The Former Things

November 20, 2024 by Dawson Bryant Preparing for Sunday

The phrase “the former things have passed and the new has come” is a theme that appears throughout scripture.

In Isaiah 42, it expects the already or soon to be fulfilled prophecies of Isaiah, and points with anticipation to the coming Messiah.

Paul, reminds believers, in 2 Corinthians 5:17, that in salvation, the old life, dreams, ambitions, approach to living, enslaved by sin has passed away. Believers are a new creation in Christ with Godward, eternal, spirit-driven lives of faith that are marked by works of righteousness.

But, not only is this phrased used to anticipate the advent of Christ and the outcome of his work on the cross in the gospel; it is forward looking. In Revelation 21:5, When the events of Revelation have closed, judgment is complete, and the unfolding victory of Christ is seen. God declares the future hope for all those in Christ, “Behold, I am making all things new.” We anticipate a time when all the former things of this earth, ravaged by sin, will be made new.

All of scripture has been an anticipation of the former things passing away and the new coming to pass.

Verse 1
How holy, great, and hallowed, He
Who hails from Glory’s gilded scene
Who as a newborn baby, cried
And as a suffering Savior, died
Through rended veil He draws us close
From death’s repose, Redeemer rose
And thus disposed of our decay
The former things have passed away

Verse 2
How fearful, foolish, faithless, we
Whose wickedness would kill the King
Who sense the sting of sin’s offense
When with our Maker we contend
Though hopeless might the helpless seem
The wretch is still in Christ redeemed
Behold the Potter’s molded clay
The former things have passed away

Refrain
We once were lost in our own way
Now Christ is all our hope and stay
Our sin forgiven, ransom paid
The former things have passed away

Verse 3
How gloomy would the graveside feel
Were Heaven’s hope left unrevealed?
Yet oft we work with shortened sight
Like midnight toil in candlelight
O fight until your final breath
The sin and sorrow found in death
For soon we’ll see His face and say
The former things have passed away

Verse 4
Creation will be made anew
Your holy bride adorned for You
No temple left to occupy
No need for sun or moon to shine
You’ll wipe away our fallen tears
Our mournful past, our deepest fears
The song we’ll sing upon that day:
The former things have passed away!

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