Quote at ByFaithOnline

Dick Doster outlines an eschatological view of culture in his article at byFaithOnline, "In the End, God Redeems [Humans'] Work for the Sake of His Glory." He uses my quotes of Hoekema, Mouw, and others from chapters 4 and 7, and cites my book toward the end:

In his book Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, journalist Nathan Bierma quotes Robert McAfee Brown, who said, "God's message is never: Turn away from this sinful world and find me somewhere else. God's message is: Immerse yourselves in this sinful world that so desperately needs words and acts of healing, and you will find you are not alone, for I am already there, summoning you to help me."

Christians at work in the secular world are not biding their time, waiting for eternal retirement. Rather, they are looking forward to the consummation of Christ's kingdom when they will rule, fill, and subdue the Earth—free from every sin—and for no other reasons than to glorify God and love their neighbors.

Monday morning—in business offices and art studios—Christians are to be fully engaged in creating the world's culture. Their work is to illustrate the cosmic scope of Christ's redemptive plan. Their eight to 10 hours a day—in marketing, teaching, or governing—is, Bierma points out, a means of preparing themselves and the world around them for the end of worldliness. They are, as they make their way to work each morning, to ask God to transform them and their surroundings "from people and places of worldly pride to people and places of godly goodness."