Deep in humanity is the longing for other worldly beings who transcend our own intellect, capacity, and awareness. Fairy tales, fantasy, science fiction, and horror fascinate us with the imagination of greater realms, greater realities, and greater entities than ourselves.
The born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ understands this yearning, having committed both time and eternity to an other worldly Being. In fact, we believe that the longing for the transcendent in the human race is the fruit of God's existence, and of the fact that "in Him we live and move and have our being." Someone exists who is greater than ourselves, and who dynamically and intimately involves Himself in every moment of our lives, whether we know it or not (Acts 17:28).
More importantly, and in stark contrast to worldly fantasy, the living God makes spiritual and moral claims on us. He commands that we consider His Word, taking at face value its propositional truths that call us to repent, believe, obey, and love Him and others rather than ourselves. This is rarely the case in fictional literature and film. Fanciful villains may threaten, scare, and even harm us, but almost never do they call us to be more than we are, and better than we are. Thus, we are far more naturally inclined to imaginary beings who entertain, fascinate, and even terrify us rather than challenge us.
"This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).
The old axiom well expresses the truth: "God loves us as we are, but He also loves us enough to not leave us as we are." Open the pages of Scripture with a humble, trusting, and submitted heart, and we can be sure that change is coming. Our flesh may resist the loving intrusion, but if we are born of the Holy Spirit, our spirits yearn for the light of God that illuminates, encourages, and commands us to soar upward and away from ourselves. Indeed, the born again believer is himself an other-worldly being whose affection is set "on things above, and not on the earth." Deep within our innermost being, we desire our Heavenly Father to call us to the more and the better made possible by the Spirit of Christ who dwells therein. We can be sure that this is exactly what He is doing as His truth transforms rather than titillates us (Colossians 3:2).
"For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
(Romans 8:29)
"We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."
(II Peter 2:16)
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