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God’s Plan for the World (Romans 8:18-25)
This entry was posted in Weekly Inspiration and tagged Creation, renewal, Romans, Romans 8:18-25, world. Bookmark the permalink.
i’ve heard people talk about this earth and how God is going to restore it for us, i have always been taught that it will be destroyed. I Peter 3:10-13 talks about the elements being destroyed, burned up, the earth being laid bare ~ how does that play into this passage in Romans then?
Good question! I was just wrestling with those same passages, because they seem to be saying God’s going to set the charges and “destroy” the world, in some complete and total sense.
I guess I’ll start explaining this in light of God’s overall purposes in the whole story of the bible. He starts with Creation, made good, then the Fall happens in which we and the creation are messed up. And the rest of the Bible leads us to the end of Revelation where there are the “new heavens and new earth”. New Creation!
It seems to me that God isn’t going to trash this creation, and make Creation: the Sequel. He’s going to restore this one. I think this because God does this in Jesus. He does not destroy Christ’s body given for us, but instead resurrects it. We will not live as only spirits, but we will be resurrected too. God restores our “old” body, instead of throwing it out and giving us a new one. So in the scheme of the Bible, this makes sense to me.
But how, then, should we interpret 2 Peter 3:10-13? Well, what is the purpose of this “destruction”? In verse 10, Peter says that, “the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (ESV version). The purpose for this fire and level of destruction is that the “works that are done on it will be exposed”. God is doing an act, not of senseless destruction of his creation, but of calling to account the people of this world, and all the “works” that have ever been done by humanity. He will judge perfectly. This is more to do with the destruction of judgment than obliteration of material.
Another reason I think this is because when God decides to flood the earth in the time of Noah, he says, “…I will destroy them with the earth” (Gen. 6:13), and after the flood, God makes a covenant with Noah, and says, “and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen. 9:11). This language of destruction of the earth is obviously the destruction of the ungodly in the time of Noah, and the earth was in a sense destroyed so that life couldn’t be found there. But the earth was still here, and in a way, reborn through God’s faithfulness to Noah and his kids.
In the same way, this earth will indeed be purged, or purified in the righteous judgment of God, but “according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).
Now, I know there are loose ends with this, but it’s sort of where I land. I know many godly people who disagree. The important fact is this: whether its this exact heavens and earth renewed, or a brand new one, our hope as Christians is to be fully human, in an actual creation, living with the actual Creator. Our hope is, if you want to think of it this way, an “earthly” one
.
I hope this clarified some things; great questions!!
2 Peter 3:10-13 is an interesting passage in light of the Romans text.
I believe that Peter uses cosmic imagery to show that the “old way” of running God’s creation is going to be destroyed.
Revelation 21:4 puts it like this “the old order of things has passed away.” In the verse before, it includes death, mourning, crying, and pain in this “old order.”
But when God comes to restore his creation: He does two things: 1)Destroy the “old way” of running his creation and 2) Install a “new way” of running God’s creation, which the Bible refers to as “God’s kingdom”
The startling thing for both the jews and us, who are waiting for God to destroy the “old way” of sin and death, and set up the “new way” of life, love, and peace is THIS: IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED!
In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, sin has been detroyed. The “old way” of doing things has been defeated. At the resurrection of Christ, a shock wave of new creation has went out into all the earth. All creation is now capable of living in God’s kingdom and living in God’s world in the “new way” that Jesus has paved!
This is why creation is groaning for the sons of men to be revealed. Creation was created to be stewarded by humans, God’s image bearers. Our ability to do this has been dormant since the fall and is becoming active again in Christ. Creation is excited because we can now live in the way that will free creation from its struggle as we anticipate the final RESURRECTION when we will be living in this way forever in God’s new world, where heaven and earth will be united.
As Mark simply puts it, the kingdom of God is here.
LIVE LIKE IT!
Beautiful stuff; I like the part about the “shockwave of new creation” in Jesus. Awesome!
oops, II Peter for that reference sorry. we’re digging into our Bibles here trying to figure this out. the world destroyed? to be or not to be, lol
Wow! There is alot to think about in all of this and Pastor Dan did such a wonderful job of sharing this on Wednesday night at Prayer Meeting! You guys should come and get it for REAL =) You’d never be the same!
I have been chewing on this for several days now and I love the comments that Curtis made “shockwave”……..yeah, that’s good. I have always thought well, it’s all going to be burned up any way and never gave much thought to really “CARING” for the Earth so much. Although, something within me (H.S?) does love the Earth as I am always blown away by HIS handiwork. I’m having to reconsider how I am treating what God has created and loves and is in the process of restoring to it’s intended state.
Way to go Lieutenant Pastor Dan!! Thank you for turning on the light to God’s Word once again.
See you at camp. Bring your “woolys” =)
2 Peter 3:10-13 from the Message……………..THIS IS GOOD!…………..
10 But when the Day of God’s Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment.
11 Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life?
12 Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—
13 but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.
I love the “we’ll hardly notice” tee hee! we’ll be concentrating on Jesus!!!!
You just keep on preaching the Word, Pastor Dan! Your heart is so evident and in love for the Lord. I hope to visit you one day soon.
Shiesters? F-Bombs? Where should Christians be? You rock Lieutenant Pastor Dan!! Thanks for the reminder about WHERE I should be. Not with my Christian freinds (although that will never happen =) but with those who are in the darkness. It’s hard………………..it’s scarey……………..
but I will pray and go where He asks me to go because someone else prayed and asked Him where THEY should go and that is why I can enjoy my freedom and forgiveness in the Lord today! Keep keepin on. You really are getting through. You really are making a difference!