A life for more
Series: CREATIO | Bible text: 1 Peter 1:15–16
Our annual theme CREATIO inspires me! The examination of the origin of the world, the origin of humanity, the origin of all being – questions arise about the meaning and value of our existence. God has an idea concerning this world and our life. He is the Creator and He stands at the beginning of everything. We want to surrender to His ways.
The Good Gospel
«And God blessed them and commissioned them: «Be fruitful and multiply, populate the earth and take possession of it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and over all animals on earth» (Genesis 1:28 NLB).
The garden was a perfect prototype for the cultivation of the earth. Man was given the task not only to manage the garden, but also to cultivate the rest of the earth according to its model. This inspires me! Where there is life, there is growth and development, not stagnation. God has not commissioned us to maintain the status quo, but to create and be creative in His image! As a tech-savvy person, I can very much identify with this aspect of our original mandate. I believe it is this original disposition that breeds innovation and progress. The corresponding patterns are still visible in humanity today.
The curse
How is it that our world is currently in such a precarious state? Man as God intended him to be is only a shadow of his former self. The sin of pride and rebellion has corrupted us – already in paradise. Mankind entered into a pact with the devil, and he has been turning the divine idea into the opposite wherever he can ever since. Man’s best and seemingly most honourable efforts have always ended in chaos and destruction. When we elevate ourselves to the status of god in order to build a new paradise, we actually install hell on earth. Unfortunately, human history proves this all too clearly. As an example, let us mention:
Tower of Babel, colonisation in the 17th & 18th centuries, installation of communist forms of government, the Third Reich, development aid of the last century, through
Consumer economy caused oppression and exploitation, murder of millions of unborn.
Man involuntarily plays the archetypal role of the tragic hero; he usually wants the good, but creates the evil – and perishes as a result. The current zeitgeist in particular makes us believe that we can improve the world by our own efforts and declare it a new paradise. However, we are not aware of our own depravity and run in pride and rebellion against God.
The breakthrough
We all agree that the world needs renewal and salvation. But for the world to actually become new, man must first become new. Through their rebellion against God, the first humans led the world into ruin. Jesus Christ, however, creates a new humanity and thus breaks the curse of self-destruction! He calls for unconditional discipleship and promises new life! That is the good news – that is the Gospel!
«But you are no longer ruled by your sinful nature, but by the Spirit of God, if God’s Spirit lives in you. But whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ»(Romans 8:9 NLB).
Do you believe in literally new life? Do you believe that God is alive and makes life fundamentally new? That is the true hope for this world – newly created and surrendered people. That is exactly what Jesus promises. And that is exactly the change Christians are committed to.
«For all creation waits eagerly for that day when God will reveal who truly belongs to his children»(Romans 8:19 NLB).
A life of holiness
In order to gain new life through Christ, we give ourselves 100% to His ideas – for He calls us to unconditional discipleship. Only when we follow him to the cross and leave our old life behind, do we become truly new people. Are we really ready for that? The offer to join Jesus stands at any time. But it is all or nothing, hot or cold, heaven or hell. We call the process of conversion repentance. Even if this word seems outdated and dusty: I believe it is indispensable for true freedom. Only when I leave sin behind can I be fully on the way with God and draw from his strength. Sometimes decay creeps back in – but then we know what to do: back to Jesus, back to restoration, and back to purity. I believe that after every honest repentance, God sees me as new and pure – and enables me to resist sin from then on.
«But now you are to be holy in everything you do, just as God, who called you, is holy. For he himself has said: «You shall be holy because I am holy»!» (1 Peter 1:15–16 NLB).
A life of holiness and obedience is desirable and not impossible – thanks to Jesus Christ! In history, countless people have committed themselves to this life, and God has worked magnificently through them! Examples are: Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Confessing Church), Corrie ten Boom (Saviour of the Jews), John Wesley (fight against slavery), Mother Teresa (charity in India).
A life of holiness is an adequate quality assurance for true world improvement. It should therefore be our highest goal to follow Jesus and give our lives completely to him. I challenge you as an individual and us as a church to make a whole new thing with God again and again. God gave mankind in paradise the task to go into the whole world, to cultivate it and to develop it further. In the same way, Jesus gives the new man the mission to go into all the world and to call people to follow him.
«Therefore, go to all nations and make disciples of them. Baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to keep all the commandments which I have given you. And I assure you: I am with you always, until the end of time.» (Matthew 28:19–20 NLB).
A life for more. More than luxury, more than pure salvation, more than self-realisation, more than activism. A life of complete surrender and holiness – that is what we are called to.
Possible questions for the small group
- Which aspect of the original mandate to humanity appeals to you personally? (God’s mandate to man to steward the earth)
- What do you see as the corruption of humanity? To what extent do you see traits of it in your own life?
- How literally do you understand Jesus» promise to give new life?
- Does a life of holiness appeal to you? What keeps you from it?
- Where do you see people (present or past) through whom God has worked in a special way in this world?