“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.”

The Lord’s appeal at the start of this verse is to lift up our eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth. To us, these things are permanent. And they are vast beyond our knowing. The heavens above are purported to be perhaps endless. The depths of the sea are full of things that we have yet to see or understand.

This verse then says that the heavens shall vanish away like smoke. Once it is gone, smoke cannot be recovered. Depending on how much there is, it may last a time, but it still dissipates. So shall the vastness of the heavens be similarly done away; like smoke that is blown away.

The earth shall wax old like a garment. Nobody has the clothing that they were wearing fifty years ago. It wears out; it develops holes, the cloth becomes thin. Or, the style changes and falls out of favor. In their wandering in the desert Israel enjoyed clothing that did not wear out for forty years. But even that eventually did wear out, just as the earth will one day wax old like a garment.

Next the Lord said that they that dwell on the earth will also die in like manner as the earth. The daily the newspaper lists individuals who have died, and the lists are different every day. Everyone that was alive 150 years ago is now dead. And everyone that is alive now will be dead in 150 years. All of us grow old. Even in the days before the flood people grew old and died, though they lived much longer. We, too, wax old like a garment, just as the earth will do.

Having spoken of things that will not last, the heavens, the earth, and the people on it, the LORD then speaks of things that will last.

The first is God’s salvation. In the context, what is needed is salvation from the destruction of the heavens and the earth. While those things are temporary, God’s salvation shall be for ever. When the heaven and earth are destroyed, God will not be inconveniencing Himself. He is beyond them. Jesus said that God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him should worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). He is not of the earth.

But the destruction of the heavens and the earth is not the main thing from which man needs, and God offers, salvation. All of mankind is guilty before God because of their sin against Him. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This is eternal death, which is separation from God (Revelation 21:8). This is the thing from which all of mankind needs salvation. God’s salvation shall be forever.

The second thing that will last is God’s righteousness. He says above that it shall not be abolished. Sin stands in the way of seeing God. Hebrews 12:14 tells us that without holiness no man will see the Lord. But 2 Corinthians 5:21 states, “For he hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Through Jesus, mankind can be declared righteous. Someone who is declared righteous has no reason to fear because God’s righteousness shall never be abolished. Sadly, many do not take up God’s generous offer.

The notion of the heavens and the earth being dissolved might be concerning. Scripture tells us that they will not be removed, but replaced. In Revelation 21:1 John reports, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

In Revelation 1:8 Jesus said of Himself, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Notice that He calls Himself the beginning and the ending.

That He is the beginning is seen in John 1:1-3 and 14 which tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. …And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Jesus created all things.

In that He is the ending, the verse above tells us that there will be an ending. Revelation 20:11 says, “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.” In that scene, Jesus is the One on the throne. At His command the heaven and the earth will flee away. Since He is the ending, the end will not come until He says. It will not be the world spinning out of control into oblivion. It is under the control of the God of the Universe, the Creator, the One Who brought it all into being.

So, the end of all things is the beginning of new things: a new heaven and a new earth. 2 Peter 3:11-13 says, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” What a wonderful change for mankind and this planet, because on the new earth will dwell righteousness. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Lift up your heads, pilgrims aweary,
See day’s approach now crimson the sky;
Night shadows flee, and your Belovèd,
Awaited with longing, at last draweth nigh.

Refrain

He is coming again, He is coming again,
The very same Jesus, rejected of men;
He is coming again, He is coming again,
With power and great glory, He is coming again!

Dark was the night, sin warred against us;
Heavy the load of sorrow we bore;
But now we see signs of His coming;
Our hearts glow within us, joy’s cup runneth o’er!

Refrain

O blessèd hope! O blissful promise!
Filling our hearts with rapture divine;
O day of days! Hail Thy appearing!
Thy transcendent glory forever shall shine.

Refrain

Even so, come, precious Lord Jesus;
Creation waits redemption to see;
Caught up in clouds, soon we shall meet Thee;
O blessèd assurance, forever with Thee!

Refrain (Mabel J. Camp)

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

These verses describe the problem that mankind has, and God’s solution for it. The problem is sin, and our attitude toward it. John reveals two things about how we view sin, and the result of those views.

First, if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves. This is a mistake that we make. Generally, people would say that they are not sinners. And this verse states that when they say that, they are deceiving themselves. Quoting from Psalm 14, Paul said in Romans 3:10-12, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” John goes further. If we say we have no sin, the truth is not in us. Not only do we deceive ourselves but there is no truth in us. This is our attitude toward our sin in the present.

Second, John says that if we say that we have not sinned we make God a liar, and His word is not in us. Nobody is free of the sin nature that plagues the human race. It was inherited from Adam and Eve; a result of their disobedience of God. God told them that in the day that they ate from the tree they would surely die. They did not die physically that day, they died spiritually. In Romans 3:23 Paul wrote, “…For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…” If we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar! Hebrews 6:18 tells us, “…it was impossible for God to lie…” This second attitude is about our view of our past sin.

So, present or past, we are sinners against God. He told us so in Romans 3:23. Because our sin is against Him, He is the only one that can forgive us.

The middle sentence is God’s solution for the problem. First, we must confess our sins. That is, we acknowledge that we are sinners. Scripture makes it clear that sin put a divide between mankind and God. As noted before, Romans 3:23 says, “…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…” There is nobody that is left out of “all”. So, God first requires that we admit it. And scripture does state that God knows our hearts. Jeremiah 17:10 tells us, “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Not only does He know our hearts, but He searches them, and judges according to what He finds. He wants us to admit to Him that which He already knows. There is no escaping His gaze. The only and proper response to this is to admit that we are sinners: to agree with Him. A heart that has come to that conclusion will enjoy the next portion of this verse.

In 1 John 1:9 we are told, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Faithfulness requires an object. There is no other way to understand God’s reaction to our confession. To those who admit their sin God is faithful. That is, He is trustworthy. And, He is just to do so. Since He is the One we offend with our sin, He can justly forgive us our sin because of Jesus Christ.

Finally, this verse tells us that when we confess, He forgives us, and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” He will not only forgive us, but He will make us right before Him! Ephesians 5:25-27 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Though addressed to husbands, this portion reveals Jesus’ intentions toward the church: cleansing, and without spot. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Not only has He cleansed us, but He has declared His people to be the righteousness of God.

Our sin puts us at odds with God. His intent is that we be forgiven and, more than that, cleansed. Praise the LORD for His great salvation!

A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear, with Thy righteousness on,
My person and offering to bring.
The terrors of law and of God
With me can have nothing to do;
My Savior’s obedience and blood
Hide all my transgressions from view.

The work which His goodness began,
The arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is Yea and Amen,
And never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now,
Nor all things below or above,
Can make Him His purpose forgo,
Or sever my soul from His love.

My name from the palms of His hands
Eternity will not erase;
Impressed on His heart it remains,
In marks of indelible grace.
Yes, I to the end shall endure,
As sure as the earnest is giv’n;
More happy, but not more secure,
The glorified spirits in Heav’n. (Augustus M. Toplady)