This is the final post in a multipart series—#TweetLikeJesus: Social Media to the Glory of God. For background on the approach taken, see the first post, “Social Media to the Glory of God.”
Already and Not Yet
Life today is a mixture of the already and the not yet. Christ is already reigning—and he is working in and through us. So, we see glimpses of the Kingdom of God in the good done in social media.
But the kingdom is not yet here in its fullness. People are still dead in their trespasses and sins, “following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air…children of wrath”—and it shows it their social media use. We, as Christians, still struggle against our flesh and its sinful inclinations—and it shows in our social media use.
What hope is there?
Our hope is that Jesus is returning to raise us from the dead in an eternal resurrection. Listen to this vision of the end from Revelation 21:1-5:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Jesus is bringing a New Heaven and a New Earth. It is like Eden—only better. In the beginning, we had a Garden and a charge the subdue the earth. In the end, we have a Garden-City in a heavens and earth that our Lord has subdued already, in which we will reign with him.
Life in the New Heaven and New Earth
We aren’t given much detail about what life will be like there, other than the curse and sin are gone. Death is no more. And, therefore, there is no crying, mourning, and pain. Life will be perfect.
That means our every act of communication will rightly reflect and glorify God. It also means that our technology will be used only to do good for each other and bring glory to God.
We don’t know much about what technology will look like in the New World. But if God intended for us to use creation in innovative ways in the beginning (and if there is a city built in the end), then it might be worth imagining that we will explore this new cosmos and figure out what one element does when combined with another—and then put it to use in some new way.
Remembering the New Heavens and Earth should give us peace in our social media use now. The stress, anxiety, depression, worry, fear, conflict, and harm that social media bring can lead us to frustration and despair. When those feelings come over you, imagine a world in which such communication technology is only good. That world is coming with Jesus.
All to God’s Glory
So, if I could encourage you to do anything with your social media, I would echo the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So, whether you Snapchat or Tweet or Instagram or Facebook or blog or podcast, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Resolve to let all that you produce and consume, serve to show the world what our God is like. Display his glory in our Lord Jesus Christ.
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