New CreationSample

What is the hope of the Church?

That God will make all things right when Jesus returns to defeat evil and resurrect His people in the new heaven and new earth.

If someone asked you, “What is the ultimate hope of the Christian faith?”, what would you say?

Would you say, “The ultimate hope of the Christian faith is that our souls are saved and we go to heaven?”, or “The ultimate hope of the Christian faith is that Jesus provided a way to escape hell,” or something else entirely?

Of course, both these answers have a measure of the truth. But they don’t capture the big picture.

You might be surprised to hear the Bible’s answer to the question. Of course, Jesus rescues us from judgment. Of course, Jesus “saves our souls” and gives us eternal life. But there’s a bigger picture, and it’s about the whole world.

The Bible teaches us that the great hope of the Christian faith is that God restores the world that was lost when Adam and Eve sinned. Now, that doesn’t mean that every person who ever lived will be saved and enjoy eternal life. But it does mean that God intends to create a new heaven and earth for His people to enjoy.

God made this world. God loves this world. And God loves the human beings within it. And He intends not just to whisk a few souls away to heaven, but to restore the whole thing back to what He intended at the beginning.

God intends to raise His people from the dead and to restore His whole creation.

But, to benefit or even be a part of that rescue, you have to put your trust in Jesus.

Take some time today and consider God’s plan to rescue the whole world. Thank God for His promises of redemption and restoration.