All Things New
New Eyes To See, New Ears To Hear, A New Heart To Understand
In Genesis chapter 1, God, in six days, speaks into existence the whole world and everything in it, including Adam and Eve. In chapter 2, God commands Adam and Eve to multiply and fill the earth. In chapter 3, Adam and Eve are still the only two humans on the earth, and after the serpent tempts them to sin against God, God declares that there will be two types of offspring, or seed, in the world. There will be the seed of the serpent, and the seed of the woman, and God will put enmity between them. (Gen. 3:15)
In Genesis 4, this enmity shows up. Two offspring are born to Adam and Eve. The first is a son named Cain. The second son is named Abel. The story of Cain and Abel is one of great contrast between these two brothers. At some point in their growing up, they both bring a sacrifice to God. God accepts Abel’s sacrifice, but not Cain’s. Cain gets angry, and God warns Cain saying: 6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:6-7. But Cain follows his heart, instead following God’s warning, and kills Able.
Hebrews 11 tells us that 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. Hebrews 11:4 This is a new testament explanation of the Genesis 4 story. Abel’s sacrifice was offered to God by faith. And though he died by his brother’s hand, Abel still lives (speaks).
The actions of both brothers manifest the truth about the great contrast between them. One has faith and is commended as righteous. The other shows jealousy and anger that results in murder. Much later, the apostle John writes about this contrast like this: 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 1 John 3:12-13 This is another new testament explanation of the Genesis 4 story contrasting the first two human offspring (seed) on the earth.Cain and Able were the first two people born into the world. And thousands of years later this great contrast, or enmity, still manifests itself all over the world, and results in hate and murder on the one side, and faith and righteousness on the other. There are more examples of this contrast in Scripture such as Ishmael and Isaac. And Jacob and Esau. Moses and Pharoah. And to this day this enmity still shows itself all over the earth.
Jesus taught his followers how to act knowing that there is this enmity everywhere. He said 43 “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:43-45 Now that is one of Jesus’ “hard sayings”. And the only ones who continue to follow Jesus after hearing a “hard saying” are those who have been become “sons of the father who is in heaven.” In other words, those who have been born of God.
Here is another “hard saying.” Jesus told Nicodemus that no one would see the kingdom of God, or enter it unless they had been born again. 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5 This must mean that Abel had somehow been “born again.” It also must mean that my response to this should be to ask: “How can I be born again?
The Bible says: …For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Romans 3:9-12
So again, we should ask: How can anyone be saved? Jesus answered that question with these words: 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:25-26 John gives us more on this in his gospel- 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13
Again, it sounds like Abel must have been born of God since he is called righteous. And the righteous shall live by faith (Rom 1:17). And faith is a gift from God (Ephes. 2:8,9). And before we are saved we are dead in our sins and slaves to sin. Before we are saved no one is righteous, no one seeks God. So Abel must have been twice-born like Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus.
And before we are born by God, we can’t understand the things of God, nor can we see or hear because we are blind and deaf. 4 But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. Deuteronomy 29:4 2 “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house. Ezekiel 12:2 21 “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not. Jeremiah 5:21
When Jesus was traveling around teaching his disciples for three years He used many parables in his teachings. At one point the disciples asked Him about that.
The Purpose of the Parables10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. …16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. Matthew 13:16-17 (ESV)
Ezekiel prophesied that people would be given a new heart, and a new spirit. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Ezekiel 36:26-27 This new heart will be able to walk in God’s statutes, unlike Cain’s heart.
And Jesus quite often said “if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 11:15
21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Mark 4:21-23
34 “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Luke 14:34-35
Jesus also reveals this many times in Revelation, the final book in the Bible, especially in the letters to His churches (Ch. 2 & 3). 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. Revelation 1:37 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’ Revelation 2:717 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’ Revelation 2:17
I am convinced that for the first thirty-one years of my life I walked around blind to spiritual things, deaf to the call of the gospel, and with a hard unbelieving heart. And I was stuck in that condition until God, by His mercy and compassion, gave me new eyes, new ears, and a heart transplant. He also gave me His Spirit to dwell in me forever. Along with those wonderful gifts he gave me faith, adoption, and citizenship in the Kingdom, and so much more.
I am also convinced that even though Abel's experience with being made new might not have been exactly like Nicodemus' experience, I do believe Abel was given faith, a new heart, and new birth from God.
And after Abel was murdered, God gave Eve another child 25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD. Genesis 4:25-26 This calling on the name of the Lord is a manifestation of being seed of the woman, and being born of God. And the lineage that follows after Enosh, in Gen. 4, takes you right to Noah, who was also called a righteous man. And again the New Testament confirms this “calling on the name of the Lord” as evidence of being born of God. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13
And here is a new testament prayer for believers that shows the importance of having enlightened eyes: 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:16-19
So how can anyone be saved? They must be given second birth from God, which includes a new heart that believes and loves God and Jesus. And New eyes and new ears that can see and hear truth and the gospel. And they must be given faith, saving faith which is a manifestation of having recieved mercy, grace, and forgiveness from God.
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5
What might Jesus ask us at this point in the conversation?
Maybe something like this:
Do you want to be made new?