Living New Creation Lives (Part One)
SIBI Vision Workshop • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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What is Eschatology?
What is Eschatology?
What words come to mind when you think about eschatology?
Death
Heaven
Hell
Judgment
We don’t typically think of eschatology as practical
something that is controversial
something that is mysterious
something we will understand “when it happens.”
This class is about the practicality of eschatology.
How Does the Bible Describe the “Eschaton”?
How Does the Bible Describe the “Eschaton”?
“The Day of the Lord”
“The Day of Wrath”
“The resurrection of the dead”
“All of God’s enemies are placed under the Messiah’s feet”
“God is all in all”
“The new heavens and the new earth”
A New World / Renewal of All Things
A New World / Renewal of All Things
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
28 Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
① state of being renewed, w. focus on a cosmic experience, renewal
ⓐ after the Deluge (so Philo, Mos. 2, 65, but the idea of the παλιγγενεσία of the κόσμος is gener. Stoic and originated w. the Pythagoreans: M. Ant. 11, 1, 3; Philo, Aet. M. 47; 76) Νῶε παλ. κόσμῳ ἐκήρυξεν 1 Cl 9:4.
ⓑ of the
Inaugurated Eschatology (“Already, but Not Yet”)
Inaugurated Eschatology (“Already, but Not Yet”)
I think this is where most of us tend to be, even if we don’t have language for it
We know Jesus brought the kingdom
But we also know that there is much that is yet to be fulfilled
[GRAPHIC] Living in the overlap between
the present evil age
the age to come
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
What does it mean to be “new creation” or that new creation has come?
Galatians 6:15 “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”
Question: Does the New Testament teach we will be resurrected from the dead or that we have already been resurrected when we were baptized?
YES!
BOTH!
Baptism is done in imitation of Christ’s resurrection and in anticipation of our own.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Is there a sense in which this is still future? YES!
we will be glorified
we will be honored
But there is a sense in which it is present!
In Christ, right now, we are seated in places of honor and glory.
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
We are God’s workmanship / masterpiece
New Creation
Created in Christ Jesus
For good works
We are not saved BY them, but FOR them.
Rest of Ephesians
Ephesians 1-3 explain that we are NEW Creation in Christ
Ephesians 4-6 teach us what that looks like practically
22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
We are a new kind of human
Human 2.0
Upgraded software (Spirit), but still waiting on the upgraded hardware
The new humanity is made to be LIKE GOD
to become what we were created to be
restoration
Christians are the firstfruits of the new creation
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
God sends down good gifts
The Father of lights - Not the father of darkness
as Father he gives birth
to something new and something beautiful
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Firstfruits
The first with more to come
He has caused us to be born again
What he will do to all of creation
Speak, OLord
Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of Your holy Word
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory
…
Speak, O Lord, 'til Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory
The Letter of James E. While God Tests His People, He Never Tempts Them to Sin (1:13–18)
God’s grace has been extended through the gospel to people so as to bring into existence a foretaste, or down payment (“firstfruits”), of a redemptive plan
You are the sneak preview of God’s new creation.
You are the sneak preview of God’s new creation.
We’re not just waiting for the something BETTER
We are the something better
The Spirit has made us into something better
