The New World Will Be Good and Stay Good

by Rolaant McKenzie

The Incredibles (2004) was the first of two American animated films directed by Brad Bird that followed the lives of Bob and Helen Parr, husband and wife superheroes known as Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, as they tried to live a quiet, normal suburban life with their three children.

Due to multiple lawsuits for collateral damage and personal injuries because of their efforts to protect and rescue people with their superhuman abilities, public sentiment began to turn against Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, and other superheroes. In response to this, the United States government settled all legal claims and created the Superhero Relocation Program, which banned all "supers" from using their powers in public and forcing them into hiding with civilian identities and occupations.

Fifteen years later, living in Metroville, Illinois, with Helen and their children Violet, Dash, and baby Jack-Jack, Bob was bored and frustrated with his job as a claims adjuster and missed the glory days of being a superhero. His desire to help people with his superpowers opened the door to an opportunity he did not expect, and it drew his whole family into a confrontation with a supervillain that tested the limits of their individual powers and ability to work together as a family.

The movie included a brief moment of a television interview with Mr. Incredible. Though said humorously, he made an observation to the interviewer that suggested the tendency to disorderliness in the world:

"No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved, you know? For a little bit. I feel like the maid. I just cleaned up this mess. Can we keep it clean for ten minutes?!"

The Parr family defeated the villain and saved the people of Municiberg, California, from his evil designs. As a result, the law banning superhero activity was discontinued, making the "supers" legal again.

Back at home in Metroville three months later, seeming to support the point Mr. Incredible made in the previous interview, another supervillain revealed himself, declaring his intention to wage war against the peace and happiness of the people of the city.

Joshua, whom God used to victoriously lead Israel into their inheritance in the Promised Land, was careful all his days to encourage Israel to be faithful to God. As long as the people of Israel were obedient to God, they experienced victory on the battlefield, freedom, prosperity, and protection from their enemies. After his death and those of his contemporaries, Israel drifted away from the worship of the only true God to follow false gods that caused the degeneration of their society and brought down judgment on them.

This started a more than 400-year cycle of the people of Israel being faithful to the Lord under the leadership of a God-appointed judge and enjoying His blessings, turning away from the Lord after the death of the judge and suffering deprivation and oppression from their enemies, crying out to the Lord for deliverance, and the Lord raising a judge to lead them from captivity and back to faithfulness to God.

This tragic period of Israel's history could be summarized by the last passage of Judges:

"In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25)

No matter how long a judge lived to repair the harm Israel's disloyalty to God caused and return the people to faithfulness, things would not remain good once and for all. The people of Israel would once again reject God as their king, set aside His word, and follow the dictates of their own sinful desires, leading to great suffering.

The Book of Judges demonstrates the love and faithfulness of God, who never failed to graciously receive His people when they repented of their wicked ways and called on His name (Judges 2:18).

While we do not have extraordinary powers like the superheroes of The Incredibles, we often share the desire to make the lives of those around us better with the abilities with which God has blessed us. That is, to be extensions of His love, grace, and generosity in this imperfect world. But we often discover that our efforts to heal things do not last very long.

We can see this in simple things like owning a house or car. Neither a house nor a car, once cleaned or repaired, remains that way ever after. Continual maintenance is needed in order to keep them functioning as designed. Even then, they eventually wear out over time and can no longer fulfill their purpose.

But God in His grace and mercy has raised up a Judge to deliver us from this cycle of decay, depravity, and death caused by the presence of sin in us and the world (Acts 17:30-31).

"For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." (John 5:22-24)

Jesus' death for sinners on the cross and resurrection from the dead utterly defeated the devil and his supervillains' attempt to destroy humanity so that it may share their destination in the lake of fire. Satan was disarmed of his weapon of using our guilt to keep us eternally separated from God (Colossians 2:9-15; Romans 8:37-39).

All who trust in Jesus are delivered from Satan's dark kingdom of death and destruction and have entrance into His eternal kingdom. In the new heavens and earth (Colossians 1:13; 2 Peter 3:10-13) He will create, there will be no sin in us or around us. No mourning, tears, suffering, or death. The perishable will be replaced by the imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:16-57; Isaiah 65:17-19; Revelation 21).

Everything in the new world will be good and stay good. Be there! It is for you in Christ Jesus.