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 exclusively about the doctrine of justification by faith alone but about God's preservation and restoration of the world to the New Earth again. To Wright, many Reformed theologians since the Reformation have a breach in thought from those of first-century Judaism. The Early Christians, on the other hand, believed that Christ was a ransom for us so that we and creation may be free from the bondage of the devil. 

In Romans 8: 21, for example, Paul says that creation waits to be free from all bondage. Ironically, many preaching justification by faith alone miss the latter part of the chapter which focuses heavily on the fact that God will restore the world. This, of course, does not make one side of the justification debate right or wrong, but it does show an important aspect of the chapter that many are glancing over. 

Wright also makes mention of both Ephesians 1: 10 and Colossians 1: 15-30 in reference to both God's creation and the new coming of Christ. In support of his belief that the New Earth shall be this world restored, he notes, ''Neither Ephesians nor Colossians gives any support to the idea that a major part of the created order is destined to be thrown in the trash while redeemed humans, whether in or out of the body, live forever in some other place (Wright, 96).'' 

True. In fact, Scripture teaches quite strongly in the Pauline epistles that Heaven is the New Creation, which it seems to identify with this world renewed. For those who believe this, all the more they should also believe in caring for God's creation. 

For more details on Wright's thoughts, see his book, Surprised by Scripture. 

How often is Heaven preached about in American churches? If eternity is never discussed, then why do any clergy believe that people will live for it if everyone lives as if doesn't exist. Tragically, most Americans are now living with believing that either all will go to heaven, or none will go there for if they believed that the road is truly narrow (Mattew 7), then they would evangelize their neighbor. However, many Americans now treat evangelism as if that were a practice only for the apostles. If Heaven was preached about, though, then Christians would feel convicted to evangelize all, to love creation, and to honor God Himself. An emphasis on the New Heavens and the New Earth is imperative to solid Biblical theology. 

Unfortunately, the Climate Change debate has caused many conservatives in America to deflect from all discussions of conservationism. However, a person doesn't have to believe in Climate Change to believe that we should be good stewards of creation. In fact, it is conservative to preserve creation and it is Christian to preserve what God has created. Furthermore, because American liberals advance many ethics contrary to Biblical Christianity, doesn't mean that everything a person with terrible theology may say is necessarily wrong. In Scripture, the Pharisees denied the Divinity of Christ for instance, yet Paul sided with them over the Resurrection (Acts 23:6). Likewise, a liberal who supports women's ordination, may be more correct on historical theology than an evangelical who believes that only men should be ordained. Finally, one theologian who is more liberal on women's ordination than another, may be more conservative and consistent on the issue of divorce and ''remarriage'' than another. Unfortunately, many in America latch onto political candidates or pastors and then follow everything one of them says because that person may have gotten a few things right. However, this is quite illogical as one person may be right on ninety percent of issues but wrong on ten percent, or the reverse. 

In conclusion, American Churches need to return to preaching about the New Heavens and the New Earth. This will inspire action to defend the oppressed, suppress what is evil, and hold fast to what is good. 

As with any topic, we can discuss theology all day. However, our confessions of faith, whether they be true or false, are not the only standard of making us true Christians. Indeed, many men and women can and often do profess true statements of faith but then live as if all the ethics of Christianity toward God and our neighbor are meaningless. A man confessing belief in the Trinity will find himself in Hell if he does not learn to care for his fellow man. Likewise, we may say that we believe God's Creation is majestic, but if we treat it with contempt, what does that reveal about our belief in God? 

                                                                       Works Cited:

Wright, N. T. Surprised by Scripture. (2014). HarperCollins. 



Comments

  1. Allen DotsonNovember 3, 2023 at 11:51 AM

    I look forward to the "new heavens and new earth.: This was a very interesting topic. Thanks for sharing 😊

    ReplyDelete

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