• Home
  • Sermon on the Mount
  • Westminster Catechism

Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

Home Christianity and Culture The Storm Before The Calm: Why Utopias Fail

The Storm Before The Calm: Why Utopias Fail

Posted on August 27, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre 1 Comment

Tweet0Pin0Share0LinkedIn0

Storm I am not an expert on Biblical prophecy. I read prophetic passages and have interest in them, but it is not my calling to find correlation between current events and Scriptural predictions. I think that this type of study is useful, and I’m glad someone does it, but it is not my primary interest.

That being said, I see indication in Scripture that things will get worse before they get better. Scripture indicates that the world will move into a storm before it will experience the calm that follows the culmination of history.

Contrast this with utopian predictions by people such as Ray Kurzweil who see technology solving all of man’s problems. In this writings, Kurzweil does a good job of demonstrating that the pace of technological advancement is accelerating. We can be grateful for much of this advancement. I am writing this blog post on a personal computer which has speed and computational power that would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago. I am also grateful for the advances in medicine and technologies that provide for better living conditions. Technology has proved effective in correcting what is wrong with the physical aspects of life.

Those who believe that man can solve all his problems through technological innovation ignore one basic fact. Man is inherently flawed in a way that no technology can fix.  Technology cannot address or correct man’s moral problem. Utopian schemes fail because they refuse to acknowledge the moral problem with all men. Every elitist scheme fails because the elite are as morally flawed as those to whom the elite feel superior.

Every advancement in technology can be used for good or for evil. We live this out every day. I have virus protection software because some very smart people are intent on destroying what I create on this computer. Criminals use computers and other technology to commit crime. Dictators use technology to force their will on their people. Advances in weaponry increase the ability of would-be conquerors to kill and subjugate.

I am grateful for technology, with it we can do much good. Therefore I am not against technology. I do see, and Scripture predicts, that the advances in technology will be used for evil purposes and that it will not go well for humanity until Jesus returns.

I began writing this post before I knew that Hurricane Irene was bearing down on the east coast of the United States. I am reminded that this physical storm and the havoc it can bring, is a picture of the moral and political storm that is brewing. The moral and political storm will be more destructive and ruin more lives than the physical one.

Yet, I am comforted that the one who calmed the storm when he walked the Earth, is still living and active. For those who embrace him he offers salvation out of the storm until that day when he will cause all storms to cease.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10 that eventually every knee will bow to the name of Jesus. It is then that all will experience calm.

Tweet0Pin0Share0LinkedIn0

Filed Under: Christianity and Culture Tagged With: Apostle Paul, calm, Jesus, storm

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

Recent Sermons

Matthew 22:1-14 - Four Responses to Lavish Grace

Matthew 8:1-4 - Lessons from a Leper

Worshipping a God without limits

While we can often only see the limits, we are called to see beyond them. Why? Because we worship and serve a limitless God.

Remember the real enemy – it may not be who you think

1 Peter 5:8 tells us that our real enemy is the devil who prowls around looking for those he can devour. Unfortunately we, as church members, sometimes aid him in his devouring.

Evil

Genesis 50:20 – The Proper Understanding of Evil

Joseph learned that even though his brothers were evil toward him, God remained in control and even the evil coudl be used by God for good.

Mercy

Muddy Waters, Mercy and the Fifth Beatitude

The fifth Beatitude tells us that those who are merciful will receive mercy. At first reading this sounds right to us. If you do good to others they will do good to you. It seem natural, like the popular concept of karma. Yet we see that this does not always hold true. How then should we understand this Beatitude?

Scalpel

This might hurt a little . . .

Any of us that have sat under Biblical preaching for any length of time have felt the sting when Scripture confronts us in areas of idolatry or rebellion. We need to have the discipline to find and stay with a church that will faithfully allow us to be confronted by Scripture.

Prayer: The Best Way to Keep Your Mental Health

While it would be foolhardy to expect to cure mental illness or drug addiction purely through petitioning the Lord, it can be an important part of the overall treatment plan.

Blogger Grid

Copyright © 2019 · Focus Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in