“It’s Not the End of the World”
Whenever you complain about how bad things are or how horrible a situation has turned out, someone like a parent, spouse or friend would say “It’s not the end of the world, but you can see it from here.”
Life Stinks!
When God created the world, He did so with man in mind. The world as God planned it was perfect. In fact, it was “very good.” I know this because the Creator made that appraisal Himself. However, with the introduction of sin not only was paradise lost, but mankind also found himself cursed outside the Garden of Eden. Now, life stinks because of the consequences of sin. This includes the sin of our forefathers, ourselves, and others.
One reason life stinks is all the wickedness in the world. Mothers are hiring hit men to snuff the life of their unborn child from the safety of the womb. Marriages often end in ugly, hateful divorces. The Supreme Court has changed the definition of marriage to include homosexual couples. Although God made humans male and female, transgenderism mocks the Creator. Adam and Eve were married but were even ashamed before the all-seeing God when they discovered they were naked. Yet more and more people are finding more and more justifications for nudity. Whatever is not locked up, locked down, guarded and monitored is stolen. Remember “righteous” Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)” (2 Peter 2:7,8).
All the man-made religions of the world make life reek of confusion and divisiveness. There are over two thousand Christian denominations alone in America. The Sunday morning worship hour remains one of the most segregated moments of the week. Furthermore, there are 1.7 billion Muslims in the world worshiping Allah of The Qur’an on Friday. On the Sabbath Jews gather to worship God while still awaiting the rejected Messiah. Not to mention all the Buddhists, Hindus, Taoists, etc. resulting in even more religious division and confusion.
Churches of Christ strive to pattern themselves after the New Testament and rightly so. However, many are small and without leadership or resources. Vastly outnumbered with few obeying the Gospel causes the future to look bleak. Many have turned to the social gospel and watered-down preaching in hopes of saving the church by destroying it.
New Testament Christians are not exempt from the trials and tribulations of life. Parenting children is a real challenge in the world where immoral mass media floods into every moment of the day. More and more youths are lost to the world. Financial and health problems constrain and pain the family. Broken homes are now common afflictions for Christian families. Many of the things which make life stink cannot ever be changed. The poor will always be with us. There will always be wars. Not everyone will obey the Gospel. Pride and prejudice will exist in all societies. And one day this world will burn up.
Yes, life can stink. No wonder so many Christians walk around like they were weaned on a dill pickle. Focusing on the negatives will surely make life to appear not worth living. However…
Life is Great!
God has always been aware of the plight of mankind. When life stunk for the average Israelite slave in Egypt, God heard. Pharaoh made life as hard as he could on Israel. “Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning” (Ex. 2:23,24). So, God raised up Moses to rescue Israel.
God still hears the groanings of his people and has done something about it. He sent His Son (John 3;16). Now we have a High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for us. “Because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb 7:24-25). Because we have been born again, we have a forgiving Father whose mercy never expires. All our sins have been washed away. Because of the blood of Christ our sins continue to be washed away every day as we repent and confess them (1 John 1:7-10).
No problem is too big, and concern is too small for us to bring to our Father in Heaven. “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Because God is our Father we have a big support group called the family of God. You are not alone as a Christian. “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Heb 13:5-6).
Additionally, there are brethren whom we can turn to for prayer. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). Consider all the other “one another” commands for saints to aid one another. Because of prayer we have a hotline to heaven that is never offline. “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22). “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14,15).
Since we have all spiritual blessings in Christ, we have an endless supply of riches that cannot be stolen or taxed. Money cannot buy the blessings and the Government cannot tax them. Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:19-21). Finally, we have the Bible, the Word of God, giving us an infallible map to guide us through life. “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105).
Life Eternal is Perfect!
Even with all the blessings of being a child of God, life on earth as a Christian is not perfect or without its pain and grief. But the life to come in Heaven is perfect. All of us will grow old and die. But thanks to Christ’s resurrection, we will have a body that will not be corrupted in the next life. Paul contrasts our body as temporary tent to house the soul which awaits a more permanent dwelling. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor 4:16-18).
In heaven there will be no more illnesses leading to misery and death. Heaven is a place where we will never grow old or sick. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21:4). The promise of heaven is a sure thing for the faithful. Because God keeps His promises, we have an inheritance that can never be taken away. “You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Eph 1:13-14). We were saved to have “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).
Finally, because Jesus has resurrected and ascended into Heaven, we have a home prepared after this journey is over. Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know” (John 14:1-4)
Life can be rough but “it is not the end of the world.” For the faithful Christian, the end of the world is not a negative thing. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
– Daniel R. Vess