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by Bill Seng

“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.” ~Romans 8:19

These next few months are going to be very interesting in the book of Romans, in large part because of passages like this. Paul, in the chapters and verses we are now encountering, is going to be speaking in large part concerning God’s providence for the world, meaning his future plans of love and peace for that which is redeemed. Within this week’s passage, I would like to point out two major points. 1) The mystery of predestination in relation to these verses and 2) the redemption of the natural world.

First, within this upcoming section many people would use specific verses to lay claim to the notion that God elects people to salvation unconditionally, beyond anyone’s will but his own. I am not going to go into great depth discussing this right now, but to say that I disagree with this point. Verse 19 (above) and verse 14, “because those who live by the Spirit of God are sons of God,” could be interpreted to mean that the elect are simply waiting to be revealed as the elect although they have always been. This is a tricky situation in Scripture because my own understanding of predestination partly agrees with this notion but also factors in free will. Verse 14, to me, seems to be implying that those who are sons of God will walk by the Spirit. I don’t think that anybody should have a problem with this verse whether believing in unconditional election or free choice of some sort. Verse 19, on the other hand, is saying that creation is waiting for the sons of God to be revealed. This could easily be used to build the case for a predetermined election; some chosen for hell and others chosen to be God’s children. Looking into our second point, I think we can dispel this notion.

Point number two is that all of creation will be redeemed. Revelation 21:1 reads, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.” Very interesting. What is this new heaven and new earth? I will probably discuss this next week. The important thing now is what Isaiah 65:25 says about this new habitat:
“The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountains.”

Notice that the Bible seems to be implying that there will be animals in heaven. These animals, on the new earth, are no longer subjected to the curse! Even the animals have been suffering as the result of mankind’s decision to rebel against God, but they will not be doomed to suffer forever or be completely annihilated. Unless I am mistaken, there will be animals on the new earth. Where mankind’s decision to follow the devil subjected all of creation to the curse, the creation draws its hope from the reality that mankind is being redeemed. Those who are redeemed will be the stewards of the new earth after all else has passed. As we wait in eager expectation for God to be revealed to us, so in the same manner does nature wait for us to take our seat in glory.

These verses begin painting a marvelous picture of the future glory that has yet to take place. We eagerly anticipate our appointment with God to see him in his glory and creation anticipates our glorification. The whole world will be turned into a place of peace and worship of the one true God. We would be foolish to reject God’s offer to partake in this glorious work.

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