Dystopia or utopia

Rev 22:3 “… there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.”

Frequently, Christians and non-Christians alike have a misconception about the nature of a perceived life in heaven. I do not see us merely “going to heaven” and sit around in some semblance of holy laziness.

2 Peter 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

I.        a new earth and new heavens

While the exact nature of this new earth and heavens are not fully revealed -- we will be given jobs to do!

Just what those jobs may be, or what they may require, is not specifically revealed to us, but it is abundantly clear that the kind of job, or the degree of responsibility, will be a privilege based on what we do here on this earth now.

We do know that righteousness dwells there – I take that to mean that everyone allowed to go will do things correctly and godly. Believers are to be “practicing” [Phil 4:9] these things NOW in preparation for the “new earth”. Imagine this earth without the compounded ravages of sin since the fall. What would this earth be like? That seems to me the closest image I can envision for what’s coming. We’re in training now. [Heb 5:12-14; 1Jn 3:2; 1Cor 15:50-55]

II.     according to one’s labor here

 In the parable of the pounds (Lk 19:11-27), Jesus illustrates judgment based on productivity. The same amount of money was given to each of the servants, and only one general instruction was issued: “Occupy till I come” (v. 13). The reward that each servant received was in direct proportion to how much profit he had earned on the nobleman’s money.

In the parable of the talents (Mt 25:14-30), the nobleman gave differing amounts to each of his servants, “to every man according to his several ability” (v. 15). The reward was based on efficient use of abilities, not on amount of profit produced.

Both of these parables have a common thread: The rewards (analogous to our rewards when the Lord returns), based on their productivity or their effectiveness, were rewards of responsibility. To those servants who had proven themselves capable of leadership, the Lord delegated “authority over cities” and rulership “over many things,” indicating that there will be some sort of social order in the age to come. Imagine the “woke” among us learning that God’s order is not based on gender, race, or convenience.

Likewise believer, in our present service for the Lord, we are now given the opportunity to earn both God’s commendation and His future greater stewardship. It would seem that God created productivity to be part of the human personality and those who won’t work won’t eat [2Thes 3:10-13]. The law was not made for the righteous man but for the unrighteous [1Tim 1:9], the lazy, the proud, the busybody, and anyone else who would see their personal agenda as greater than God’s purpose.

And God’s “equity” is based on one’s ability not some artificial standard where everyone lives as Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos. We need to be content and happy at what our hand finds to do and do it well. From the very beginning every human being was gifted toward a unique function within the body of Christ [Rom 12:4-21].

1 Peter 1:17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth: NASU

III.   What is Dystopia and Where Do We See it in Real Life?

Contrast this with the “utopian” idea of a perfect society as envisioned by man. The communists, socialists, and elitists have and are trying to move society toward that end. Look at any large city with the myriad of problems created by their social policies of “equality” and “equity”.

Here are some excerpts from an article I found regarding what secular writers are calling “dystopian” regarding the present direction of our world.

A dystopia is an imagined state or society in which the conditions of life are extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.

We see dystopias in books and movies all the time. But where do we see them in reality? There are many examples of dystopian societies throughout history, fiction, and even right in front of our eyes today.

1.                    Dystopian Societies in Fiction

There are many examples of dystopian societies in fiction. A few examples include The Hunger Games, 1984, and Brave New World. In each of these stories, the society is controlled by a powerful government or dictator who restricts freedom and imposes strict rules on the citizens. These societies are often characterized by poverty, oppression, and inequality.

The Hunger Games is a dystopia because the citizens are forced to fight each other to the death in an arena for entertainment.

1984 is dystopic because people are constantly being watched by “Big Brother” and their freedom of speech, thought, and expression is restricted.

Brave New World portrays a dystopia where people have no freedom or individualism; they exist only as part of society’s collective consciousness.

Fahrenheit 451 is dystopic because the government has banned books and reading. People are forced to live in a society where they cannot be educated or learn about anything new.

V for Vendetta: The government controls every aspect of people’s lives and oppresses them through fear and violence.

2.                   Dystopias in History

There are many examples of dystopian societies throughout history.

The Soviet Union under Stalin; Nazi Germany; China during the Cultural Revolution. All of these societies have one thing in common – they are repressive, totalitarian regimes where the government controls all aspects of people’s lives. People are not free to speak their minds or criticize the government. They are often poor and oppressed and live in fear of the authorities; they are constantly monitored for compliance and all levels of public communication are censored and filtered. Under such a regime, atrocities can take place under the noses of its citizens with very little protest. Consider the governments mentioned above. They are still among us and are manifesting everywhere.

3.                   Dystopian Societies Today

A dystopia, by definition, is a society that is characterized by the absence of individual freedom and happiness. In other words, it’s a society in which the citizens are not able to live a happy and fulfilling life.

While we’ve seen that such dystopian societies can be found in books, movies, and TV shows, they can also be seen in our world today.

a)    For example, the dystopian society that we see in North Korea.

In North Korea, the citizens are not allowed to have any freedom of expression or freedom of movement. They are also not allowed to own anything, and they are constantly watched by the government.

b)   Another example of a dystopian society is China.

In China, the government monitors all internet activity, and there is a great deal of censorship. Additionally, the citizens are not allowed to protest or speak out against the government.

In such a society life is extremely bad or oppressive due to deprivation, oppression, or terror. With the growing wealth gap, poverty level players in first world economies are progressively asserting that they too live in a dystopic world. One where a wealthy few control the masses.

In summary: A dystopia is a society that is characterized by its negative aspects. It can be defined as a society where the conditions of life are extremely bad, often due to poverty, war, or political repression. A dystopia can also be seen as a society that is in decay or decline. It’s important to remember that dystopias are not just fictional worlds; they exist all around us.

Matthew 24:12-13 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. NASU