The perfection we are transforming towards is not only individual, but also collective. We are not only to transform our lives towards the perfect image and intention of God, but also our social and natural world.
God's instructions to Israel were not just about personal spiritual experience, but rather related in detail to every aspect of how to establish properly ordered lives, families, tribes, and nations.
God's guidance to us covers how we are to eat, how we are to sleep, how we are to dress, how we are to think, how we are to speak, how we are to walk, how we are to govern ourselves, how we are to establish laws, how we are to establish societies, how we are to establish economies, how we are to treat animals, how we are to care for the earth, how we are to rest our selves, and how we are to rest the earth.
These issues are not separate or siloed in any way, but part of a single integrated system, philosophy and way of being in right relationship with God, one another, and the earth.
In order for life abundant to manifest itself in the land of promise, the total set of commandments must be embodied by all members of society, not just in letter, but in far higher accordance with the Spirit that writes them on our hearts and empowers us to live them out in the specific context and experiences of our own time and space.
According to scripture, this universal embodiment of the perfect will and intention of God, by the power of the Spirit of God, will occur when "the knowledge of God covers the earth like floodwaters" (Isaiah 11:9).
Just as scripture gives us glimpses of the perfect image of God, scripture also gives us glimpses of the perfect world and society as God intends it to be. In the Jewish tradition, this is called the world to come. In the New Testament, it is referred to as the "new earth."
The New World is a vision of a world that is already perfect, and continuing to get better every day as God and humanity work together in harmony to make it so. It is a place of perfect peace, free from violence and fear. It is a place of regeneration, where all things are made new. It is a place of perfect righteousness and holiness, free from sin. It is a place of perfect abundance and prosperity, free from want, hunger, and poverty. It is a place of perfect health and wellbeing, free from pain and suffering. It is a place of perfect wisdom and knowledge, free from ignorance. It is place where the deserts and wastelands are transformed into the Ideal garden of Eden. It is a place of perfect joy, peace, contentment, worship, and blessing, where God's people live in perfect fellowship and harmony with Him forever. It is a place of perfect Shalom.
The New World of scripture stands in contrast to the corrupted and decaying Old World in the same way the New Self is contrasted with the Old Self.
For example in Ephesians 4 Paul speaks of putting off the corrupted Old Self, being transformed and renewed, and putting on the New Self created in the perfect image of God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Or in Corinthians 5:17 "The Old has passed away; behold the New..."
In the same way, the prophetic voice speaks of heaven and earth: "For behold, I create New heavens and a New earth... and the former things shall not be remembered..." (Isaiah 65:17)", "But according to His promise we are looking for New heavens and a New earth, in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter3:12-13), "Then I saw a New heaven and a New earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away..." (Revelation 21:1).
The vision and intention of God is perfection, not just for our lives, but for our world including all creation.
When God says "Behold, I am making all things New...", the process and its Goal refers to every aspect of our individual lives, our society, and our world.
The Jewish word for this end state is Shalom, which refers not just to perfect peace, but also perfect harmony, perfect wholeness, and perfect fulfillment.
No one can experience the perfection of Shalom that we long for along with God and all creation until all aspects of our lives and society and transformed by the power and Spirit of God towards the image and perfection of God. This includes our lives, our families, our communities, our governments, our economies, our societies, our religions, our tribes, our nations, and our world. Every aspect, without exception, must be transformed towards perfection. There is no domain of existence beyond the perfect design, logic, and Love of God, and it is only when all things are brought into harmony that the Divine Symphony can sound.
When God’s Spirit comes upon, we are impelled to work and pray without faltering or growing discouraged until God’s perfect justice and will reigns on earth as it is in heaven (Isaiah 42: 1-4, Matthew 6:10).
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