05.02.10 THE “END” IS REALLY THE BEGINNING! Today’s class watched and discussed the last segment in the new Lutheran Hour Ministries Series of “Who Am I?”, which discussed how the “end” of the world will really be the restoration and a new beginning of not only the world, but also of what it means to be fully human - something which we have never experienced because sinfulness is less than human - and we have all lived our entire lives with a fallen, sinful nature! For the first time ever we will experience the creation functioning at it’s full power! Now that’s something to really look forward to! If you missed today you can watch this session by going to www.lhm.org, then click on “Men’s Network, Bible Studies, Who Am I?, Read More, Watch Bible Study Videos”.
Some of the highlights from the DVD presentation and discussion:
1. To really know who we are, we need to know not only where we came from - but also where we are going.
2. The goal of the entire creation is the last day of the earth - which will really be not the conclusion - but rather the fulfillment and restoration of what the creation was originally meant to be!
3. “Eschatology” is the Greek word for the study of the end times.
4. Because all we have ever known is a fallen sinful world and our own fallen sinful nature, we have never experienced the creation functioning at it’s full power - which will happen when Christ returns on the last day. Now that’s something to really look forward to!
5. A common misconception is that we become angels when we die. The Bible is clear that this is not the case - for angels and humans are two distinct kinds of creation.
6. God originally created the world to be a physical world. And when Christ returns, He will not get rid of the physical nature of the world - but will rather restore it to it’s original perfection as a physical world!
7. Some people mistakenly blame their sin on their “human nature”. But human nature itself is a good and God-created part of our being! It is the fallen/sinful part of our nature that is the problem - not that we are human!
8. Because of sinfulness, we have also never experienced what it is like to be fully human. Also, death is not natural - but rather a separation of the physical body and the soul. Only at the resurrection, when the body and the soul are re-united in a fully sin-free body will we experience for the first time what it will be like to be fully human!
