February 25, 2012

“All Things New”

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. (NLT)

Observation:

Because of the curse that sin has brought upon this world there never has been nor will there ever be a trouble-free existence for any living being this side of Heaven. This is just the way it is—there is no other way around it. Since the beginning of time mankind has sought to create the utopian life-style for itself and has never succeeded, because flawed people living in a flawed world are incapable of creating anything that is unflawed—imperfectness can never create that which is perfect—it is simply not possible. There is only One who is able to create something that is perfect and without flaws—our Perfect God and Creator, Christ Jesus. And it’s God’s promise to make all things new (Revelation 21:5) and perfect after the final judgment of the enemies of God and the ending of time (Revelation 22:3-6). He, the Lord our Perfect God, will restore the entire universe to perfection; including the earth and all those who became God’s own children by submitting their lives to Him and accepting Christ as their only Lord and Savior.

Application:

Our imperfect, finite minds cannot even begin to fathom a perfect existence in a perfect universe that is without the curse of time. God tells us in His Word that even the worst possible trouble we could ever experience in this life is absolutely incomparable to the Glory of God and our share in it (Romans 8:18). We have a glorious Savior, my friends, who promise to make our Christian lives worth all the trouble that living in this sin-filled and evil world brings. God wants us to focus on the eternal ramifications for how we live on this planet, for our lives are extremely short lived, especially when compared to eternity. I believe the question we all should be asking ourselves is this: Am I looking only to gain what the world offers and the approval of mankind denying the afterlife, or am I striving to live as God would have me live according to His Word, focusing on Him and eternity, rather than on my short life lived in the here and now? How you answer this basic question is one of the most important of your life, because the time allotted for you to answer is not only short lived, but how short is uncertain as well.

Prayer:

Thank You, dear Lord, for allowing me to choose You and eternal life. Without Your promise this life would not be worth the trouble—it would not be worth living. Thank You for all You promise, for it is Your promises that keep us alive.

Amen