Romans 8 and God's Plan of Restoration
Far too often, is the desire of heaven neglected and set aside for the pleasures of the world. If we truly believe in Christianity, however, then we will look to the New Heavens and Earth (Revelation 21:1-5) as an inspiration to (1) prepare for Christ's Second Coming, (2) attempt to love our neighbor and care for creation. The establishment of a New Earth should be comforting to all of us. Indeed, God is going to make the world again new. For many in Early Christianity, the final Heaven was not a distinct place from Earth but rather, a renewal and restoration of the Great Garden of Eden which God created in Genesis. As discussed in the previous post, those who destroy creation are listed as the enemies of God (Revelation 11: 18). Pollution is itself a sin as it disrespects God's created order. Scripture actually teaches us to preserve God's creation . In Surprised by Scripture (86-92) by New Testament scholar, N. T. Wright, he discusses how Romans 8 is actually not