December 30, 2020
To the beloved saints of Grace Baptist Church,
May the God Who “Makes all things new”… renew your heart this coming year!
We are on the cusp of a New Year celebration. Celebrating a “New Year” goes back to the beginning of time—and it points to a longing in our hearts that longs for things to “get better.” Think about it… the “New Year” begins in the winter time while it is dark and cold. Things are feeling life-less and people are feeling vulnerable. Gone are the days of warmth, sunshine, growth, and for the most part there is a sense of death all around us. We want things to become new! We want spring again. Since the Fall of Adam and Eve we have all longed-for things to “get better.” Inside, we know that we live in a broken and fallen world. So each year we celebrate the “New Year” with a longing that all things become new again. I think God has left this “internal witness” in us to help woo us toward His heavenly promise. Let’s see what God has said about this…
“1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 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 water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Rev. 21:1-8
Pause a moment and consider some things… the first two chapters of the Bible and the last two chapters of the Bible are like bookends. They contain the beginning and the ending of the story of God concerning mankind. In Genesis 1:1 we see the heavens and earth created and in Revelation 21:1 we see a new heaven and earth. In Genesis the sun is created, in Revelation there is no longer a need for the sun. We also see in Genesis that night is established, and again in Revelation there is no more night. Same with the seas. But then as we move to Genesis 3 and with the Fall of Mankind we find some un-nerving things: 1. There is the reality of death and the announcement of a curse. 2. We find Mankind driven away from the tree of life. 3. We find sorrow and pain begin. But at the end of God’s story—these too are reversed. There we find 1. No more death. 2. Mankind restored to the tree of life. And lastly, no more tears and pain. This is the hope we have at the beginning of every New Year celebration. Let’s take a look at God’s word a little closer to better understand these realities that are “on the way.”
God had created the first heaven and earth for Adam and Eve and all their descendants. It was a special place for them, but then unfortunately our first parents sinned and were forced out of God’s special garden. God then promised His people a new heaven and earth. In Isaiah 65:17 God declares, “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” Sin had so messed up God’s “good” creation that He will one day make it all new again.
The Apostle John saw in the Revelation this very thing take place and described it for us in Revelation 21. “A new heaven and new earth,” arrives—and the old sinned marred world passes away. The new heaven and earth is beautiful and John describes it “Like a beautifully dressed bride for her husband.” Every husband waiting at the altar for his bride experiences this—his heart’s desire, beautifully adorned coming down the aisle. She takes your breath away—and that is what is happening here. The New Heaven and New Earth is breathtaking—so beautiful. It will be worth the wait!
In verse 3 a loud voice proclaims something very special. This hasn’t happened since the Garden of Eden. What is it? It is the announcement that God will be dwelling among His people. In fact, “they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” Now when you and I were born again, we were baptized into Christ, and Christ was with us. Jesus said that He would never leave us or forsake us. We get to remain in Him every day and walk in His Spirit. But now something even more intimate will take place. Now, in the New Heaven and New Earth, the physical reality of Christ will be with us. And Jesus will wipe every tear from our eyes. That is up close and personal. The Lord who shepherds His people will intimately comfort His people with a personal touch.
Verse 4 spells out a huge change from what we are used to in this world. Not only will Jesus wipe our tears away—He is going to wipe a bunch of other things away as well. He is going to wipe out death itself. No more death. Can you imagine that? The promise of eternal physical life will become a reality. Neither will there be any mourning. I find a lot of things I mourn these days. From my own loss of abilities to the loss of friends and the loss of health, I’m wishing they would all be gone. In THAT DAY all of this will be wiped away. Then we can add to that—no more crying or pain. As I type these words, the pain in my right wrist is at about a level 6, and I’m so looking forward to an operation for it on January 8th. (I had my left wrist repaired on Dec. 2.) The pain doesn’t make me cry, but it sure takes my breath away at times. What pains have you been experiencing, and what tears have you been shedding? When THAT DAY comes—all of these will be lost in the past. In fact, the old order of things will all have passed away.
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is found here in verse 5 where God declares, “I am making everything new!” And then to add emphasis that we can really believe His words, we are told, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Do you really believe God? We can look at those words and say, “Yeah, I believe God will do that someday.” But then go on as if everything will remain the same. Friend, we should take this to heart, especially at this time of the year—looking forward to all that will come to pass in it. We need to live like God is REALLY going to do this for you and me.
We should praise God for this. I mean, have you ever noticed that when you are praising God you are more hopeful? Hope and praise go hand in hand. Praise God for something right now. Praise Him that He will make all things new! If you are low on hope, you’ll find yourself more hopeful! Hope is a choice. Did you know that? We should continually choose to hope in God and not despair, because you cannot be BOTH hopeful and in despair at the same time. It’s your choice.
Verse 6 is a note of triumph. God declares that “It is done.” Now God holds the future in His hands, and He sees the future. He brings His future into being according to His kingdom calendar right on schedule. And when we get to the end of it—it is a “Done deal!” God is the first and the last the beginning and the end and He will do what He has said. God is generous too; giving water without cost from the spring of the water of life. If there ever was a fountain of youth—this is it. And one day we will drink of it without cost or quest.
Now who is it that gets to participate in God’s kingdom? Verse 7 tells us that it is those who are victorious. Victorious in what? Well, the Apostle John points out in his first epistle who they are. In 1 John 5:4-5 we read, “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” This isn’t a promise for just the “spiritually elite,” but for every child who is born of God. John 1:12-13 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
In contrast to those who will inherit the New Heaven and New Earth, we now see in verse 8 those who will not inherit all this. The list begins with the cowardly—essentially those who lack endurance and did not overcome. They fell away from their faith when they were challenged or opposed because their faith was not genuine. Then we see the unbelieving; those who lack saving faith and those whose disloyalty excludes them from heaven. No doubt many of these will be the self-deceived that Jesus referred to in Matthew 7:21, where people come calling Him Lord, but He in turns tells them to depart from Him because He never knew them.
Then come the vile—those who are caught up in wickedness and evil; along with murderers, which need no explanation. They played god by taking the lives of others. Next included are the sexually immoral, and these are judged by God’s standard of morality—not the world’s twisted version of morality. Add to these those who practice magic arts, idolaters and all liars. All of these people “will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
I should note here that the people consigned to the second death are here because of their refusal to believe in the name of God’s One and Only Son. Salvation is acquired by grace through faith—a person’s works don’t do that. A person’s works simply reflect a person’s true beliefs. Like Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” See Matthew 7:15-20. And when Jesus says that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire—the reality of this is seen here in Revelation 21:8.
Friends, we have so much to look forward to… not just in 2021—but in the coming New Heavens and New Earth. It will be so beautiful we won’t be able to take it all in. It will be breathtaking what God is going to do for us. So choose to put your hope in Him. Truly, no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived what God has in store for those who love Him. See 1 Cor. 2:9. Never forget this! Choose hope and praise God.
“I Know Whom I Have Believed,” by Daniel W. Whittle
“I know not why God’s wondrous grace To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love Redeemed me for His own.
But “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.
I know not how this saving faith To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His word Wrought peace within my heart.
But “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.
I know not when my Lord may come, At night or noon-day fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him, Or meet Him in the air.
But “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.
Benediction:
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17 (NIV2011)
Pastor Russ Hilsinger
Grace Baptist Church of Dallas, OR
P.S. I pray for each of you by name each week. Be encouraged and keep the faith, for we are closer to His return than ever before!