Something to Think About
Imagine a conversation between the Father and the Son in eternity past:
Father: My Son, here is a company of poor miserable souls, that have utterly undone
themselves, and now lie open to my justice. Justice demands satisfaction for them or will satisfy
itself in the eternal ruin of them. What shall be done for these souls?
Son: O my Father, such is my love and pity for them that, rather than they shall perish eternally,
I will be responsible for them as their Surety. Bring in all thy bills, that I may see what they owe
thee. Lord, bring them all in, that there may be no after-reckonings with them. At my hand shalt
thou require it. I will rather choose to suffer thy wrath than they should suffer it. Upon me, my
Father, upon me be all their debt.
Father: But my Son, if thou undertake for them, thou must reckon to pay the last cent. Expect
no discounts. If I spare them, I will not spare thee.
Son: Content, Father. Let it be so. Charge it all to me. I am able to pay it. And though it prove a
kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures, yet I am
content to undertake it.
–John Flavel, Puritan pastor
“The Bible envisages the ‘regeneration’ of the world (cf. Matt. 19:28; Titus 3:5). The day of the
Christian’s glorification will also be the day when the universe will be transformed. The world is
wearing out like a garment and will be rolled away and changed (Ps. 102:26, Heb. 1:11,12).
The church gives way in the end to a vision which includes a new earth and a new heaven in
which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:1-4). Then ‘The creation itself will be
liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of
God’ (Rom. 8:21). What a contrast this is to the wasted vineyard of Isaiah 5!
-Derek Thomas
“Now suppose both death and hell were utterly defeated. Suppose the fight was fixed. Suppose
God took you on a crystal ball trip into your future and you saw with indubitable certainty that
despite everything—your sin, your smallness, your stupidity—you could have free for the asking
your whole crazy heart’s deepest desire: heaven, eternal joy. Would you not return fearless and
singing? What can earth do to you if you are guaranteed heaven? To fear the worst earthly loss
would be like a millionaire fearing the loss of a penny—less, a scratch on a penny”.
-Peter Kreeft
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