Romans 8:21
Romans 8:21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.The giant Sequoia tree is the largest living thing in the world. It can live up to 2000 years and grow to well over 300 feet high. Yet, it is under the same bondage of death and decay as are all plants and animals in the world. This bondage came about because of the fall of man and was ordained by God as He is in total control of the universe. Nothing happens that does not suit His purpose and desire (Isa. 46:10). What an insult to the majesty, power, and sovereignty of God when even Christians claim that God has no control over natural disasters. Verse 20 reveals the truth that God is very much involved and in control of the universe.
In this verse, Paul is stating that all of creation will be set free from this bondage and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. God’s creation will be renewed and restored when the eternal kingdom begins. Peace and harmony will reign as glorified believers and animals will live together without strife. There will be no erupting volcanoes, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, or any other natural disasters, as God will maintain His creation with precision. He is in control now and will be in control when He brings His creation back from its present state of bondage.
Praise God for the glory that is to come for His creation.
12 comments:
Wayne, do you think there will be some intermediate period between now and the eternal state?
Interested in feed-back here. I'm looking at Psalm 72,millenial or eternal state?
I was just thinking, of all God's creation, only the human race would plead for grace instead of justice. The rest of creation was subjected to the curse without ever having disobeyed the law of God. Perhaps the rest of creation is groaning to God for justice? I am happy to know that creation will see the revelation of the Sons of God and then receive justice!
I THINK that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
by Joyce Kilmer
Mark,
I am a long way from connecting all the dots on eschatology, but I DO NOT believe there will be an intermediate state. I really liked what you said at the MOOR about letting the N.T. interpret the O.T. There are many passages in N.T. where the writers do exactly that and yet many want to say that you can’t use additional revelation to glean meaning from the O.T. That is just plain nonsense to me.
In my opinion……….
I think the covenants with ethnic Israel were types and pictures of spiritual realities. The true covenant is with the elect from all time periods. I think Jesus is the fulfillment of these realities in the new covenant. I like the approach that the NCT that you pointed me to takes as opposed to the CT that my denomination adopts. I see one consistent plan of God in redemption history. One plan, one people (elect), one savior, one olive tree, one destiny, and no intermediate state. I can’t explain Rev. 20 or some of the other passages that dispies obsess over. My pastor (amil) gave an excellent sermon on the 70 weeks of Daniel that made sense to me. It was quite different from the dispies interpretation. I guess I would lean toward amil, but I’m open.
What are you asking about Psalm 72?
Dave,
Good point and working through these last few verses has really increased my awareness of nature and the glory to come. A blessing for sure.
Craver,
A good poem. I think perhaps you and I would make good tree huggers.
Tree hugger? I don't know about that, but I like how in this poem the tree has enough sense to raise its limbs up in praise to her creator, and I also like the author's admission that only God can make a tree.
I had it in my head since yesterday that I would have to make a "tree" comment today.
Trees are beautiful to be sure. One year at my house several hundred little oak trees came up from acorns that were just laying on the ground. They had a roots, a trunk and a couple of leaves and the acorn was still pretty much whole. An unbelievable picture of God renewing life under what must have been ideal conditions that year.
I wish I had a taken a photo of that. On second thought let me look into some old files and see what I can find.
Craver? A tree hugger? Isn't he the same guy who suggested that the animals would be pleading with us not to kill and eat them in the New Heavens and New Earth? I'm thinking he's a hunter type dude, a gun kind of guy and we don't usually put tree huggers and gun guys in the same group, do we? I could be wrong!;)
Shiloh Guy’s silver crown is obviously earned, he is quite astute. Having grown up in Chicago, I did not have much opportunity to hunt, but I eventually became a fair shot in archery; I believe in and defend the second amendment, and although I try not to be wasteful in anything, I would never refer to the normal use of paper as “killing a tree.” So, no… Craver is disqualified from the fellowship of treehuggers.
Now, Adam was given fruit and nuts to eat, but I wonder… is the cutting down and killing of plants (for normal usage, like furniture or paper) part of the fall, or does that only apply to animals? I tend to think that creation’s death sentence does not apply to plants, as they are a different kind of life. They are not living beings, but living things.
Does this mean gardners really aren't able to talk to their plants. In keeping with the current PC hysteria over global warming, Jazzy and I have decided to become green friendly. So please send your green directly to my Swiss bank. Large bills please, as we want to help pay off Al Gore's huge carbon foot print.
Not a bad guess, eh Craver?
I don't think the use of plant life for food constitutes "death" in the sense that it came upon creation at the fall. Our first parents were given flora to eat and it was constantly being replenished while animal life is "in the blood" and cannot "grow back" the way plants do. The curse certainly affected the flora, however. Thorns, weeds, thistles, all the things that choke out plant life and cause men to labor hard at growing crops, came with the fall. What do you think?
Dave
I think you hit the bullseye!
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