I Make All things New, Rev. 21:1-8, pt.4

What a bold statement is it not? What hope does a young wife and mother, a believer, in Pakistan who has lost her husband through martyrdom, have to keep her going? Or what hope does a young Muslim man have who, after becoming a believer in Christ, is threatened to be killed by his uncle and is forced out of his parents home to live on the streets under constant threat? What hope does he have to keep enduring such hardship when all he has to do is to go back to Islam?

Or what hope do you have to keep going when life is harder as a believer for you? I know one of you gave up a marriage because you turned to Christ and your ex wouldn’t accept that. Or what hope do you have who is struggling to live for Jesus and it just seems like it would be easier to lay that aside and not have the hardships that come with being a Christian. What hope is there for you? In a broken marriage the offender wants to come back and he or she promises _ “Things will be different from here on out.” “I am a brand new person.” An alcoholic or an addict pleads to be given another chance making similar claims. “I won’t do it again.” But what basis does the offended have to be confident that things in fact will be better? Really none is there. What should keep them going? What would make them want to give the person another chance?

But this is not just some man or woman making this assertion. It is God. He is all about making all things new. I was reminded of a song “things are different now” written by Stanton W. Gavitt who died in 1985. Interestingly he also wrote “I’m so happy and here’s the reason why” and “Jesus set the joy-bells ringing in my soul.”

Things are different now,

Something happened to me

when I gave my heart to Jesus;

Things are different now

I was changed it must be

When I gave my heart to Him.

Things I loved before have passed away,

Things I love far more have come to stay;

Things are different now,

Something happened to me

when I gave my heart to Him.

When you became a believer something did become different didn’t it?

I know it did in my life. That event in my life revolutionized my life. Suddenly I had purpose. I knew what I needed to do right then. I knew there was a distinct change in me. People around me saw it.

Nevertheless, life hasn’t been easy.

John writes these words to a persecuted, life on the run, church. His design, by Divine inspiration is to help believers in the conditions I just described to faithfully endure to the end.

What confidence does he offer to his readers, you and me, that it will be worth it all?

It is wrapped up in the statement, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW!

Clearly this comes from the prophecy in

Isaiah 65:17 ESV

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.

There Isaiah speaks about that time in the end when in contrast to those who rejected Christ, those who did receive Christ, whom he calls ‘my servants’ they will receive what God had offered Israel. He will make all things new in that time.

this would give great hope to the believers in John’s day who were suffering immensely for their faith in Christ. this is a promise of certain hope.

God is even now in that process of making us new as we see in . A similar thought is carried out in other passages

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

; .

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

This making all things new is what we are aiming for now, are we not? It is what we are hoping for. I mean, think of what Paul tells us in where Paul speaks of putting off the old man, which we want to get rid of; by being renewed in the spirit of our mind and putting on the new man. Is that not a making all things new in our thinking and actions? Of course it is.

This making all things new is what we are aiming for now are we not? I mean think of what Paul tells us in is that not a making all things new in our thinking and actions.

But what makes this statement something we can be confident is really going to happen. What makes it not just ‘pie in the sky, oh my?’

That is what I think we need to see. Because we all agree that things need to be different. We all agree that the passage clearly states that it is going to be different. It is going to be brand new. But what makes it a belief to die for. Or for that matter to give up your job, or move to another place, or endure a loss of income or lose a friend for?

That’s what I think this passage is doing for us. Not just telling us what is in our future, but what is the basis for this future. Or rather, who is the basis and what has He said.

So lets answer the question of confidence.

Why should we be confident in this statement and what difference does that make for us today?

We are confident in God’s Word, and this is God’s Word, because

I. God is the Sovereign One, v.5

He is the One who made this declaration to John to give to us.

And He that sat upon the throne said

The one who sits upon the throne is the one who clearly is in charge. He is the one who rules. WE know from v.6 that it is Jesus who is sitting on the throne and doing the speaking here. I don’t want to bandy this about because we have spoken of this in sermons past. But just a reminder is in order. You will remember this was the appearance of Christ in 1:8, 11. We can look to Isaiah’s awesome vision in where the seraphim cried “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts: the whole is full of His glory.” And he responded with “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King , the Lord of hosts.”(v.5). John tells us in that Isaiah said these things “when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.” He was speaking of Jesus.

So the one who is on the throne is none other than Jesus and he is called “Holy, Holy, Holy.’ That is triadic statement emphasizing there is none holier than Him. In that case, We can take his Statement to be the truth because the one who said it is the Holiest One of All. We can be confident that in the end He makes all things new because He is God who makes that statement and He is holy. He cannot lie.

“it is impossible for God to lie.”

“God, who never lies,”

Therefore if God never lies, then we can conclude that His words are always true.

Which leads us to the next reason we can be confident in this statement.

II. The testimony of Scripture,

“These words are faithful and true”

John was once again told to write this down. It will appear again in at the end of this section on all things new. The statement appears at the beginning and at the end as if to confirm that what He said is faithful and true. And being a faithful and true statement it will happen. In fact, John speaks of them in such a way as if they had already happened.

But it stands to reason that if God is Holiest of all, And He cannot lie, and that He is the One who spoke these words then they must be a faithful and true statement. A faithful statement in that they are in keeping with what God said would happen in other parts of His word. We have addressed many of them during the course of our study throughout referenced one of those passages already today, . There are multitudes of other passages that speak to our topic. It is not my purpose to rehearse them all for you. I will leave that to your own thorough study. But just a quick cross referencing would help you see this true.

But I have spoken of the testimony of Scripture itself attests to its faithfulness and truth. Probably the one your mind would go to first is based on the fact that Jesus is the Word of God

this would give great hope to the believers in John’s day who were suffering immensely for their faith in Christ. this is a promise of certain hope.

John 1:1 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1–2 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

God is even now in that process of making us new as we see in 2 Cor. 5:17. A similar thought is carried out in other passages 2 Cor. 3:18; 4:16-18.

This making all things new is what we are aiming for now are we not? I mean think of what Paul tells us in Eph. 4:17-32 is that not a making all things new in our thinking and actions.

And of course “THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US.”

And since Jesus did not sin, so never lied. And since we have concluded that Jesus is the one speaking here, the self witness of the Living Word is that it is true.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Jesus did not sin, so never lied. Thus the self witness of the Living Word is that it is true.

But, there are many other attestations within the pages of Scripture as to its truth. Let’s consider just one chapter in the Psalms. And these aren’t exhaustive.

Surely, the implication here is that the word of God is true.

Psalm 119:38 ESV

Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared.

“thou art good and doest good.” so the psalmist attests to the goodness of God and based on that as we already see His word must be true. Else how could a liar be considered good?

“I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right.” the word ‘judgments’ is a synonym of the Word.

“All they commandments are faithful.’

, “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in Heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations;”

He even states in “I hope in thy word.”

“the word of thy righteousness”

Psalm 119:138 ESV

You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness.

“Thy word is very pure.”

“thy law is the truth.”

“all thy commandments are truth.”

That is just in am sure that if you wanted to take the time you could easily find hundreds more attestations to the self authentication of the Scriptures. Not to mention all the attestations of prophecies that actually have already come to pass. Of course, if even one of them didn’t happen then the authenticating truth and faithfulness of Scripture would crumble like a house of cards.

Need I say more? Surely, the implication here is that the word of God is true. And being true it is faithful.

Thus, when He said, “I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW’ you can trust it. You can be confident that it is as good as done.

Because the One who said it is the God of Truth and He is unable to lie. And secondly, the testimony of Scripture says it is true and faithful.

There are four more reasons in our text that encourage us to Faithfully endure any and every hardship in this life so that we will arrive in in this New Jerusalem safely. We save them for next time.

God has made you new and is making you new and one day you will see that all is made new. Because the God of the Universe, the Holy God who rules over the universe has stated this to be so.

Surely, the implication here is that the word of God is true.

Believe It!

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