The God of Restoration
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
- 1 Corinthians 2:9
The greatest story ever told is the story we are living. It began in the garden of Eden when God created Adam and Eve to have dominion over creation. They were given a beautiful kingdom where everything existed in harmony because they walked in freedom and faith with God.
Unfortunately, their position of dominion was usurped by Satan when they chose to disobey. Instead of ruling and reigning, sin ruled over them.
The rest of the biblical story is about the anticipation of restoring what was lost in Eden– the harmonious kingdom. However, no man in history has been or will be able to rule in perfection. This is why God’s plan has always been to send a “second Adam,” Jesus Christ, to rule and reign.
He is humanity’s only hope to restore what was lost. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” Through His sinless sacrifice, Jesus reversed the death curse of sin and through faith again, we have access to this gift of everlasting life. He is the Prince of Peace, the One who will rule over His rightful-earned kingdom. And not only that, He invites His redeemed bride (us!) to rule and reign in with Him!
Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is what we are looking forward to. All creation groans in anticipation; the Spirit within us yearns for our King (Romans 8:22-23). We are done with earthly kingdoms. They all fail like grass that withers and chaff that is tossed in the wind. Christ’s kingdom will be the one that smashes all the others down: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44).
While we are waiting for the ultimate restoration of creation, though, we can’t forget that God is already in the business of restoring. Romans 8:28 tells us that “all things work together for the good of those who love God.” So when you feel like life is unfair, or you’re asking God “why?” or you’re feeling overwhelmingly worn-out, you can have the assurance that nothing is wasted on God. The pain-staking trials you’re going through? God is doing something astounding with it on His side of eternity. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 is a beautiful reminder that “our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Not only do trials grow our faith and patience in this lifetime, but the God of restoration is going to reward you in the future. He’s going to take what seemed lost and broken and turn it into a masterpiece. This is why Jesus promised His disciples (and us) in John 16:33 that in this world we will have trouble, but we can take courage and have peace because He has overcome the world!
Maybe you find yourself identifying more with this world than the kingdom to come. You were valedictorian, you went to an Ivy League university, you have a stable career, you just bought a house, you're building your future… but you’ve forgotten that the accomplishments in this lifetime will be swept up. Philippians 3:7-9 says, “But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Don’t get me wrong– there is nothing wrong with accomplishments, but if we find ourselves clinging to these things instead of Christ, we need to reevaluate our perspective. We are kingdom dwellers, not earth dwellers! Like Jesus said in Matthew 6, do not store up treasures on earth but store up treasures in heaven where they will never be destroyed!
Maybe you have been constantly tempted to give into sin. You think, “Why does it even matter anyway?” But be reminded that God loves you, and He has much better in store for you. This world and the lusts thereof promise immediate gratification, but God promises delayed gratification. He is the Giver of all things good! He isn’t going to leave us empty-handed like so many wrongfully believe. This is why we fall into anxiety or trying to control outcomes in our lives. Fear tells us that God won’t provide, but faith tells us that God keeps His promises. God will reward your patience, endurance, and self-control. He is a rewarder of those who seek Him and follow Him. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 19:28-30, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” Whatever you gave up or lost for the sake of Christ, He will reward you for it. Jesus is all about restoration. He loves balanced scales and will take everything into account.
Our life right now is the test that determines our outcome in eternity. The first test is whether or not we will choose to believe in Jesus as our way into the kingdom. After that, though, the test is the trials of life. Are we going to remain faithful? Are we going to persevere? Are we going to follow Him no matter the cost? Our response to this world determines where we will “lineup” in the kingdom. It will determine our rewards or lack of. This is a heavy, heavy truth and the enemy wants to undermine its importance by making us believe that we ought to live our best lives now or to get so worn out with this world that we grow apathetic. But, remember this— how we choose to live our lives now will determine how we experience the kingdom then. Let that sink in.
Take a Moment:
With the kingdom in view, how does this change the way you’ve been viewing your life?
Have you been living more for your glory or more for God’s glory?
Hold onto this verse this week as encouragement of what’s to come: 1 Corinthians 2:9, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”