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BB1.5 - God's promise of a new creation..
Posted by thePLAN diePLAN on March 3, 2017 at 1:05 PM
God’s promise of a new creation
Ds Hendrik Saayman
BB1.5 - God promises a new perfect creation (recreated; restored creation) without brokenness in which his reign would be complete (Rev 21)
One of my favourite programmes to watch on TV is the “American Restoration” programme. It really fascinates me to see how passionate the restorers are about items that I usually would consider to be “junk”.
Sometimes people would bring a broken item to them and other times they would find it in obscure places. The reason why I keep on watching it, is because you get to see the “before” and “after” product. In the beginning, they tell the story of the specific item and if possible, will show you a picture of how it looked like when it was brand new. Over the years that same item got battered and bruised until it ends up the way it is and the reason why it needs restoration. Then they go through a whole process of restoration and the programme ends when they reveal the restored item. Unbelievable! It looks brand new.
This programme reminds me of God’s promise in Revelation 21:5 “Then the One who sits on the throne said, “And now I make all things new!” What a wonderful promise. When we look around us (and in the mirror) we are confronted with a creation that is battered and bruised. It doesn’t reflect the beauty as in the beginning. Talking about the beginning, this same battered and bruised creation was perfect and beautiful and undamaged in the beginning. Genesis 1: 31 “God saw all that He had made and it was very good...” Unfortunately, it didn’t stay like this, Because of sin, brokenness and imperfection that entered the world.
This battered and bruised, damaged and imperfect creation was never God’s intention and that is the reason why He said that He will make everything new. He has put His plan in place from the beginning to restore this brokenness to its original perfection. Like I said, it was because of sin that everything was not good anymore and the sin was the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Because it was mankind that was responsible for this brokenness, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to become mankind. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, came to restore this brokenness. This is the good news of restoration.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he (she) is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Although everything is not perfect yet, we know that in Jesus it is already done. When we look around us, we do not only see the battered and bruised creation, we also see previews of a restored creation.
One sees it;-
Where people are taking care of each other or justice takes place or the sick are healed.
Where people are acting in love and kindness with an attitude of giving and not taking.
We see a preview of perfection when the earth and her resources are not exploited or plundered but protected.
We see it when communities are taking care of their poor and marginalized citizens.
One day we will see the end result, like the TV show I talked about in the beginning.
God will draw the proverbial curtain away to reveal His Masterwork. Perfection!!
God se belofte van ‘n nuwe skepping..
PB1.5 - God beloof ‘n nuwe volmaakte skepping (herskepte; herstelde skepping) sonder gebrokenheid waarin Sy heerskappy volkome sal wees. (Openbaring 21)
Een van my gunsteling programme wat ek op TV kyk, is die "American Restoration" program. Dit fassineer my regtig om te sien hoe passievol die restaurateurs is oor items wat ek gewoonlik as "junk" of “gemors” sou beskou.
Somstyds bring die mense 'n gebreekte item na hulle toe en ander kere iets wat hulle in duister of obskure plekke gevind het. Die rede waarom ek aanhou om die program te kyk, is omdat mens die "voor" en die "na" produk sien. Met die aanvang van die program, vertel hulle die verhaal omtrent die spesifieke item en indien moontlik, sal hulle 'n foto wys van hoe dit gelyk het toe dit splinternuut was. Jare se verweer en verwaarlosing het hierdie item in die toestand geplaas waarin dit is en waar daar nou drastiese herstelwerk nodig is. Hulle gaan dan deur 'n hele proses van herstel en die program eindig wanneer hulle hierdie herstelde item dan aan die kykers openbaar. Ongelooflik! Dit lyk splinternuut.
Hierdie program laat my dink aan God se belofte in Openbaring 21: 5 – Hy wat op die troon sit, het gesê: “Kyk, Ek maak alles nuut..”. Wat 'n wonderlike belofte! As ons rondom ons kyk (en in die spieël) word ons met 'n mishandelde en gekneusde skepping gekonfronteer. Dit weerspieël geensins die skoonheid soos dit was in die begin nie. Praat oor die begin, dieselfde mishandelde en gekneusde skepping was volmaak en mooi en onbeskadig in die begin. Genesis 1: 31 "Toe sien God alles wat Hy gemaak het, en dit was baie goed ...". Ongelukkig het dit nie so gebly nie: As Gevolg Van die sonde, gebrokenheid en onvolmaaktheid wat die wêreld betree het.
Hierdie mishandelde en gekneusde, beskadigde en onvolmaakte skepping was nooit God se bedoeling nie en dit is die rede waarom Hy gesê het dat Hy alles nuut sal maak. Hy het Sy plan van die begin af in plek gestel om hierdie gebrokenheid tot sy oorspronklike volmaaktheid te herstel. Soos ek gesê het, dit was as gevolg van die sonde wat alles nie meer goed is nie en hierdie sonde was Adam en Eva se ongehoorsaamheid. Omdat dit die mensdom is wat verantwoordelik is vir hierdie gebrokenheid, het God sy Seun, Jesus Christus as mens na die aarde toe gestuur. Jesus Christus, volkome God en volkome mens, het gekom om hierdie gebrokenheid te herstel. Dit is die goeie nuus rondom herstel.
2 Kor 5:17 "Daarom, as iemand in Christus is, is hy (sy) 'n nuwe skepsel; die ou dinge het verbygegaan, kyk, dit het alles nuut geword”. Alhoewel alles nog nie volmaak is nie, weet ons dat in Jesus dit reeds volbring is. As ons rondom ons kyk, sien ons nie net ‘n gehawende en gekneusde skepping nie, maar ons sien ook ‘n voorskou van 'n herstelde skepping.
Mens sien dit:
Waar mense mekaar versorg of geregtigheid geskied of die siekes genees word.
Waar mense met liefde en deernis teenoor mekaar optree, met 'n gesindheid van gee en nie een van neem nie.
Ons sien 'n voorskou van perfeksie wanneer die aarde en haar hulpbronne nie uitgebuit of geplunder word nie, maar eerder beskerm en bewaar word.
Ons sien dit as gemeenskappe omsien na die arm en verwaarloosde burgers in hulle midde..
Eendag sal ons die perfekte eindresultaat sien, soos op die TV-program waarna ek in die begin verwys het.
God sal die spreekwoordelike gordyn wegtrek om sy meesterstuk te openbaar. Volmaaktheid!!