All Things New

GETTING STARTED

I have probably watched Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol one hundred times in my life. I have about ten different versions of the story, including The Muppet Christmas Carol. A Christmas Carol, or “Scrooge,” as some call it, is probably my favorite movie of all time. I know that is sort of weird. Maybe you think I would choose Braveheart, or The Godfather, or Star Wars, or even Unforgiven. All are great movies, but I really love A Christmas Carol because of the ending. When Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning a changed man, it hits me every time. I, too, need to be reminded that I am a changed man. I’m a new person because of Jesus’ life in me.

READ THE WORD: (ESV)

^21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

⁵ And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶ And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

RESPOND TO GOD

When you start reading the Bible in Genesis, it doesn’t take long for things to unravel. God created a perfect world and placed his children in that world. He loved them, talked to them, led them, and cared for them. In response to that love, they rebelled against him and disobeyed him. And I am no different. God says go right, and I want to go left. I want to be in charge and control my own life. I think my ways are better than God’s ways. But if I recognize my rebellion and my need for a Savior and turn to Jesus in faith and repentance, he makes me new from the inside out. As John says in Chapter 3 of his gospel: “I am born again.” Paul says, “The old is gone and I am new.”

I love the passage above, from Revelation, like I love the ending of A Christmas Carol. It tells me how things will change and be new. We all need to be reminded of the ending that God has planned for us. He will set all things back to his original intention. Sometimes I can lose sight of that truth, and need to be reminded. God will make everything new, and we will be with him and he will be with us. That is the way this life and the world will end. It is a great ending, even better than A Christmas Carol.