Christianity Today recently published Russell D. Moore’s article, “A Purpose-Driven Cosmos: Why Jesus Doesn’t Promise Us an ‘Afterlife’,” in its February 2012 issue. In the article, Moore, dean of the School of Theology and vice president for academic administration at Southern Seminary, discusses how, in his words, “God has made Jesus the emperor — and that he plans to bend the cosmos to fit Jesus’ agenda, not the other way around.” The article is part of the magazine’s Global Gospel Project.
Moore writes:
Despite our mind-boggling explorations into the telescopic and the microscopic, much of the cosmos remains a mystery. Yet there seems to be some rhythm to it. The Christian gospel says the universe we inhabit is designed according to the blueprint of God’s purpose in Jesus Christ. Paul tells the Colossian church, speaking of Jesus, that “all things have been created through him and for him” and that “in him all things hold together” (Col 1:16-17).
Thus, in this light, Moore explains that the stories of failure throughout Scripture begin to make sense, from Adam and Eve’s surrendering their dominion as king and queen of the universe to Israel’s recurring unfaithfulness and on to the Roman Empire’s dominance during Christ’s first coming.
Further, according to Moore, believers in Christ can rejoice in knowing that life is more than a “brief interval from birth to grave.” Instead, believers are involved in a flow of history that is, in the end, Christ-shaped.
The entire article is available at Christianity Today‘s Web site, www.christianitytoday.com