Some thoughts about the unseen world..

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 5:16-18

Pastor Randy posted this passage on my Facebook page, and I have been thinking about it, wondering why so many people today seem to be either uninterested in the Bible and the (unseen) God of the Bible or hostile towards God and/or His Word. Yet our culture is so consumed with all things unseen, especially supernatural and fantastic.

    * Ghost, medium, and psychic TV shows
    * Psychic phone lines and fortune tellers
    * Horror movies, adventure movies, fantasy movies, often with Biblical allusions/themes
    * Apocalyptic dramas, usually with Biblical allusions/themes
    * Fantasy movies (where light and good must triumph against dark and evil, also required for most action and adventure movies)
    * Ghost clubs where people get together and explore “supernatural” haunts
    * Adult novels and documentaries
    * Children’s books (remember the wildly popular Goosebumps books?)
    * Role-playing games—video, Internet, and otherwise

The list goes on and on. So where does this fascination come from? I think it’s hard-wired into us; I think that deep down inside our very beings, we know there is much more to our world than what we can see, hear, feel, smell, touch. I believe the above list is evidence that we all have an innate longing to know and understand more about the unseen world that we sense exists, to believe that we were not just made to experience this world with our sensory perceptions, but that there is purpose and meaning here on earth, for us as individuals, that is connected to a very real unseen world. It has always been interesting to me how people who buy into the idea of meaninglessness (which is where every road eventually leads to when the objective existence of absolute truth is not acknowledged) yet live their lives with purpose and meaning (albeit, sometimes their purpose is to convince the rest of us there is no meaning or purpose in life). Without the foundation of absolute truth we can have no grounds for morals, i.e., saying anything is good or bad.

I am partial to Ravi Zacharias and listen to his podcasts. He is asked to speak at universities often, and he tells a story of going to one and being taken on a campus tour of grounds and buildings. They came to one building that he was told was an experiment in architecture. The architect attempted to build a building that would exemplify our postmodern culture. It was built in a chaotic, random way—beams that held nothing up, stairways that went nowhere, halls that were dead-ends or circular—no rhyme or reason. Ravi simply asked whether the foundation of the building was built in the same way.

From the beginning of time, humans have questioned their existence and worked incessantly to make sense of it all through science and religion and so many pursuits of knowledge. And our inner life, minds and souls, are too much a part of us to limit those pursuits to the knowledge of the world we can see and touch. (Actually, it’s our elusive inner selves that engage in those pursuits.) We seek answers about the things we cannot see as well as the things we can see.

With all these questions and longings, it is a wonder to me more people don’t look to the Bible for answers. Still the most popular book on earth, the Holy Bible seems like a logical place to at least investigate. Anyone who has ever read Romans, closely or not, cannot say the Bible is light reading. And talk about ghost stories, action, adventure, romance, horror, prophecy—it’s all there and more. And the Bible is our link between the seen and the unseen world.

As Christians, we recognize the truth of the entire Bible. Jesus knew the scriptures (Old Testament) thoroughly and quoted them often. He applied the scriptures to himself (in Luke 4:18- to himself, claiming he was fulfilling prophecy). God’s Word was the basis, foundation for Jesus’ teachings and for his very life. He did not criticize it or try to change the scriptures, although he surely had issues with some of the ways it was interpreted and taught to the people. Christ spoke the truth (I wonder how many times he began a statement with, “I tell you the truth, . . .”), but, in Himself, he embodies the entirety of God’s True Word. He was/is the Word (from the 1st chapter of John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”) And He is the Truth: He says in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

It is the Holy Spirit who guides us into truth and who quickens our hearts to receive the truth of the Word of God, to make it come alive to us. Maybe it’s that very truth and power that keeps us away from the Word. Seeking to know God is a struggle. The Old Testament is the story of the Israelites’ struggle with God; in fact, the name Israel means “struggles with God.” God’s dealings with the Israelites teaches us much about God and ourselves, and their story is intricately linked to ours.

I am so grateful for God’s Word!

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.

--from Psalm 19
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
  refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
  making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
  giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
  giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
  enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm,
  and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
  than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
  than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
  in keeping them there is great reward.

II Timothy 3:16
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness..