Future Redemption

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. -- Romans 8:23

It is a wonderful thing to be a child of God, to be lifted from the muck and mire that pulls us down and be standing on the Solid Rock.  Let’s imagine for a moment, though, what it might be like to be a child brought from an abusive situation or from the sterile environment of an orphanage to a loving, two-parent foster home with attentive, even doting parents who work tirelessly to let the child know that he or she is wanted and that the child’s welfare is their chief concern.  The parents seek earnestly to adopt the child as their own.  As much as the child enjoys being in this foster home, the joy is much greater when the adoption is done and the chosen one is a son or a daughter forever.  At last they are truly a family.

What bride, however much she loves her fiancé, would be content to be engaged with no prospect of marriage and the consummation of the relationship?  So we, as much as we appreciate all that God does for us in this life, still long in our spirits for the day when we are fully redeemed, when we step out before all creation as the sons of God, the rightful heirs and rulers of the cosmos. 

There will come a day when we will be able to move at the speed of thought, create and build in accordance with the will of our Father, pleasing to Him in every way.  We will know as we are known.  We will have tools, resources, and abilities of which we cannot now so much as dream.  The wisdom of God will fill us, and all creation will shout for joy as we bring renewal to the remotest corner under heaven.

I will not complain at all if the Lord gives me “a cabin in the corner of gloryland”.  I have done little for the kingdom and have no right to expect much in the way of rewards, but I will be happy to have some small part in setting all of creation free from futility and bondage and decay, perhaps by serving under some saint who is far more deserving of honor.    

So if one of you all ends up ruling over the remaking of some planet on the other side of the galaxy, and you need some unskilled labor who doesn’t mind getting sweat in his eyes, ask for me.  I’ll be happy to lend a hand.