Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold I make all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment. He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:1-8
What a glorious vision of the future. I frequently read this passage of Scripture when the world seems to be closing in around me, things are out of my control, which they usually are most of the time. Christ’s vision to the apostle John, helps realign my thinking, sharpen my focus and brings me front and center with who is in control of my destiny. I trust this promise… I trust Him… I hope you do as well.
If you are a passionate Christian now, today, then you are a citizen of a future Age. Coming to terms with that concept now is good advice. This is especially so, as we see things happening all around us, everywhere in the world there are troubles that look like the Biblical signs of the end times. Sometime we find ourselves overly concerned about this world – we fret over social issues, unisex bathrooms, governments, political leaders and even religious oppression. We so easily forget what’s really happening… God is in control and working His plan for a New Future!
Paul encourages us to adopt a new way of thinking in Colossians 3:1-4… If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
In other words, if our resurrection with Christ is so sure as virtually to have already happened, then we are to live in the constant consciousness that we are citizens of a future Age. We are to set our minds on that Age. We are not to be conformed to this age, but are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. And that renewing means conformed and focused on the things important for living in the Age to come, because God says… ”Behold I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5)
Pondering the greatness of the future Age enables us to shed the things that drag us down in this life. Being a faithful Christian is about many things… but maybe at the forefront, is mastering God’s vision of our future, accepting that this life in this wicked world is temporary, thereby allowing us to acknowledge that it is passing away. We can then confidently anchor our hope in God promise… that He is ushering in a new and better future. Coming Soon! Previews in the Bible!
Romans 6:5 says… "If we have been united with Christ in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." What does that involve for us and for the creation?
Christ died for all humanity. His sacrificial love is at the core of what God is planning for our journey to the future Age.
Imagine if you will… somebody falls out of an airplane with no parachute and you want to help! But you don’t have one either. You aren't going to jump out in an attempt to save them without some means of security. It won't do any good. You both will fall to your deaths. But if you have a parachute on, you just might try one of those awesome rescue attempts like you see in the movies, and free fall like a bullet through the sky, catch the helpless person and pull your cord and drift to earth safely. It's the hope of safety and security in the end that releases radical, sacrificial love.
Paul said in Colossians 1:4-5… "We have heard of the love you have for all the saints because of the hope laid up for you in heaven." It's the assurance of the “hope of heaven” that releases radical, risk-taking love that makes people look at life (like Peter says) and "ask a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15).
What do people see when they ask that question about you? Do they see you jumping out of an airplane to save another person? Maybe not that extreme, but what about helping the poor in your community? Traveling to places on earth that are not safe to help spread the gospel? Non-believers will see our actions and think to themselves… “Hey, how can that person step out of their security, comfort and safety, sacrificing money and personal possessions to help people they don’t even know?" “In the end, they’ll have no savings, nothing for retirement… they will have wasted their lives on people who just take advantage of their kindness.”
What will your answer be? Simply… "I have a parachute called the hope of glory.”
