"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished." Isaiah 51:6
I have addressed elsewhere that the universe is dying and taking us with it, and that as such artificially produced immortality is a fairytale for grownups. If the universe goes down in flames (or freezes, or crunches, or "runs away"), then we go down with it. I would like to state here that such a position is not only thoroughly rational, but also (as should be expected) thoroughly Christian. "Heaven and earth shall pass away," says our Lord. Christianity has always asserted that, even if there was no apocalypse, the universe would perish anyways.
"My salvation shall be forever." Christianity has also always asserted that there is an immortality beyond our universe, an immortality given by the hands of Infinity Himself. Thus is the biblical teaching, and thus is the Christian doctrine: there is a God who is there, infinite and personal, independent from and yet involved in this universe that He has made, and He has brought immortality (read: salvation) to us in the palms of His nail-scarred hands. We reject such a gift at our own peril, for it is not a choice between one belief and another, but between the real and actual clinging to either the infinite-personal God who is there and not silent, or the dead and dying universe that will fade away. In its place will be a redeemed and restored universe, with all deadness removed; will ye be among the dead?
"All things are made new
Only in You.
Outside of you, all things wax old,
Like filthy rags..."
-Jon Vowell
I have addressed elsewhere that the universe is dying and taking us with it, and that as such artificially produced immortality is a fairytale for grownups. If the universe goes down in flames (or freezes, or crunches, or "runs away"), then we go down with it. I would like to state here that such a position is not only thoroughly rational, but also (as should be expected) thoroughly Christian. "Heaven and earth shall pass away," says our Lord. Christianity has always asserted that, even if there was no apocalypse, the universe would perish anyways.
"My salvation shall be forever." Christianity has also always asserted that there is an immortality beyond our universe, an immortality given by the hands of Infinity Himself. Thus is the biblical teaching, and thus is the Christian doctrine: there is a God who is there, infinite and personal, independent from and yet involved in this universe that He has made, and He has brought immortality (read: salvation) to us in the palms of His nail-scarred hands. We reject such a gift at our own peril, for it is not a choice between one belief and another, but between the real and actual clinging to either the infinite-personal God who is there and not silent, or the dead and dying universe that will fade away. In its place will be a redeemed and restored universe, with all deadness removed; will ye be among the dead?
"All things are made new
Only in You.
Outside of you, all things wax old,
Like filthy rags..."
-Jon Vowell
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