Tuesday 22nd October 2019 Prayer Devotion
Scripture Reading:- Genesis 3
Topic:- 10 Things You Should Know About The New Heavens And The New Earth [1]
Text:- 1 John 3:2
1. Jesus was raised to earth:
Jesus was raised to earth, not to heaven. We should not confuse the resurrection and the ascension. The grave of Joseph of Arimathea was empty. After his resurrection, Jesus’s body was clearly transformed, but it was still the very same physical body that was laid in the tomb. This resurrection is the first fruits of the general resurrection. See 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23.
Our bodies will also be raised in a way that will allow us to live in the new heavens and the new earth. We do not know all the details of what this will look like, but we know that “we shall be like him.” Christianity is a resurrection religion. See 1 John 3:2.
2. The Bible begins at Genesis 1, not at Genesis 3:
The Bible does not begin with the problem of sin; it begins with the beauty of the earth. Through all the twists and turns of the biblical story, God remains committed to His creation.
In the light of this, it is surprising that so many Christians view the earth as transient at best and something to be forsaken at worst.
The opening chapters of Genesis explode this misconception. God, not Satan, will have the final victory over what God has made. It will not be discarded but rescued.
The scope of this rescue operation encompasses all that has fallen. It is not surprising, therefore, that Scripture talks of the fulfillment of this rescue as “new heavens and a new earth.” See Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1.
The story of the Bible begins with “God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1 and ends with “a new heaven and the new earth.” See Revelation 21:1.
Understanding God’s plan to renew the earth connects what Christians learn on Sunday mornings with the rest of the week, shaping their mission as they discover purpose in all their daily work here on earth.
3. God did not hold back his best when he created the earth:
The earth that God created is not a functional, monochrome, utilitarian machine. It is full of beauty, color, and creativity.
God declared it to be “very good”. God did not hold back when he created this world by keeping the best for heaven. See Genesis 1:31
Of course, the world is not all that we would want it to be. Suffering pervades every part of our lives. But this problem is not because the earth is second rate. It is caused by the entrance of sin.
Through the Bible God shows His commitment to fix this problem by descending to earth to address the issue of sin. This begins in Eden where he walks with Adam in the Garden, and it continues as God’s glory is beheld in the tabernacle, in the temple, in the incarnation, in the crucifixion, in the resurrection, and in the gift of the Holy Spirit. See Genesis 3:8.
When Jesus returns, it will not be just for a visit, to pick us up and take us elsewhere. He is coming to stay. The New Jerusalem will descend to earth, and the beauty of God’s creation will be restored and renewed. See Revelation 21.
Prayer Point:- Abba Father, programme me into Your divine will henceforth by fire, in the name of Jesus Christ.
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