Making All Things New

"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. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 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. ‘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.” 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.” – Rev. 21:1-5

Here in Revelation, John writes that many things will change. God’s relationship with humanity and humanity’s relationship with God will be different. The hold that sin has and its affect on us as individuals and communities will be torn. However, what struck me the most this week was when God will utter the phrase, “I am making everything new!”

Listen to the weight of that statement. God is not saying some things or even most things, but everything. In the end there is going to be a different orientation for all things. However, I think that is where many of us as Christians are stuck. God is saying these things in the end. God is changing things in the future.

Shall we limit God making all things new to our future only?
What about our present; is God making all things new right now?

I believe this goes into questioning what one believes about God’s Kingdom. Is the Kingdom of God something that comes in the end, once sin is finally wiped out; or is it an unfolding that has been and will continue to take place, finding its completion at the second coming? What do we say about such parables, like that of the mustard-seed or of the dough, among others? (MT 13:24-30; 31-35).

Beyond those examples, what about the numerous references about the Kingdom of God being in the here and hereafter, that it is now and not-yet (MT 13:47-52; LK 17:20-21; 19:11-27; 22:14-18)? I think this means that once we become Christians, not only were we saved, but we have become a part of the Kingdom that has been unfolding since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

God is already using his church to begin bringing about a peaceable kingdom; yet in this current time and place, sin is still a very real part of the life of humanity. Sin is a reality not only to those who are not part of that Kingdom, but also to those who are as well. For as much as the spirit of God resides in us as individuals and as community, so long as we are still in these fleshly bodies, sin will creep in and distort the spirit, will distort the original Imago Deo in which God created us (Gen 1:27).

What does any of this mean for us as individuals?

I think this means that as Christians, God is working within us, changing us, transforming us; perhaps getting us ready to be a part of his Kingdom, even right now, this very moment. It is no longer a choice of if we love God (or if God loves us, we know that already). No longer a choice of if we believe Jesus died (We are already saved, part of the Kingdom). No, now it is a choice if we will follow God (Will we live the things Jesus lived, said, and taught?). Now it is a choice if we will enact and be representatives of this new kingdom. Not later, but right now, every day.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately as it related to my own life. I am now on the precipice of another life change and transition. I have loved and enjoyed my residency where I have worked as a hospital chaplain; yet I am already starting to mourn the loss of this time and this ministry. I have about six months before this residency ends. Right now my future is gray, hazy, foggy. While I am applying for positions, the not knowing can be terrifying.

Then I read this scripture and it makes me think… If God will make all things new and if this process is already started, then God is making me new as well. God is molding me. I am who I am because of who God made me, but also because of all the experiences and learning I have had from my past. I regret nothing looking back. There have been times of joy and sorrow, but all those experiences, all those feelings have made me who I am. To continue to grow, I must move on, I must go to the next area that God has for me.

I do not know where that area is right now; however, I do know that God has stood alongside me in the past. I know that after all the transitions of my life up to this time I have survived and grown stronger. I know that all those times I was anxious, worried, fearful, scared; those feelings left. I grew and was changed for the better. Today, I look forward to whatever changes come my way next. I know that as long as I focus on Christ and have family and friends to lean on and lift me up in prayer, I will continue growing. I will continue on this journey I started the moment I accepted Christ and became part of the vast and glorious Kingdom, kept in the hands of God and my savior Christ Jesus.

~ Daniel Brockhan