December 31
December 31
A day is coming when everything that sin has broken will be made new again.
We’ve gotten used to living in a broken-down world. The house that humanity has been living in is disheveled, crumbling under the heavy weight of sin. The world of pristine and untainted beauty is no more. Everything has been damaged by sin in some way. And because it has, this world doesn’t function as God intended. The Bible says we live in a world that is groaning. Not only do we wait and hope for redemption—the physical world does as well. Weeds choke out the flowers, strange gases pollute the air, and toxins poison the waters. Evil intentions corrupt governments, nations war against nations, and entertainment and education celebrate what God has forbidden.
But the brokenness isn’t just outside of you. It’s also on the inside, and it makes your life hard. Selfish desires and conflict interrupt marital unity. Childish rebellion and parental impatience make family life hard. The workplace is seldom a place of peace or love. Neighbor argues with neighbor over six inches of property. Homelessness and addiction mark our great cities. You and I struggle with envy, anger, lust, greed, and pride. We often fall into worshiping the creation while forgetting the Creator. Suffering, sickness, and sorrow are universal human experiences. We cry out for better, but often wonder if better will ever come.
In the midst of the groaning, we must remember that, by grace, our individual stories have been embedded in the larger story of redemption. The sin that has infected every part of this world and every aspect of our lives does not have the power to stop redemption’s holy march. God is at work. The Son is on the throne. Satan is doomed. Sin and death will forever die. Hope and help are on the move. Forever beckons with bright and shining glory. The march of the redeemed is not toward destruction and death. The march of the redeemed is toward endless love and the eternal reign of peace and righteousness.
In the middle of your struggle with life in this fallen world, it is important to remember that you have been included in the greatest movement in the history of the world: redemption. Your life is not an endless stream of hard things. Your life is more than a chronicle of sin and failure. Your life is not just the story of sin and suffering. No, you are part of the company of the redeemed, and your Lord is not content with the way things are. He is going to bring this world to a final end, putting the last enemy under his feet. And he will welcome us into what now seems unimaginable. We will be ushered into that forever kingdom—the new heavens and the new earth. In an act of tender mercy, God will dry each and every tear and we will weep no more. There will be no cause for fear, dread, anxiety, or shame. Our days will be marked by peace and love. We will experience Revelation’s final promise: “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’” (Rev. 21:5).