gender confusion. Consider that more than 14,000 young adults signed up for Cross Con. Or hear the prominent Christian testimonies alongside mass baptisms on college campuses, and you can sense the rumblings of revival. Gen Z has borne the consequences of pandemic closures and therapy influencers, so it makes sense they’d also benefit from the church’s efforts to foster resilience through catechesis and spiritual formation. 1. Trump wins presidential election. With Donald Trump retaking the White House in November, “What if” questions abound considering how close he came to assassination in July. Has he been spared to do good? As with all other leaders, we pray he will not be a terror to good conduct but to bad (Rom. 13:3). The Lord prescribes that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim. 2:1–2). Our theology of providence reminds us to thank God for the good he allows and the evil he restrains. And it tells us that God’s purposes—whether in blessing or judgment—aren’t always evident in the moment, or even in our lifetime.

The new December 2024 issue of Themelios has 234 pages of editorials, articles, and book reviews. It is freely available in three formats: (1) PDF, (2) web version, and (3) Logos Bible Software (coming soon). 1. J. V. Fesko | Editorial: The Goal of Theological Scholarship: Academy or the Church? Why do we write articles, books, and sermons? Fesko argues that there should be a twofold aim for our theological labors: to glorify God and to edify the church. 2. Daniel Strange | Strange Times: Selfish Preachers? Whom are you preaching for? Strange ponders this probing question for preachers by considering the legacy of Richard “Gussie” Garnett, who modeled generous communication and challenged pastors to preach sermons that connect with and feed their people. 3. Robert A. J. Gagnon | The Deepening of God’s Mercy Through Repentance: A Critical Review Essay of The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story Richard B. Hays and Christopher B. Hays’s recent book has generated significant interest but suffers from critical hermeneutical, exegetical, and scholarly deficiencies. According to Gagnon, the authors claim that “a deeper logic” in the Bible reveals God changing his mind to expand the scope of his mercy. This overrides the biblical texts that establish the male-female foundation of Christian sexual ethics and speak against homosexual practice. 4. Colin J. Smothers | The Image of God and the Plight of Man The doctrine of the image of God is fundamental to Christian theology and ethics, and it forms the foundation for justice and human flourishing in society. Yet this doctrine is under assault today by anti-Christian forces. Smothers explores the biblical meaning and implications of the imago Dei, including God’s design for sexuality, marriage, and the family, to reassert this doctrine’s prominence in the unfolding debates about anthropology, what it means to be human, and the identification and promotion of what’s good. 5. M. Jeff Brannon | Resurrection and Reign: The Inseparable Bond Between Resurrection Life and the Kingdom of God in All of Scripture Although much attention has been given to the biblical themes of the kingdom of God and the hope of resurrection, the striking links between them in all of Scripture have often been overlooked or neglected. Therefore, Brannon demonstrates how and why they’re inseparably linked and reflects on why this relationship matters and what difference it makes in Christians’ lives. 6. Joshua Pittman | Misunderstanding the Gaps: A Critique of Bryan Bibb’s Interpretation of the Nadab and Abihu Episode This article critiques Bryan Bibb’s proposal that Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu committed no sin in Leviticus 10, exposing the “gaps in the ritual legislation” of YHWH’s sacrificial system. Conversely, Pittman argues that Nadab and Abihu committed an act of disobedience because (1) Moses describes the brothers’ offering as profane, (2) the brothers most likely presumed the role of the high priest by transgressing the bi-daily incense offering outlined in Exodus 30:7–9 that wasn’t their responsibility, (3) YHWH consumed the brothers with fire, and (4) YHWH cites his own character to explain his act of judgment. 7. David M. Howard Jr. | Destruction and Dispossession of the Canaanites in the Book of Joshua The supposed “genocide” of the Canaanites is one of the most vexing questions in the entire Old Testament and a leading reason that many people dismiss the Old Testament as hopelessly barbaric. Howard discusses this in five discrete sections and concludes there’s no genocide in the book of Joshua, despite arguments to the contrary. 8. S. D. Ellison | Reading the Psalter as a Book The canonical shape of the Psalter has enjoyed concentrated attention in academia for more than four decades. While scholars have agreed on the effort, they haven’t always agreed on the results. Ellison distills some key pieces of evidence that the Psalter bears traces of editorial activity—thus suggesting it’s a purposefully ordered collection—and then proposes a reading of the Psalter that fits this evidence. 9. Joel White | Who Was Philemon, What Did Paul Want from Him, and Why? Scholars are divided on whether Paul wrote the letter to Philemon with the aim of securing Onesimus’s manumission or not. Often, discussion centers on Paul’s rhetoric or on the nature of slavery in the ancient world and his attitude toward it. White first situates Philemon within the two social networks in which he enjoyed status and esteem—the Christ association on the one hand and the wealthier landowners/slaveowners in Colossae on the other—and posits what their expectations would have been regarding Philemon’s response to Onesimus’s return. Second, he examines the theological presuppositions that inform Paul’s rhetoric. He concludes that Paul did, in fact, want Philemon to free Onesimus to strengthen the bonds between the three of them and the church in Colossae. 10. Jared Compton | “Made Lower than Angels”: A Fresh Look at Hebrews 2:5–9 How does the author of Hebrews understand Psalm 8? A lot of the discussion turns on whether Hebrews thinks Psalm 8 applies to Jesus alone or to Jesus and other humans. An equally important question, however, is often overlooked. If Hebrews applies the psalm to Jesus and other humans, does Hebrews think the psalm describes humanity before or after the fall? Compton argues that Hebrews reads Psalm 8 as a description of what humanity lost in the fall—an original superiority to angels, glory, and dominion. Only by reading Hebrews in this way can we do justice to Hebrews’s argument and, at the same time, fully appreciate the book’s extraordinary Christology. 11. Christopher Green | Baptist Catholicity in the Ecclesiology of John Gill (1697–1771) Throughout his writings, but especially in the presentation of his ecclesiology, John Gill exhibits a steadfast commitment to a theological sensibility today referred to as Baptist catholicity. Gill’s ecclesiological writings are thoroughly catholic in their method and content, as evidenced by a robust engagement with patristic sources, creative and positive use of Reformation and post-Reformation era paedobaptist theologians, and a refusal to resort to Baptist authors even in support of Baptist distinctives. As such, Gill provides a model for contemporary proponents of Evangelical Baptist catholicity and ought to be retrieved to strengthen a distinctively Baptist theology in the 21st century. 12. T. Michael Christ | Why a Purely Natural Theology Could Lead Us Astray: Karl Barth’s Response to the Theology of Gender and Marriage Sponsored by the Nazi Party In response to the erosion of the biblical paradigm of gender and marriage in modern Western society, some believers are inclined to support any promotion of heterosexual monogamous marriage as a positive moral force. However, certain conservative ideologies are fundamentally incompatible with Christian teachings. For example, despite superficial similarities with Christian values on gender and marriage, Nazi ideology rooted these values in nationalism and racial purity, distorting them for nefarious purposes. Theologian Karl Barth opposed the Nazi regime’s redefinition of marriage and gender, warning that any version of marriage not rooted in Christology leads to destruction. Michael Christ examines Barth’s critique and explores its relevance in guarding contemporary Christian ethics from similar distortions. 13. Scott D. MacDonald | Making the Lion Lie Down Hungry: Forgiveness as Preventative Spiritual Warfare in 2 Corinthians 2:5–11 While Christians should understand and practice forgiveness, many haven’t experienced forgiveness from others within the church, which leaves the church vulnerable to Satan’s schemes. MacDonald considers forgiveness to be an essential action of spiritual warfare that limits Satan’s work. He analyzes 2 Corinthians 2:5–11, outlining the occasion that required the Corinthians’ forgiveness and revealing how forgiveness countered Satan’s scheme in the Corinthian church. Thus, the present church must avoid a mere facade of forgiveness and publicly exercise the forgiveness she has received in Christ, thereby preventing demonic schemes against God’s people. 14. Robert Golding | The Devil Is Not a Christian: Critiquing Christian Universalism as Presented by David Bentley Hart David Bentley Hart’s book titled That All Shall Be Saved is a powerful argument at first glance for the doctrine of Christian universalism, which is the view that those in hell all eventually enter heaven. However, on a closer examination, this is untenable. Golding seeks to refute Hart’s thesis by appealing to Scripture, critiquing the inner logic of Hart’s argument, and proffering an understanding of sin that willfully rejects God. Golding opposes Hart’s hamartiology, which has no category for the willful refusal of God, since, according to him, humans must always desire God. Featured Book Reviews: Stephen G. Dempster, The Return of the Kingdom: A Biblical Theology of God’s Reign. Reviewed by Drew Grumbles. Crawford Gribben, J. N. Darby and the Roots of Dispensationalism. Reviewed by Kenneth J. Stewart. Gavin Ortlund, What It Means to Be Protestant. Reviewed by Samuel Parkison. Douglas A. Sweeney, The Substance of Our Faith: Foundations for the History of Christian Doctrine. Reviewed by Nathan A. Finn. J. V. Fesko, Adam and the Covenant of Works. Reviewed by Andrew J. Martin. Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Reviewed by David Robertson. Andrew David Naselli, How to Read a Book: Advice for Christian Readers. Reviewed by Luke Johnson.

One of my favorite songs is “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears. While the song represents what’s best about ’80s music, it also gets at a profound truth. Consider something as simple as the desire to climb mountains, thereby “ruling over” those parts of creation. Over the past 60 years, thousands of people have attempted to climb Mount Everest, with 7,000 “conquering” the world’s highest peak. Yet this feat doesn’t come without great risk, as around 350 people have lost their lives in attempting it. Humanity desires to rule the world, but death (and sin) prevents us. In Scripture, there’s a close relationship between God’s kingdom and the hope of resurrection. In Genesis 1–2, God gives life and grants humanity the privilege and calling to reign over creation. But with the fall, humanity doesn’t reign as God intended and death enters the picture. Thankfully, the Bible’s story doesn’t end with sin and death. God promises redemption (3:15), and this hope unfolds from Genesis 3:15 to Revelation 22:21. Embedded in this hope is that God’s people will one day conquer death and reign over creation as God purposed. In this article, I highlight how the twin themes of resurrection and reign come together in Christ’s person and work. In his resurrection, Jesus reigns over the enemies of sin and death and therefore reigns over creation. Resurrection and Kingship In Jesus’s life and death, much could be said about these two themes. Christ’s coming means the arrival of the kingdom (Mark 1:14–15), and Jesus even proclaims he’s “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). Moreover, Jesus’s death is linked with his messiahship (1 Cor. 1:23) and is the final sacrifice that brings life to God’s people. But something monumentally significant happens with Jesus’s resurrection—Peter proclaims that God raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him at his right hand (Acts 2:22–36). Similarly, in Acts 13:16–37, Paul preaches that God has raised Jesus from the dead and connects his resurrection with his kingship. In both cases, the implication is that Jesus’s resurrection serves as his enthronement. Jesus’s resurrection serves as his enthronement. Paul makes explicit the connection between Christ’s resurrection and enthronement. In Romans 1:4, Paul writes that Jesus “was declared to be the Son of God in power . . . by his resurrection from the dead.” Whereas Jesus reigned “in weakness” in his crucifixion (2 Cor. 13:4), he reigns as the Son of God in power in his resurrection. Moreover, in Ephesians 1:20, Paul writes that God “raised [Jesus] from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.” Here, Christ’s resurrection and enthronement are so closely linked that one implies and guarantees the other. This connection between Jesus’s resurrection and kingship is significant. God creates humanity to reign over creation (Ps. 8), and the author of Hebrews emphasizes that the world to come is subjected to humanity (Heb. 2:5–8). The problem, though, is that not everything is subject to humanity at present (v. 8). On account of sin and death, humanity’s call to rule over creation is frustrated and stifled so it falls short, especially since the end result of (almost) every life is death. Thus, creation actually rules over humanity. Living One But here’s where Jesus’s resurrection and exaltation come into view. Although humanity doesn’t yet rule over all things, Jesus is at present “crowned with glory and honor” (v. 9), the same description used of humanity at creation (Ps. 8:5). Jesus is “crowned with glory and honor” because he has conquered death and now reigns. C. S. Lewis writes, The New Testament writers speak as if Christ’s achievement in rising from the dead was the first event of its kind in the whole history of the universe. He is the “first fruits,” the “pioneer of life.” He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man. He has met, fought, and beaten the King of Death. Everything is different because He has done so. This is the beginning of the New Creation: a new chapter in cosmic history has opened. In Revelation 1:18, Jesus proclaims, “[I am] the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Through his resurrection, Jesus has conquered sin and death and consequently reigns over creation. And although believers don’t yet reign over creation as God originally intended, Jesus’s resurrection and reign have massive implications for those united to him by faith. Look Ahead Jesus’s resurrection from the dead and reign over all things is good news for those united to Christ by faith. Since Jesus has overcome sin and death, so also will his people. Believers have been set free from sin’s penalty (Rom. 8:1) and have therefore already crossed over from death to life (John 5:24). Because they’ve been made alive and newly created in Christ (Eph. 2:1–10; Rom. 6:1–14), they are no longer slaves to sin but are slaves to Christ and slaves of righteousness (Rom. 6:15–23). Believers have been set free from the penalty of sin and have therefore already crossed over from death to life. Salvation’s consummation occurs at Jesus’s second coming. Only then will Christians inherit their glorified resurrection bodies (1 Cor. 15:35–58) and reign with Christ over the new creation (Rev. 22:5). In light of this, we should remember Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:16–17: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”