davidbowerkingwood

Star Wars, the Last Jedi ©

It’s Happened Again

This past week I got my Blu-ray disc of “Star Wars, the Last Jedi” and I’ve now watched it twice and enjoyed it even more the second time. In this movie I found a scene toward the end where the character Luke is speaking to his sister, Leia, and makes the comment, “No one’s ever really gone” which has triggered my response; once again the Star Wars universe has expressed something that is actually true in our reality. No one, in fact, is ever really gone; as human beings we are all created in the image of God and are eternal and will always exist in some form.

While it is true our mortal bodies are but temporary abodes; casting off our bodies made of the dust of this earth is not the end of us but only the next step toward who we are in the process of becoming!

God, our creator, is in the process of conforming us, as born-again Christians, to the image of his Son, the Second Person of the Trinity; you are, in the truest sense, a work in progress, you are eternal and your destiny is indelibly written in the “Book of Life”!

Think about that for a moment, there will never, ever be a time when you are not present somewhere in the form God has planned for you; there are some exciting times ahead for you, like it or not! The Bible speaks to this in Romans 8:28-30 where it is written:

^“28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

The really exciting part of our reality is we have been called to be a member of the family of the creator of the universe; if that fact doesn’t grab you by the shoulders and shake you till your teeth rattle then you’re simply not grasping the enormous reality of who you are and what’s planned for you by your creator! As a Christian you are incredibly precious to God and destined for great things which are sure and inevitable; you will ultimately be glorified by God!

A Fearful Contrast

While the future for Christians is wonderful beyond our imagination, the future for those who reject the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ is terrible beyond our imagination. The Bible is equally clear on the future that awaits those who reject Christ as Savior. In Revelation 20:11-15 where it is written:

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Earlier in that chapter we are told, “They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever” there is no end to the time of judgment, no time off for good behavior, no end of the sentence; a judgment that will never end, never!

While we now live in the age of God’s grace, mercy and love we should never forget the consequences of rejecting the free offer of salvation in Jesus Christ. You are free to accept or reject Christ as Savior but you are not free to escape the consequences of your decision and please believe me when I say your decision will have massive consequences that are either wonderful or terrible!

In September of 2011 I published an essay, “What is Reality? where I wrote:

“We too are being individually judged by God for inclusion in His eternal family. The only truly significant decision with intrinsic value we can make in life is our membership in God’s family; all other decisions are insanely trivial by comparison.

God has made that decision as easy for us as He can; just believe on His Son, the Second Person of the Trinity as one’s personal savior and membership in God’s eternal family is secured.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will have effectually and successfully responded to true reality; your life will have been a success regardless of whatever else may happen.”

 Art courtesy of “Star Wars, the Last Jedi” – TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved