Why 3 Worlds? (#1)

There is nothing like trying to be in two places at one time.  I've been there (not both places at once, but I've been in the predicament).  Oftentimes it's the demands of having three kids and multiple activities.  Other times it's being in the world of email when my wife is wanting me to jump into her world.

However you slice it, we weren't created to be in more than one place at a time.  Or were we?

As those who seek to follow wholeheartedly after Christ, we are actually called to live in three worlds.

Giving a polite nod to an ancient text

We have an ancient book that we claim is God's very word to humanity.  For many, though, this book is archaic, meant to be sitting on the mantle next Aunt Erma's ashes.  Just like Aunt Erma, we may give it a nod of respect, but anything older than Aunt Erma doesn't deserve much more than a polite nod.

But even though this book was completed nearly 2000 years ago, the book itself makes an audacious claim - that it is living (unlike Aunt Erma)!  And not only is it a living story, it is living News.  It is Good News - or literally Gospel News.  It is the living story of God creatively creating, graciously redeeming and wonderfully renewing.  It is the story of our creation, our fall, our redemption and our glorification.

A blood and guts story of a Conquering Hero (for guys)
A love story of a rescuing Prince (for girls)

But more than just theological terms, it is the story of how we were lovingly created by a gracious and joyful creator who intended for us to find our greatest delight and satisfaction in knowing him and perfectly relating to him.  But we stubbornly rebelled against Him and found ourselves searching, clamoring and clawing our way to something or someone who would fill this desperately unsatisfied, yet God given, desire for satisfaction, delight, and joy.  Despite our treason against this Creator/King, He never stopped loving us and his heart continued to yearn for us to know the joy of knowing Him.  But treason always has a punishment and our punishment would be the wrath of this great King.  Yet, instead of pouring out His wrath on us, this King sent his only son, the Conquering Hero...the Prince of heaven, to live a life that we never were able to live (perfection) and to die a death that we deserved (taking on the poison of death and the fierceness of the wrath of God) and to conquer our greatest enemy - sin and death.  Now this Prince reigns in heaven and is graciously reigning in the lives of all who embrace this Good News. And as He reigns, he awaits the day when He will come again and forever make all things right, culminating in a day that will never end and where all who have willingly bowed the knee to Him will realize that their hearts actually have the capacity to have perfect satisfaction, delight and joy that actually increases every moment we are with this King for all of eternity.

This is the story of the book that is sitting on the shelf next to Aunt Erma.  But unlike a book that only deserves a polite nod, it is a living story that couldn't be more relevant to the biggest issues that all of us face - life, death, joy, satisfaction, hope, pain, marriage, sex, suffering, money, human rebellion, eternity, God, us, the world, war and peace.

This book was written in another world, though.  It's the first of three worlds that followers of Christ live in.  But its answers, solutions, and insights couldn't be more relevant to our world...which is the subject next time.