Why is our world in such a mess? This seems to be a question on many people’s minds. If you are a Christian, the answer is simple. The bottom-line answer is sin! When God created our world, it was perfect. That’s hard for us to imagine, but it is how God intended for us to live. There was no sin in the beginning. God the creator of all cannot sin. He is holy, and in I John 1:5, God is light and in Him, there is no darkness. In II Corinthians 5:21, Jesus, who is God in the flesh, became sin for us, to die in our place, yet he never sinned. God is so pure, and in Habakkuk 1:13 we learn He cannot look upon sin. That is why He turned His back on Jesus, His only Son when our sin was poured out on Him on the cross. Sin is the reason we are in such a mess.
II Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Habakkuk 1:13 “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:”
While the state of the world is shocking and alarming to us today, it shouldn’t be. We are not in a situation that is new. In the days of Noah, the Bible says men were evil and it grieved God because of the behavior of mankind. When he looked at the entire population of the earth, He only found one man and His family that was willing to put Him first and follow His direction. Genesis 6:8 tells us that Noah found grace in the eyes of God. God gave Noah instructions to build the Ark of safety. It was an offer of safety to all, but all would not listen and enter in. God gave them 120 years to repent and believe. That was the time span from the time God spoke to Noah until the flood begins. As a result of their hard hearts and selfish desires, all life perished. They failed to receive the safety God provided through Noah’s obedience.
Gen 6:8 “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”
If you read through the Bible, you will understand what is happening in the world today. We have the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19, where God gave ample opportunity for them to repent, but they chose their wicked lifestyle instead. We find time after time when the Israelites would turn away from following God they would become enslaved or suffer because of their sins. Over and over their prophets or leaders would cry out to God, and God would hear their prayer, people would repent, and God would forgive. However, it wasn’t long before they would fall back to their old ways and destruction would come again. God used calamity to get their attention while there was still time to turn to Him.
II Corinthians 6:2 “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
There was always a remnant of people to stand in the gap and plead with God for the lives of others. Leaders like Abraham, pleading for those in Sodom and Gomorrah, Moses pleading for the Israelites, Joshua, and Caleb, trying to encourage the Israelites’ to follow the path God had for them. Paul, John, Peter, and the other apostles preaching the gospel, seeking to convince others to believe in Jesus.
These examples teach us we cannot fix the injustice and turmoil in the world on our own. For any real solutions, we must present Christ as the answer. Yes, there will be times of peace and times when things seem normal, but when we try to solve the world’s problems without God, it’s as if we have applied a band-aid to a body infected with cancer.
Should we keep trying when we know most will not listen or change? Yes, we are called to be a light in a dark world. We are challenged to reach out and help those in need, giving them physical and spiritual help. We have the answer, and if we reach just one it will be worth it. We must understand God is actively involved in the world’s affairs. He knows all and is still seeking to save those who will turn to Him. He is still in control. God’s desire is that all will be reconciled to Him.
II Corinthians 5:19 “that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”
So, what does all the turmoil and disease mean? It means the same thing it meant in times past. Sin is rampant, but God is still seeking to save. Are the events a sign that Jesus is coming soon? While I believe that Jesus could come at any time, only God the Father knows the exact time. One day God will turn to His Son, and tell Him to go get His children.
Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
How do we react and handle things until Jesus returns? We keep loving people. It does not matter the color of their skin, the type of lifestyle they live, or the deeds they have done. Jesus died for all, and God wants all to be saved. No matter what a person has done, God loves them and their sin is no greater than mine. It only takes one sin, one lie, one life of unbelief, to send a person to Hell. Yet, it only takes one prayer to change their destiny to Heaven. We have been left here to show others the way, and we will give an account to God for how we have lived this life as a Christian.
Our attitudes must change. We cannot allow the world and culture to determine what is right, and how we should respond to the turmoil. The Bible is always the answer. It is time for all Christians to study to know the mind of Christ and act accordingly. We need to be busy! We need to love unconditionally, teach with the purpose of bringing others to Christ, help those who are saved to grow, and live our lives as an example of what God can, and will do, in the life of all who believe.
