Is this world doomed to destruction, or will God renew it in the end?

REEVES: If by this question it is implied that God’s plan is to annihilate His creation, you have a problem with Romans 8—“The creation itself is waiting in eager anticipation” (Rom. 8:19). You also have a problem with 2 Peter 3, which describes what the Lord’s return will do with the new heavens and the new earth. You have a theological problem where God is destroying what He once declared good. The one plan of having one people, and dealing with them by one covenant of grace, points us to see that God is not a fickle God who changes His mind. God did not declare creation good only to throw it away happily once it’s spoiled by sin. No, Satan will not win. Evil will not win. What He has declared good and has been marred by sin, He will redeem.

The biblical hope has always been that there will be a renewed heaven and earth, the home of righteousness. It is a template shown to us by the resurrection. It is not that Jesus came to life in a completely different body, leaving His old body in the tomb. Instead, the body in which He was crucified is resurrected, perfected, and glorified. That body is the firstfruits of the new creation, which tells you everything you need to know about the nature of our future hope. It is how Paul then argues in 1 Corinthians 15: “If you want to understand what our resurrected bodies will look like, look at Christ’s because He is the firstfruits.” Our bodies will be like His.

This is a transcript of Michael Reeves’ answer given during our Blessed in Christ: Detroit 2021 Conference and has been lightly edited for readability. To ask Ligonier a biblical or theological question, email ask@ligonier.org or message us on Facebook or Twitter.