People Of Restoration

Acts 3:19-21

Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. (Acts 3:21, NIV)

GOD PROMISES RESTORATION. We may debate about how much of it we are meant to experience in this age, but we cannot argue with Scripture’s insistence that God’s ultimate purpose is a restoration, a restitution, and a renovation of all things. The prophets pointed to new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17); Jesus said Elijah would come and restore “all things” (Matthew 17:11, NIV); Peter mentioned the restoration in his sermon in Acts 3; Paul said creation would be liberated from its decay and restored to freedom (Romans 8:21); and Revelation 21:5 tells us God will make all things new. The miracles we see in the Gospels and Acts, as well as in much of church history, suggest that tastes of the Kingdom are available now; yet we know the fullness of the Kingdom comes only when the King himself returns. In any case, as people who have been called as ambassadors of Kingdom realities, we are to live as pictures of what’s to come. We are to be a people of restoration.

What does that look like in this world? We reconcile relationships; we encourage people to pray for healing, deliverance, and abundant life; we point to the work God is doing in hearts, societies, and cultures; and we insist that history is headed in a certain direction and toward a return of the King. Because we remember our sinful past and the restoration we were freely given, we refuse to blame, accuse, put down, or criticize. Instead, we encourage, strengthen, and build up. As far as possible, we live out the future we have been promised.

Remember your role as a restorer. Refuse to blend in with a critical, destructive, deteriorating world. Your words, actions, and attitudes have the power to reflect the restoration God has promised and give people a taste of it. When they do, the Kingdom grows stronger, and so do you. The restoration of all things—including you—is promised now and in the days to come.

{Lord, forgive me for any part I’ve had in tearing down—with my words, attitudes, or actions. Make me known as a builder and restorer, a reflection of life in your Kingdom. Heal, encourage, and strengthen many through me. Amen.