“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17 NIV)
Much commentary has been written on the book of Revelation. Many different Bible scholars and theologians have attempted to explain the imagery and symbolism in the book, and explain how all this relates to the end times. This is what is referred to as eschatology (the study of end time events.) I am not discrediting any specific interpretation of Revelations, or advocating an adherence to and particular form of eschatology, but I do think that often in these interpretations that attempt to explain the exact order of end time events, that the main point of the book is overlooked. The main point of the book, as I see it, is the same point that I just quoted from 1 John. The world’s system, (mankind’s attempt throughout world history to build his own world without God) will always fail. All human empires and societies will fail at some point, and that the whole world system itself will ultimately fail as the Kingdom of God is being ushered in, culminating in the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to destroy forever the godless world system and establish God’s Kingdom over all, forever.
Not only is world history, for the most part, the story of how one society after another has attempted to build a kingdom or empire for itself that is destined to be destroyed, our individual lives are like that also. We all want to build our own little private kingdoms. The “American Dream” that those of us in this society are so familiar with, is just that, a dream. A fantasy. The dream goes something like this: If you can get a good education, then you can get a good high paying job, or start your own business, doing something that you love to do. You can marry the perfect mate that will satisfy you totally. (Soulmate is the terminology that is currently used to describe this fantasy relationship.) This perfect mate will give you beautiful, healthy children. You need to follow all the right formulas to succeed in your career, your marriage, and in your family to make the dream come true. If you are not exactly how all those formulas are supposed to work, a quick trip to the local bookstore will provide you with more information on these success formulas than you will ever be able to assimilate in one lifetime.
If that is not enough information, tune into the experts on the talk shows, and internet blogs. Soak in the success advice. Subscribe to some magazines that tell you the perfect investments to make to secure your financial future and control your life. Look for the perfect diet and fitness plan to ensure you are healthy and fit until you are 100 years old, with lots of sexual stamina. Your perfect mate and your perfect children will live with you in the perfect house with the perfectly manicured lawn. The people at Lowes or Home Depot will help you out here. It is all so easy. You will have all the comforts you can imagine needing. You will also need several new or newer vehicles that you keep the maintenance done on at all the right times. You will belong to the gym, or have a room in your house with your own gym. You will take all the right vitamins and supplements, protein drinks, and energy enhancing products. If you are a man, naturally you will have a “man-cave” to retire to when your perfect family gets on your nerves.
At the core of the world’s system approach to life is the need for control. You will have to balance lots of plates to live the American Dream. It is a life based on the idea that we have to take care of ourselves and our own interests, and protect ourselves in order to survive. Lookout for numero uno. This is really the basis for all humanistic systems of thought. This is the force that drives the misguided efforts of the humanistic philanthropist. This approach to life says, “There is no God. There is no heaven or hell. We are all we have, so we better learn to take care of ourselves and make the most out of what we have in the here and now, because this is all we get.” This is the mentality of the “Save the Earth” cult. Don’t misunderstand me. I do think we should, as good stewards, strive to take care of the Earth that God created and put us in charge of. We should not abuse His creation. But to think that we, as human beings, can save this vast world, with its complex ecosystems is really the height of arrogance and self-importance. We are going to be held accountable to God for its use and abuse, so we had better improve in our stewardship of this planet!
This “need for control” mentality is the driving force behind much of our economy. We are taught by the advertisers that if we have all the right stuff and all the right plans we can control the outcome of our lives. We are so fear driven we put insurance on everything from our toothbrushes, to our automobiles, to our lives. We buy security systems for our homes to protect us from thieves. We spend money on extended warranties to protect our overpriced appliances and gadgets. Now, we have to have “Life Lock” to protect ourselves from identity thieves. There are a lot of companies making tons of money on our fears.
I am not denying that having the right information can be beneficial in the short term aspect of life. However, what this need for control mentality ultimately does is cast us deeper into the spell of deception. When we feel like things are okay, we don’t see a need for God, our Creator, or we incorporate some system of belief about Him that we have tailor-made to suit our need for consolation over the fear of death. We make our god in our own image and call on Him to assist us in our self-made lifestyle. We sink deeper into the abyss of self-indulgence and pride.
“Babe” is a popular children’s movie about a pig that wants to be a sheep dog. One of the characters in the movie is a duck who is worried that one day the farmer is going to kill him and eat him. At one point in the movie, the duck says to the pig, “I know that in the scheme of things one anorexic duck doesn’t mean much, but pig, I’m all I’ve got!” That statement is an adequate reflection of the mentality of much of the world. “I am all I’ve got, and I have to look out for myself! Who else will?”
The second approach to life is the approach that God designed for us to take. It is the approach of trust, faith, and dependence on God. I suspect that if God had made man first, and allowed him to witness the rest of His creation unfold, man would have wanted to get involved and give God advice! By creating everything else first, then creating man at the conclusion of the creation activity, God is showing man that he is totally dependent on God, his creator, for everything he needs in life to survive and flourish. Understanding this truth is the basis for being blessed beyond measure in this life, and in the life to come.
“A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.” (John 3:27)
“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:16-17)
Danny's Stump 