Posted on 01/01/2011 11:24:05 AM PST by pastorbillrandles
What Creation Awaits…Romans 8 Posted on January 1, 2011 by billrandles For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God..(Romans 8:20-22)
A christian, as we have seen, is a man who lives between two Ages. The present evil age is an age of sin, death, decay, and weakness. But we have been resurrected out of it, like Lazarus, for we now have life, and righteousness from God.
Yet we are living in this age, and not the Age of righteousness to come. We are still clothed in a “body of sin”, even a “body of death”.Our body has not been redeemed, it is still subject to lust, sin, decay and weakness. We await the final salvation, the redemption of our bodies.
Like Lazarus in his grave-clothes, we are somewhat bound. Life and Righteousness for the time being, remain swaddled in death and decay. I am a man out of my time, I await the Age of Life and Righteousness.
Evidently, so does the Creation itself. All of creation is (lit) on tip toes awaiting the time when the Life and Righteousness of those who have been made sons of God, is finally and fully revealed.
By the expression, “All creation” Paul is not referring to Angels, fallen or unfallen, for he will go on to say that this same creation “was made subject to vanity”, and awaits deliverance from it. This doesn’t describe God’s angels.
Neither does this expression refer to Men, saved or unsaved, for further on Paul, says, “not only they, but we also who have the first fruits of the spirit”, thus distinguishing we believers as also being in waiting . Furthermore we know unsaved men do not “eagerly wait” for the day of revelation.
“The creature”, or literally ‘the creation’, refers to ‘brute creation”, that is everything, rocks ,hills, trees, animals, oceans, in short, all but men and Angels, is anticipating, and in fact groaning for a certain day of release.
The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.(Isaiah 24:3-5)
Creation ‘knows ‘ that something is not right, it is said to be laboring under a curse, there is a sense in which creation is morally sensitive to man’s doings. Remember God’s warnings to Israel, that the land itself would vomit them out of it, should they follow the abominations of the Canaanites?
*For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly,
Here we learn God’s account of why the world is the way it is, with all of its suffering, death and disappointment.When Adam and Eve fell away from God, a curse of futility was put on the Creation.
This is the meaning of the “vanity of vanities” that the preacher decries in Ecclesiastes, the “crookedness( about the world) that cannot be straightened”, this is not man-made, nor even Satanic in origin, it was introduced into creation at the fall by God himself!
Under this curse of futility, man could never quite be at home in God’s beautiful world, in a state of estrangement from God.He would always come short, there would always be an element of insecurity, man would have to a pilgrim.
*but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope -
On the day in Genesis 3, that God put a curse of futility on creation, he also included a word of hope. The seed of the woman would one day come and crush the serpent’s head, implying that the curse would be reversed on man and creation.
*Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
The fate of creation has been linked with the fate of mankind, is man in bondage to vanity, sin, death? So also shall creation be.
But on the day that man is finally and fully delivered, so also shall creation be delivered from its weary cycle of birth, corruption, death and decay. Our full salvation will also be the salvation of the world itself .
This is not something Creation can do to itself, Creation is going to be liberated at the coming of Jesus Christ, in the “regeneration of all things”, and somehow it knows it and anticipates this.
O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
(Psalm 96:9-13)
or is it only the LORD God knows the time of Christ's coming again?
Thank You, for posting this article.
The redemption of creation is seldom addressed in contemporary Christian culture. This is a beautiful exposition. Thank you for it.
THX THX.
The end is near. Isn’t that great?!?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.