This is the last of a series of podcasts regarding that in which I suggest we most want to experience peace of mind.
We want the peace of mind of knowing that Jesus will redeem every sin and every mistake we’ve made.
If your past is anything like mine, you have generated heartbreak in others and left a trail of tears in the wake of poor decisions you’ve made. Even to this day, you find yourself failing to be what you aspire to be, what God has called you to be, and others — knowingly or unknowingly — are let down. And the more sensitive you are to God’s call, the more sorrowful you are at the realization of having let him down.
We could grieve the rest of our lives over these failures and I think that many people do go to their graves full of despairing self-incrimination.
Thankfully, Jesus knows all about our troubled hearts in this, and I suggest to you that his answer is found in a phrase he employed regarding the end times and the overt inauguration of his kingdom. The phrase is this: “the renewal of all things”. (Matthew 19:28) It is the same word the Apostle Paul uses in Titus 3:5 to describe the total transformation of our inner life through being born again by the Holy Spirit. In addition to renewal, the word can be translated, regeneration, restoration, renovation, or rebirth.
In Isaiah 61:3 we have a summary statement of Jesus’ ministry. For that matter, in Luke 4:16-21, Jesus actually quoted a portion of this text at the very onset of his ministry, indicating that he was the fulfillment of it. This is what he’s going to do:
“provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them
What we must do is bring the ashes to him, bring our mourning, bring our despair. We must tell him all about it. In exchange he will give us a crown of beauty, oil of joy, a garment of praise, together indicators that a joyous festival is at hand — the renewal of all things. And he would have us know that he will not overlook restoring even the smallest of our failures — everything will be repaired. So he says to us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” (John 14:1)
