Unbound: Freedom in a Digital WorldSample

Clickbait drives me mad! Mostly because it works. It's so clever. An intriguing first half of a sentence that you can only read the rest of if you click on the link. Good click bait keeps just a little bit of mystery. There is something about that mystery that pulls us in and entices us. We just have to find out what thing just happened that shocked the college basketball landscape or the super secret natural moisturizer that keeps skin healthy and wrinkle free or the only three ingredients really needed for the world's most delicious brownies!

Be honest, you really want to know the answer to at least one of those things even though you know I just made them up. Our curiosity is real to our humanity. It is embedded innately in the core of who we are. I think it is what God uses to propel us into a relationship with him. One of my favorite bands, NeedtoBreathe, released a song last year called Into The Mystery. The lyrics go like this,

“It's hard to see it

And still believe it

You have always lived deep inside my heart

I need to know you

Would swim the unknown seas

And follow me into the mystery

From my shallow grave, I've prayed to find

The strength to crawl, the strength to climb

Up to the surface, untie my hands

Sorrow had a purpose but it's time to stand

'Cause I just wanna be loved by you

I cannot resist the need to hear you say it

Whatever you do, I will be there

Son, I will follow you anywhere

Into the mystery”

The lyrics capture well what Paul contends in the short chunk of scripture. For ages and generations the great mystery has been kept a secret but it has been revealed to us today. What is this great mystery, well to find out click this link…

No! I'm kidding. The great mystery according to Paul is "Christ in you the hope of glory." In Pauline theology, this is referred to as union with Christ. Paul refers to this concept over 160 times in his writings. It is incredibly difficult to comprehend, hence the mystery! We are united with Christ or Christ is united with us in a variety of ways. Our identity is now in Christ and marked by his historical actions such as death, burial, and resurrection. Our morality is now found in Christ as we live into his virtue. Our maturity grows in Christ likeness as we grow into him. Our standing before God is now united with Christ in his righteousness. Our place in the church as the church, is now with Christ as his body. Likewise, this is a mutual indwelling. Christ dwells in us and also we dwell in him.

This is important for our study because as we allow technology a greater place in our life we are also introducing technology into our union with Christ. If Christ is in us and we are in Christ then as we add and increase the usage of technology in our life we are also increasing the usage of technology in Jesus' life. That might sound insane! And you might just shake your head no. Yet, this is standard Pauline theology. In fact Paul argues this specifically in regards to why a man shouldn't take a prostitute in 1 Corinthians 6.

So what should we do? Well we should be reminded today that Christ in us is the hope of glory! Our union with Christ gives us hope for his return and redemption. We really do not need anything that technology provides us for our eternal glory. We do desperately need union with Christ. It’s the greatest mystery in the history of the world. It’s the only clickbait that is actually real. Our union with Christ allows us to see our phones, social media, gaming, and any other variety of digital technology as a useful tool for this present life but completely useless in eternity.

Practice union with Christ today without digital technology of any kind. Take a walk in God's creation without your smart watch. Cook a meal without setting an Alexa timer. Have a conversation with a close friend without showing them the funny GIF you saw on social media.