“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” — Romans 8:18 God has promised not to discard our physical bodies, but to redeem them. At the return of Christ, our souls will be reunited with glorified bodies; imperishable, powerful, free from sin, sorrow, and death. These bodies will be perfectly suited to dwell in the unmediated presence of God, able to behold His glory without fear or harm. This truth reshapes how we understand both the fall and the gospel. Sin did not merely fracture the human heart; it shook the universe. Death, decay, and disorder spread far beyond Eden. And in the same way, redemption does not stop with forgiven sinners. Through the blood of the cross, God is reconciling all things to Himself; things on earth and things in heaven. What, then, will this renewed earth be like? For now, we live as pilgrims, not because our eternal home will never be on earth, but because it is not yet here. Our hope is set on the age to come: resurrected bodies on a resurrected earth, under the reign of a resurrected King.
At a recent memorial for Pastor Shane Smith, we were reminded of a truth woven deeply into the human soul: we need hope. Not a vague optimism or wishful thinking, but a solid, forward-looking hope that anchors us in the midst of sorrow and enables us to live faithfully today. God, in His kindness, has designed us this way. That is why Scripture speaks so often and so richly about heaven, not to distract us from earthly responsibilities, but to strengthen us with eternal perspective.
Over the past weeks, we have been setting our minds on our future home, learning what it means to live now in light of what is coming. We have considered the present heaven, the intermediate state where believers who die are immediately with the Lord, even as their bodies rest in the grave. Yet Scripture is clear: that is not the final destination. The present heaven is temporary. We await something far greater, nothing less than the resurrection of our bodies and the renewal of the entire created order.
From Resurrection Bodies to a Resurrected World
But Scripture presses us even further. Our resurrection is not an isolated event. According to Romans 8, it is inseparably linked to the resurrection of the earth itself. Creation, like humanity, has been subjected to the curse of sin. Thorns, decay, death, futility, and disorder are not merely human experiences; they are cosmic ones. The ground was cursed because of Adam, and ever since, the world has been groaning under the weight of corruption.
Paul tells us that creation is not groaning aimlessly. It groans with purpose and expectation. Like the pains of childbirth, its suffering points toward a coming glory. Creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God, because when God’s people are raised and glorified, the earth itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and share in that same freedom of glory.
This is why Scripture repeatedly speaks of a new heaven and a new earth. God’s redemptive plan does not climax merely at the cross, the resurrection, or even the millennial reign, but in the complete renewal of all things. Heaven and earth, now distinct, will become one unified dwelling place where God lives with His redeemed people forever.
Redemption Is Bigger Than We Think
Christ’s work is cosmic in scope. The One who created all things is also the One who redeems all things. He will not abandon His creation as though sin or Satan had the final word. God is not an abandoner; He is a Redeemer. He restores what was broken. He renews what was corrupted. He resurrects what was dead.
This means the gospel is not only good news for us, but it is also good news for the world itself. For animals and forests, for oceans and mountains, for stars and galaxies. The same power that will raise our bodies will also remake every square inch of the universe.
Life on the New Earth
Scripture invites us to begin not by closing our eyes, but by opening them. The present earth, despite its brokenness, is our reference point. Imagine everything beautiful, good, and satisfying, freed entirely from the curse. No more thorns or futility. No more wasted labor or exhausting toil. Work will still exist, but it will be joyful, creative, and fruitful. Food will be abundant. Beauty will be unmarred. Relationships will be whole. Creation will no longer resist humanity, but gladly cooperate in God’s design.
We will eat and drink. We will build, create, learn, and explore. We will reign with Christ, developing the potential of a renewed world in perfect wisdom and purity. Best of all, we will dwell in the immediate presence of God. The barrier between heaven and earth will be gone. The dwelling place of God will be with man.
And because God is infinite, eternity will never be stagnant. We will spend forever growing in our knowledge of Him, delighting in His glory, discovering new dimensions of His wisdom, and enjoying His creation with thanksgiving.
Living Today in Light of Tomorrow
This hope steadies us in suffering. It guards us from worldliness. It fuels endurance and joy. And it keeps our eyes fixed on Jesus, who even now is seated in heaven, ruling until the day He makes all things new.
The groaning will not last forever. Glory is coming. And when it comes, it will be worth it all.