JC Blog

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy" ( Colossians 1:15-18 ).

What a wonderful truth to know that Jesus will reign forever, even though the world as we know it will eventually end. How awesome it will be to spend eternity with Him in heaven, a place free from evil, sin, sickness and death. To our mortal brains, eternity is hard to conceive. But knowing we will be with Jesus, I cannot wait to experience every single day of it. Each time I ponder living forever and ever with my savior, I am reminded of the words in the last verse of Amazing Grace, "When we've been here ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun. We've no less days to sing God's praise, than when we'd first begun"

I am thankful that Peter's prophecy of how the earth is destroyed does not end only with fire but also with a pledge, "in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" ( II Peter 3:13 ). This is where the King will live and all of His royal subjects, forever and ever! Amen!

Tomorrow we look at Hebrews 1:13-14; Jesus is Lord

Knowing destruction is the fate of the world, the question becomes what will remain after it is burned up? The first obvious answer is Jesus. He will remain. He is eternal, immortal and His rule will never end. He will not and cannot change. The Bible teaches us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" ( Hebrews 13:8 ). The book of Revelation, which is a revelation of Jesus, says this about Him, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty" ( Revelation 1:8 ). His years will never come to an end. He will reign in glory eternally.

Since everything physical will be burned up and destroyed the only things that can remain are spiritual and eternal in nature. This is one of the reasons we are given a new spirit when we are born again. It is a nature free from sin ( Romans 6:6 ) and it cannot be destroyed by fire. "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory" ( Ephesians 1:13-14 ). If you possess God's spirit then you are one of His. This born again spirit is your down payment guaranteeing the promises of God and a future in heaven with Him.

The next thing that will remain is good deeds. That is not to say, the things you do to earn salvation. For the Bible clearly teaches that salvation is a gift. Nor is it the things you do to win favor with God. Those things are meaningless in comparison to what Jesus did for you. What I mean is the fruit that you bear by existing and dwelling in the vine of Christ, will remain and last forever. These things are also eternal and will not pass away. The contrast is huge; "If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames" ( I Corinthians 3:12-15 ). So the results of abiding in Christ are the fruit of good works. It will last eternally and the reward will be great. The difference in these works is a matter of the heart.

Tomorrow we look at Part 3: Jesus’ Years will Never End

“He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end" ( Hebrews 1:10-12 )

This earthly world is the staging area for what is to come; eternity. It is hard to imagine that one day the world as we know it will come to end. It won't happen by global warming or nuclear holocaust as the media has suggested. It will happen by fire as fulfillment of the scriptures in II Peter 3:7-13. This world and all material elements of the universe will be dissolved and done away with, melting in the intense heat. What will remain are the things that cannot be burned up.

The reason this earth will one day be destroyed is that it too was corrupted with the fall of mankind. In other words sin destroyed creation as God intended it to be. What we see has been ruined by the decay of sin. But this is not the final word, "Creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time" ( Romans 8:19-22 ).

Jesus dealt permanently with the issue of sin, forgiving it and conquering it on the cross. And yet we are still waiting to see the physical reconciliation of the earth back to God. Just as we are waiting for our physical bodies to be redeemed; although we currently possess the down payment, our born again spirit. In the same way, creation is waiting expectantly to be restored to its rightful place; a paradise created by Jesus. For this to happen, all traces of sin must be gone, which is why the earth will be destroyed and a new one created in its place.

Over the next three days we will look at Hebrews 1:10-12, looking at what is eternal and not to be destroyed in the end. These are important truths for believers to understand as we wait for Jesus to return, knowing that we can be focused on His business and eternal things in the meantime.

Tomorrow we look at Part 2: The Things that Will Remain