I’m finalizing a sermon for Sunday on the mystery of evil and God’s forthcoming eradication of all evil and reestablishment of what is perfectly good. This is the finale of the sermon, as well as the consummation of our journey into salvation:

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new (renewed) heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Evil and suffering are here for now. What everyone must recognize is that there are no spectators able to sit idly by and point the finger–we are all evil. We all fall short of the measure of God’s perfection and therefore need a Savior to bridge that gap, which is otherwise insurmountable. Jesus himself entered into suffering that we might know God and one day, in a new heaven and a new earth, dwell with God.