Christ Will Redeem the World

And the Other Two Competing Narratives

Two primary stories of the world compete with the gospel-story: I. An Optimistic Story of Progress A. This story claims that the world is getting better and better. The Hollywood ending of a romantic, idealistic future is hoped for. The story is about the triumph of the human spirit, intelligence, and effort over the evils of the world. B. Religious forms of the story believe God is helping to move the storyline in a positive direction. Philosophical forms of the story seek to empower people over problems. Political narrative sees the virtue and triumph of its own ideology. The story rehearses how bad life used to be, how much better its gotten, and it anticipates a solution to every human problem. C. There are several problems with this story: 1.A realistic assessment of human history reveals that were not improving as a race. If progress gives us both iPods and Auschwitz, Hollywood and Hiroshima, the Olympics and the Gulags, Wikipedia and Rwanda, then at best its a mixed bag. The story isnt really getting rosier. 2.The inevitability of death. The fact that every person, society collectively, and the entire cosmos will die doesnt make sense in the story of progress. In the Bible, the book of Ecclesiastes rightly concludes that apart from God all effort, intelligence, wealth and pleasure is meaningless. D. The Bible tells us to pay close attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it (Hebrews 2:1). Believers who drift toward the story of progress tend to: 1.Lose the distinctiveness of the Kingdom of God from the kingdoms of the world. Their approach to improving the world is virtually indistinguishable from the worlds approach. 2.Overestimate the impact of human effort and underestimate Gods. A lot of good work has been done by believers in the name of social justice. But if we lose sight of the second coming of Christ as the culmination of the story, we will hope in our own efforts instead. We are to prepare [our] minds for action because God will use our efforts to advance His cause, but we ought to keep sober in spirit by fixing our hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13). Our efforts on this side of that Day cannot bring about the redemption of the world. But they can point toward it! We pray for physical healing because we know that Jesus has already beaten sickness and death. But because He hasnt completely done away with them, we know that no matter how much we pray, our bodies will end up in the grave. But that doesnt make prayer worthless! The power and authority that will thoroughly defeat sin and death on that great Day is available to us now! Although we cant win the final battle until Jesus comes, we can experience His power and life today. In the same way, our work in the world (both in our careers and any volunteering we do) cannot fully overcome the forces of sin and death. But we can offer our best efforts in hope that one day God will finish the task! E. The gospel (which means good news) tells a story that advances toward a wonderful conclusion, but thats where the similarity with the progress story

Todd Millikan!
January 6, 2013!

The Coastlands
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ends. The gospel is not a story of human progress. Its a story of human failure. But people arent the problem (Ephesians 6:12). The real problem is sin and death, which will continue to cause injustice and suffering until Jesus finally conquers them at His return (Rev. 20:9-21:8). Jesus promised that we would succeed in advancing the gospel (Matthew 16:18), but He also promised that we would suffer to the end (John 16:33). Jesus words in Matthew 24 & 25 and Revelation both make it clear that the story will get worse before it gets better. But it isnt a dread-filled story of doom! Its a story of glorious hope that Gods redemption is unstoppably progressing toward a triumphant conclusion (Jesus return), but it isnt based on human effort. Our hope is in Gods redemption, not our own.

II. A Pessimistic Story of Escape A. This story claims either that the world is the source of evil so the goal is to escape it. True life can only be achieved in an alternate existence. B. Religious forms of escape vary from the Hindu and Buddhist nirvana to Christians who hope to go to heaven when I die. Philosophical forms of the story (like Platonism) emphasize ideals that can only be realized within the mind or in a disembodied afterlife. The story is of how bad life on this planet is and how true life can only be experienced in another dimension. C. There is great hope in Jesus promise to the thief on the cross next to Him, Today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43). Paul similarly encouraged the Corinthians that when we die we are absent from the body and... at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). But neither of these statements were meant to be taken as our ultimate hope or the end of the story! In fact, far from being resting blissfully, the departed saints are pestering God to hurry up and bring justice into the world (Revelation 6:9-11). Like all believers, and creation itself, the departed saints long for Jesus return to the world when they will receive their resurrected bodies (1 Cor. 15:12-58). D. Believers who drift toward the pessimistic story of escape tend to: 1.Villainize the world and certain groups of people within it. Gods love for the world is lost, and so our ability to serve the world is diminished. Its us against them. 2.Hunker down and become less visible and helpful to the world. Because the world is evil and the goal is to escape to another dimension, much of life becomes about survival rather than advancing heaven into earth. E. The Bible tells a story of a good creation and a very good people who are infected with sin and death. Sin and death are the problem, not the world and not people. Our hope is not that God will destroy the world and start from scratch, but that God will cleanse the world with fire (2 Peter 3:12), liberating creation from the curse of sin and death (Romans 8:21). Just as God used the physical elements of Jesus corpse to create His new body when He resurrected, and His resurrected life was a fulfillment of His story (not a discontinuous beginning of a new one), so we should expect the same for ourselves and our world. Jesus death was the price of redemption not only for our individual sin, but also for the force of sin that has infected the cosmos. At Jesus second coming, God will reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven (Colossians 1:20, underline is mine). Because heaven and earth will be reunited at Christs return (Rev. 21-22), the story of the world will redeemed and fulfilled, not abandoned. Todd Millikan!
January 6, 2013! 2

The Coastlands
www.coastlands.org