Romans 8:19-22 “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.”
With summer comes wildfires along the west coast of the United States. The season seems to be a constant reminder of a gradually changing climate and an increase in it’s effects. Not only are wildfires a concern, just recently I read that the moon is developing a ‘wobble’ in its orbit, this along with rising sea levels could lead to record coastal flooding in the next decade and then lasting for decades to come.
What are we to make of all this news? Should we grow fearful and desperant over what our future holds or do we need to shift our focus?
If your delight is on the things of the earth, you are going to have a lot of anxiety in the next several years. According to the Bible, things are going to progress from bad, to worse, until the end of all things is at hand.
Signs of the Times
When I read scientific journals that try to make sense of current findings or events in respect to an evolutionary model, I always wonder what these same scientists would say if their model was shortened by 4.6 billion years. Would the predictions of a particular cycle be modified or the expectations of warming temperatures and rising sea levels not be as such a great concern?
Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”
When I take the knowledge of God by experience and correlate it with the Word of God, it matches up. The Spirit of God confirms His Word with each act. My faith in God is not blind, I have a knowledge of God based off my experiences with Him, therefore my belief in His Word is not blind either. Since I believe God’s Word, I also believe that the Creation story is true as well. In 6 days God created the Heavens and the Earth, on the 7th day He then rested. The days were literally 24 hour periods of time, Creation was formed in an instant, the Cosmos was stretched out like a rug and the magnitude of this Creation displays God’s glory.
There are several sources for Creation science that I like to refer to when considering facts, from ICR.org to the Institute for Creation Research, many outstanding people with strong scientific backgrounds contribute good perspective when it comes to refuting the false claims of evolutionary scientists.
In a recent article in Answersingenesis.org, the author warns against an alarmist attitude when it comes to recent information regarding doomsday type events. Unprovable and erroneous assumptions are the typical claims made against any article that makes assumptions based off very limited information. This same type of approach is what evolutionary scientists have used when speculating about all sorts of convoluted ideas regarding the history of mankind or the development of species.
The holes or unexplained observances in creation are far more numerous when considering a naturalistic assumption of our universe than the concerns we have for data that we must speculate on in regards to Creation. Another brief video discusses the possibilities that God might have employed in creating the cosmos and why there are legitimate questions that remain unanswered in regards to how God did what He did and why the big bang is such a mess.
An Eye towards the End
As events unfold that signal a Creation that continues to corrupt and erode, we see a cosmic timeline by which God has engineered mankind’s existence on earth. Even though we were created in perfection, sin was introduced by Satan and mankind fell. All that we know and see today is a result of a perfect Creation being made imperfect by sin. Many question God’s perfection based off what they see in the world around us, the indictment is against our perfection, not God’s.
Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.”
If I were to get a little philosophical here, I would say that if someone is perfect (namely God), nothing that comes forth from Him can be imperfect.
John 1:3 “Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.”
We have an eternal God who made time, then stepped into it and acknowledged His purpose by the way He has interceded in our affairs. Yes, God made Satan, but when He did so, Lucifer was made in perfection as we were. You cannot have a relationship with someone based on love if one party is forced into that relationship. I know I’m digressing a bit here, but just because Satan and mankind for that matter has the ability to sin, doesn’t mean God created “sin”. He created within us the ability to choose to love Him or hate him, for those who sin they demonstrate hatred toward God.
When Jesus interceded on behalf of mankind, He bridged the relational gap that sin created. Once we sin or offend God, we become criminals in God’s celestial court. We offend God’s laws and then we are held accountable for our actions. Once we accept that redemption price that Jesus paid to release us from our conviction, we are Set Free from the sin and guilt we are under.
Romans 8:1,2 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.”
What does any of this have to do with the topic at hand?
The dilemma we Created
Mankind’s rebellion caused a chain reaction within Creation. The only thing we can create is chaos, we don’t make things new, we either build upon the majesty of the Creator or we destroy His works. We cannot create anything in and of ourselves, the only power that can create something from nothing is God. This statement, “something from nothing”, I believe is a misnomer, it insinuates that God just pulls from a void and makes something of substance…I don’t believe this to be totally accurate.
I believe that God has substance within His being and what we see is a product of His being. I believe this is why all of creation is a reflection of His glory. Not just because it is complex or mysterious, but because Creation originated in Him.
Do you know what this implies?
We are a manifestation of God’s glory as well. We came from His substance, He formed us by His hand and placed us in our little Cosmos and gave us the opportunity to procreate. It may look like we are just a little ant farm in God’s grandiose scheme of things, except for one major difference…He stepped into the farm and became one of us.
Every single individual on earth that has ever existed has value. Whey do they have value? Because they were made out of the Creator God, He formed them by His hand, by His very substance, and He demonstrated the price He places on each person by the price He was willing to pay.
Everything we see had a beginning….and it has an end. We are witnessing the beginning of the end with each new revelation of change that is occuring in this Creation.
All things New
Isaiah 65:17 “For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”
All that we see and know about this world will pass and will be remembered no more. The only way for this to occur is for God to either erase our memories, which I doubt He is going to do, or that our new reality will overshadow this one to such a degree that it will fade into obscurity like a bad experience that we simply choose to forget.
Isaiah 66:22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “so your descendants and your name will endure.”
If we will just endure a little while longer, you’ll see the waiting was worth the prize. This life goes by so very quickly, we are reminded at every turn of the Bible of our frailty and our time on earth is limited.
Live for Christ. Walk with Him daily and enjoy all that He brings your way. Strive just a bit longer, put in the work while you still have the strength to do so and then look forward to a reality that will be unlike anything you could ever imagine.
Creation groans for the Son to take His rightful place and the removal of the curse of sin. Don’t be too concerned when you see the groaning…it only means the new one isn’t very far off.
U.T. 