"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man." Jesus, recorded in Luke 17:26.
On Facebook, I follow a little "comic" strip entitled Coffee With Jesus. Today's strip had Jesus sipping His usual cup with Lisa, who comments on the flags seeming to be at half staff most of the time. Jesus then quotes from Genesis, describing life in the time before the flood, to which Lisa remarks that Jesus just doesn't seem all that cheerful about things. To which Jesus responds with the verse that I quoted above from Luke's Gospel.
In quite a few conversations that I have with people, there seems to be this thought that, somehow, things are going to get better. If we get God back into the schools (as though He ever left in the first place), then things will get better. If we elect the right God-fearing leaders, then things will get better. If we just get people back to attending worship services again, then things will get better. While these are hardly exhaustive, there truly seems to be this thought out there, touching on many areas of life.
The problem is, that's not exactly the picture that God paints of life in this world. Now, we could take the quote from Jesus above too far if we tried to directly compare this time and the time before the flood. After all, a total of 8 people were rescued in the flood. The rest of the world faced judgment in the flood, and then before the one true God. I think everyone would agree that we fervently hope and pray that there will always be more than 8 faithful souls in the world.
Yet, Jesus doesn't pull any punches. Life in this world isn't going to get better. If anything, people are going to indulge their sinful natures more and more. Such a thing even continually seeks to creep into God's people, who realize this and more firmly cling to the hope that is theirs, not in their own faithfulness, but in God's faithfulness to them in Jesus. Jesus Himself would say that life in this world for His followers will be a life of trouble and trial. Not if, but when. It will happen. Be ready for it.
So what's the good news, then? On the day of Jesus, a new creation will emerge in which things will be according to God's perfect will and design. We don't await a day in this creation in which everything will be better. We await the new creation, in which nothing will ever depart from God's holy will and design. No, things will not get better in this world. But when Jesus reappears and the new creation comes into its full being, things will be perfect, and that will endure forever.
On Facebook, I follow a little "comic" strip entitled Coffee With Jesus. Today's strip had Jesus sipping His usual cup with Lisa, who comments on the flags seeming to be at half staff most of the time. Jesus then quotes from Genesis, describing life in the time before the flood, to which Lisa remarks that Jesus just doesn't seem all that cheerful about things. To which Jesus responds with the verse that I quoted above from Luke's Gospel.
In quite a few conversations that I have with people, there seems to be this thought that, somehow, things are going to get better. If we get God back into the schools (as though He ever left in the first place), then things will get better. If we elect the right God-fearing leaders, then things will get better. If we just get people back to attending worship services again, then things will get better. While these are hardly exhaustive, there truly seems to be this thought out there, touching on many areas of life.
The problem is, that's not exactly the picture that God paints of life in this world. Now, we could take the quote from Jesus above too far if we tried to directly compare this time and the time before the flood. After all, a total of 8 people were rescued in the flood. The rest of the world faced judgment in the flood, and then before the one true God. I think everyone would agree that we fervently hope and pray that there will always be more than 8 faithful souls in the world.
Yet, Jesus doesn't pull any punches. Life in this world isn't going to get better. If anything, people are going to indulge their sinful natures more and more. Such a thing even continually seeks to creep into God's people, who realize this and more firmly cling to the hope that is theirs, not in their own faithfulness, but in God's faithfulness to them in Jesus. Jesus Himself would say that life in this world for His followers will be a life of trouble and trial. Not if, but when. It will happen. Be ready for it.
So what's the good news, then? On the day of Jesus, a new creation will emerge in which things will be according to God's perfect will and design. We don't await a day in this creation in which everything will be better. We await the new creation, in which nothing will ever depart from God's holy will and design. No, things will not get better in this world. But when Jesus reappears and the new creation comes into its full being, things will be perfect, and that will endure forever.
Thank you, Scott! This helps me to make some sense out of a crazy world.
ReplyDeleteDenise Kelley
Sure gives us a sense of encouragement and something to look forward to with our increasing world problems.
ReplyDelete