Last night we continued our study of the New Creation by looking at two more aspects of the eternal future God ahs promised to those who trust Christ. Here are the notes:
Read Rev 21:1-16a, 22-27; 22:1-6
Six Things that Are True of the New Creation:
- New (Different); 2. Physical (Continuity); 3. Pure (Holy, no sin); 4. Spiritual (God is there); 5. Joyful (Community, Meaning/Work, No Sickness/Pain, no fear); 6. Eternal (Never ends); 7. Coming.
3. Pure
- God is There. His presence is totally holy. (21:3, 22-23, 22:4)
- God’s Holy people are there. (21:3, 22:3, 4, 5)
- No pain, because the causes of Pain are gone.
- No cowards, only overcomers (21:7-8)
- None of the sinful states listed in 21:8 are there. Unbelieving (suspicious of God), abominable (morally polluted), murderers (destroy life), sexually immoral (selfishly twist the physical and use others for pleasure), sorcerers (spiritually evil), idolaters (lovers of unreality and other Gods), and all liars (those who deceive)
- No more curse (22:3) (the consequences of sin) see also 21:27, 22:14-15
- Those who love sin won’t love the city, and can have no access to it. It would consume and expel them.
- A Question: Do you want to go to a place where there is no sin and everyone is perfect?
4. Spiritual
- God is there: (21:3, 22-23)
- Nearness: (21:4, 22:4)
- River of Living Water/ Holy Spirit: (22:1, 21:6)
- God’s Presence (21:22); glory (21:23) & light (22:5); Throne (22:3)
- Knowledge of God in everything: Isaiah 11:9, Habakkuk 2:14 (as waters cover the sea) see also Acts 17:28, Jeremiah 23:24
- Not opposed to the physicality of the new creation. Integrated. Spiritual indwells and enlivens the physical.
- “Worship” elevated to all of life. All of life elevated to worship.
The vision of the New Earth chows us God’s full and final intention for his creation. Even the Millennium was only a “pointer” to this—a fully real, fully physical, fully spiritual existence where humanity lives fully aware and in experience of God’s presence everywhere, in everything, and all things are permeated and indwelt with his glory, purity, life and light. We were never designed to live apart from Him, and in the new earth, we won’t.
Challenges:
- Are you destined for this place? You are now if this world has begun to grow in you: 2 Cor 5:17, John 7:37-39, Col 1:9-10. Are these things true of you?
- Christians: Are we growing on this road now on our way to the final reality? Are we letting these things capture our thoughts? Col 3:1-4, Phil 3:20-21