I Make All Things New, Rev 21:5

In Rev 21:5, the Lord said, Behold, I make all things new.  The Lord created everything.  But because of sin and corruption, in time, he will have to make all things new.  The Bible shows us some of the most important things that the Lord makes new.  The Lord makes:

A new covenant – Heb 8:6-13 – in Ex 19:5, the Lord announced that he was going to make a covenant with Israel.  In Ex 20, he spoke the ten commandments, the main part of this covenant, which is what we commonly call, “the law.”  But as we know from reading the Old Testament and from Heb 8, Israel couldn’t keep this covenant.  So, God made a new covenant with them in Jer 31:31-34, which Paul repeated in Heb 8.  By making this new covenant, he made the first covenant old.  Paul said that the first covenant decayeth and waxeth old and is ready to vanish away.  After all, once the Lord puts his laws in their mind, and writes them in their heart, and all shall know him from the least to the greatest, there is no need for the old covenant.  The new covenant accomplishes all that the old covenant could not do.  Notice that when the new covenant goes into effect, the old covenant vanishes away.  Once God makes the new covenant with Israel, there is no need for the old.

New heavens and a new earth – 2 Pet 3:10-13 – after the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, the heavens shall pass away, Rev 21:1.  Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away,” Matt 24:35.  John said, “the world passeth away,” 1 Jn 2:17.   Peter said, “all these things shall be dissolved.”  The heavens will be on fire and shall dissolve and the elements will melt with fervent heat. And God will make new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.    Notice, that when the Lord makes new heavens and a new earth, the old pass away.  There is no need of the old.

A new creature – 2 Cor 5:17 – Paul wrote, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  Notice how Paul says, “old things are passed away.”  That’s just like the old covenant vanishing away and the heavens, the earth, and the world passing away.  There is no more need for them and there is no more need for the old things.  Paul said, “put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,” Eph 4:22.  God doesn’t need him, and you don’t need him anymore, either.  You just need to let him pass away.  Rom 8:13 says, “if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

Instead, we are to “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness,” Eph 4:24.  Col 3:10 says, “put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.”  Unlike the corruption and deceitful lusts of the old man, the new man is created in righteousness, true holiness, and knowledge after the image of Jesus Christ.

In many respects our lives are like an HGTV renovation.  The Lord found us when we were like an old house in need of a total renovation.  The Lord saw what we could look like.  So, he bought us with a price.  And did a big demolition.  The old stuff passed away.  And then he began a remodel.  Each period of time that has passed has revealed more and more of what our house is going to look like.  We can see so many improvements.  In time, he is going to finish and we are going to be a totally new house with no evidence of the old home at all.  We are going to be just like Christ.

Conclusion: Just remember that when God makes a thing new, the old passes away and the new remains.  You are not or should not be anything like you were before.  Let God change everything about you.  Put on the new and put off the old.  The old has passed away.  Don’t even reflect on what it used to be like.  Just let it pass away.  You’re a new creature in Christ today.  And your Savior said, “I make all things new.”