Everything New
Bible Study Time 8-20-06
Church links:
Bible Study Time 8-20-06
Last week we saw that the curse of death came upon all men because of Adam’s sin, but because of God’s amazing grace, all men now have access to eternal life because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Even before Adam’s sin and before the curse was pronounced, God had already formulated His plan of redemption, and His plan provided for the restoration of mankind as well as the restoration of all of creation. His plan was to make everything new.
For 2000 years, God gave no real clue as to what His plan for redemption might entail other than the fact that He sacrificed an animal to provide clothing for Adam and Eve and His statement that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of Satan.
Nearly 2000 years past before God took the first step in His plan for redemption. That first step was the calling out of Abraham.
While Abraham was still living in Ur of the Chaldeans, the Lord said:
Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT)
1 . . . "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you.
2 I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others.
3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you."
Later, God told Abraham:
Genesis 17:4,6-8 (NLT)
4 "This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of not just one nation, but a multitude of nations!
6 I will give you millions of descendants who will represent many nations. Kings will be among them!
7 "I will continue this everlasting covenant between us, generation after generation. It will continue between me and your offspring forever. And I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
8 Yes, I will give all this land of Canaan to you and to your offspring forever. And I will be their God.
In making these promises God had identified the people through whom redemption would come, and He had identified the land which would serve as the focal point in His plan of redemption. The people would be the children of Abraham, and their land would be the land of Canaan.
By the time another thousand years had past, the children of Abraham had indeed grown into a great nation, and they were well established in the land of Canaan. It was at this point that God told King David that someday even the heavens and the earth would be redeemed from the curse and that one of his descendants would rule over all the earth. In Psalm 102 David said:
Psalms 102:25-28 (NLT)
25 In ages past you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 . . . they will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing, (but)You will change them like a garment, and they will fade away.
27 . . . you are always the same; your years never end.
28 The children of your people will live in security. Their children's children will thrive in your presence."
David was allowed a glimpse into the future when even the present heavens and the present earth will pass away, but after David the nation of Israel sinned against the Lord. They forsook the Lord God and went after the pagan gods of the Canaanites. As a result, God sent the prophets to warn them of the judgment that was sure to come, the time when the children of Israel would be carried away into captivity to live as slaves in a foreign land.
However, the prophets also confirmed the prophecies of David and said that God would restore Israel and all of creation at some point in the future. In Isaiah 51, the Lord spoke to the believing remnant of Israel, saying:
Isaiah 51:1 (NLT)
1 "Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance — all who seek the LORD! Consider the quarry from which you were mined, the rock from which you were cut!
(Here the Lord refers back to Abraham and more specifically to the faith of Abraham, pointing out that Israel had become a great nation because of the faith of people like Abraham. So He says, “Consider the rock from which you were cut.”)
Isaiah 51:2-3 (NLT)
2 Yes, think about your ancestors Abraham and Sarah, from whom you came. Abraham was alone when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation."
3 The LORD will comfort Israel again and make her deserts blossom. Her barren wilderness will become as beautiful as Eden — the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found there. Lovely songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.
Now notice in verse 6 the Lord says:
Isaiah 51:6 (NKJ)
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, the earth will grow old like a garment, and those who dwell in it will die in like manner; but My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will not be abolished.
In Isaiah 55 the Lord said:
Isaiah 55:3 (NKJ)
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you-- the sure mercies of David.
Indeed, Isaiah knew that a new covenant was coming and that this new covenant was going to be an everlasting covenant based on the promises which were given to David.
The author of the book of Hebrews wrote about the glory of the New Covenant, and in the very first chapter, he went right back to David’s prophecy in Psalm 102, saying:
Hebrews 1:10-12 (NKJ)
10 And: "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
11 They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment;
12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail."
Peter expanded on this theme, saying:
2 Peter 3:10-13 (NKJ)
10 . . . the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
The Apostle John looked into the future and said:
Revelation 21:1-2 (NKJ)
1 . . . I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Someday, God is going to make everything new. What a comforting thought that is for us today as we hear the dreadful news that planet earth can not continue as it is. It used to be that the Bible teachers who were called the prophets of gloom and doom, but now it’s the scientists who predict a dire future for planet earth. Between global warming and natural disasters and wars that have to be fought in order to preserve the peace, what kind of future does this planet have?
Never fear, the Bible says that God has everything under control. Everything is going along precisely in accordance with His plan and purpose. Things will continue to get worse and worse, but the long term future for planet earth looks very positive.
Someday God is going to do away with our present earth, and He’s going to make a new heaven and a new earth. The old heaven and earth will be cast away like an old garment that’s completely worn out. Then God will make everything new. Isaiah said that all things will be as beautiful as they were in Eden, the Garden of God.
But what are we to do in the meantime. Well, God has already started the process of making everything new, and He decided to start that process with those of us who believe in Jesus Christ. In II Corinthians 5, Paul said:
2 Corinthians 5:17,18,20,21 (NKJ)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
21 For He made (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
What we as believers have experienced so far in our walk with Christ is just the beginning of the process of our salvation. The writer of Hebrews says that:
Hebrews 7:25 (NKJ)
25 (Jesus Christ) is . . . able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him . . .
We can look at the word uttermost in two ways. We can look at it in terms of quantity, and we can look at it in terms of quality. First, God is able to save us all the way to the end. He will never leave us or forsake us. Jesus said:
John 10:27-28 (NIV)
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
Second, Jesus Christ saves to the uttermost in the sense that He will save every aspect of our being, inside and outside, and He will save everything around us. The redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ will leave no stone unturned. His salvation will save to the uttermost.
At this present time we have experienced the salvation of our souls. God has crucified the old man with Christ and has created within us the new man which is created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. Romans, Chapter 6, says that:
Romans 6:4 (NKJ)
4 . . . just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 8:1-2 (NKJ)
1 (And) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made (us) free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:14-17 (NKJ)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs-- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ . . . that we may also be glorified together.
According to Hebrews, God has made Jesus Christ the heir of all things, and we are joint heirs with Christ. Now, this does not say that we are co-heirs with Christ. A co-heir is one who gets a portion of the inheritance when the inheritance is divided among the heirs.
But we are not co-heirs with Christ; we are joint heirs with Christ. That means that all of us get everything. We have been made the heir of all things with Christ, and this includes the new heaven and the new earth. Romans 8 says that:
Romans 8:19-24 (NLT)
19 . . . all (of) creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
20 Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse.
21 All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
23 And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
24 Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom . . .
Well, I see that our time is already gone for this morning. I trust that you are rejoicing in the fact that someday God will make everything new, and He has already started that process in the hearts of those of us who believe in Jesus. Thank you for listening to another broadcast of Bible Study Time, and I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
For 2000 years, God gave no real clue as to what His plan for redemption might entail other than the fact that He sacrificed an animal to provide clothing for Adam and Eve and His statement that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of Satan.
Nearly 2000 years past before God took the first step in His plan for redemption. That first step was the calling out of Abraham.
While Abraham was still living in Ur of the Chaldeans, the Lord said:
Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT)
1 . . . "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you.
2 I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others.
3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you."
Later, God told Abraham:
Genesis 17:4,6-8 (NLT)
4 "This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of not just one nation, but a multitude of nations!
6 I will give you millions of descendants who will represent many nations. Kings will be among them!
7 "I will continue this everlasting covenant between us, generation after generation. It will continue between me and your offspring forever. And I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
8 Yes, I will give all this land of Canaan to you and to your offspring forever. And I will be their God.
In making these promises God had identified the people through whom redemption would come, and He had identified the land which would serve as the focal point in His plan of redemption. The people would be the children of Abraham, and their land would be the land of Canaan.
By the time another thousand years had past, the children of Abraham had indeed grown into a great nation, and they were well established in the land of Canaan. It was at this point that God told King David that someday even the heavens and the earth would be redeemed from the curse and that one of his descendants would rule over all the earth. In Psalm 102 David said:
Psalms 102:25-28 (NLT)
25 In ages past you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 . . . they will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing, (but)You will change them like a garment, and they will fade away.
27 . . . you are always the same; your years never end.
28 The children of your people will live in security. Their children's children will thrive in your presence."
David was allowed a glimpse into the future when even the present heavens and the present earth will pass away, but after David the nation of Israel sinned against the Lord. They forsook the Lord God and went after the pagan gods of the Canaanites. As a result, God sent the prophets to warn them of the judgment that was sure to come, the time when the children of Israel would be carried away into captivity to live as slaves in a foreign land.
However, the prophets also confirmed the prophecies of David and said that God would restore Israel and all of creation at some point in the future. In Isaiah 51, the Lord spoke to the believing remnant of Israel, saying:
Isaiah 51:1 (NLT)
1 "Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance — all who seek the LORD! Consider the quarry from which you were mined, the rock from which you were cut!
(Here the Lord refers back to Abraham and more specifically to the faith of Abraham, pointing out that Israel had become a great nation because of the faith of people like Abraham. So He says, “Consider the rock from which you were cut.”)
Isaiah 51:2-3 (NLT)
2 Yes, think about your ancestors Abraham and Sarah, from whom you came. Abraham was alone when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation."
3 The LORD will comfort Israel again and make her deserts blossom. Her barren wilderness will become as beautiful as Eden — the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found there. Lovely songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.
Now notice in verse 6 the Lord says:
Isaiah 51:6 (NKJ)
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, the earth will grow old like a garment, and those who dwell in it will die in like manner; but My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will not be abolished.
In Isaiah 55 the Lord said:
Isaiah 55:3 (NKJ)
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you-- the sure mercies of David.
Indeed, Isaiah knew that a new covenant was coming and that this new covenant was going to be an everlasting covenant based on the promises which were given to David.
The author of the book of Hebrews wrote about the glory of the New Covenant, and in the very first chapter, he went right back to David’s prophecy in Psalm 102, saying:
Hebrews 1:10-12 (NKJ)
10 And: "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
11 They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment;
12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail."
Peter expanded on this theme, saying:
2 Peter 3:10-13 (NKJ)
10 . . . the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
The Apostle John looked into the future and said:
Revelation 21:1-2 (NKJ)
1 . . . I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Someday, God is going to make everything new. What a comforting thought that is for us today as we hear the dreadful news that planet earth can not continue as it is. It used to be that the Bible teachers who were called the prophets of gloom and doom, but now it’s the scientists who predict a dire future for planet earth. Between global warming and natural disasters and wars that have to be fought in order to preserve the peace, what kind of future does this planet have?
Never fear, the Bible says that God has everything under control. Everything is going along precisely in accordance with His plan and purpose. Things will continue to get worse and worse, but the long term future for planet earth looks very positive.
Someday God is going to do away with our present earth, and He’s going to make a new heaven and a new earth. The old heaven and earth will be cast away like an old garment that’s completely worn out. Then God will make everything new. Isaiah said that all things will be as beautiful as they were in Eden, the Garden of God.
But what are we to do in the meantime. Well, God has already started the process of making everything new, and He decided to start that process with those of us who believe in Jesus Christ. In II Corinthians 5, Paul said:
2 Corinthians 5:17,18,20,21 (NKJ)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
21 For He made (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
What we as believers have experienced so far in our walk with Christ is just the beginning of the process of our salvation. The writer of Hebrews says that:
Hebrews 7:25 (NKJ)
25 (Jesus Christ) is . . . able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him . . .
We can look at the word uttermost in two ways. We can look at it in terms of quantity, and we can look at it in terms of quality. First, God is able to save us all the way to the end. He will never leave us or forsake us. Jesus said:
John 10:27-28 (NIV)
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
Second, Jesus Christ saves to the uttermost in the sense that He will save every aspect of our being, inside and outside, and He will save everything around us. The redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ will leave no stone unturned. His salvation will save to the uttermost.
At this present time we have experienced the salvation of our souls. God has crucified the old man with Christ and has created within us the new man which is created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. Romans, Chapter 6, says that:
Romans 6:4 (NKJ)
4 . . . just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 8:1-2 (NKJ)
1 (And) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made (us) free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:14-17 (NKJ)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs-- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ . . . that we may also be glorified together.
According to Hebrews, God has made Jesus Christ the heir of all things, and we are joint heirs with Christ. Now, this does not say that we are co-heirs with Christ. A co-heir is one who gets a portion of the inheritance when the inheritance is divided among the heirs.
But we are not co-heirs with Christ; we are joint heirs with Christ. That means that all of us get everything. We have been made the heir of all things with Christ, and this includes the new heaven and the new earth. Romans 8 says that:
Romans 8:19-24 (NLT)
19 . . . all (of) creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
20 Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse.
21 All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
23 And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
24 Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom . . .
Well, I see that our time is already gone for this morning. I trust that you are rejoicing in the fact that someday God will make everything new, and He has already started that process in the hearts of those of us who believe in Jesus. Thank you for listening to another broadcast of Bible Study Time, and I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
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