Luke 13:1-5
[1] There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
[2] And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?
[3] No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
[4] Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?
[5] No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
In the light of recent disasters breaking out in Japan, there will be many who no doubt raise the question “If God is a God of love, how can He let these things happen to those who are innocent?” or “If God is a God of love, why is there so much suffering in the world?” . I believe these are reasonable questions to ask of those who claim to preach the Gospel message, and for those of us who do, I believe we ought to think carefully how we answer. After all, what do your own personal thoughts and opinions matter to those who have just lost everything that was dear to them? What weak excuses are we going to offer those who suffer, for the reasons the Creator of the heavens and earth has crushed them so?
Unfortunately the Gospel truth is a message that has been eroded from all sides, and has especially been twisted and distorted from within, by those masquerading as Christian believers. The Bible warns clearly of these false teachers, and labels them as “wolves in sheeps clothing”, for they are children of the devil, out to devour whom they may. There are many, many such people, and too many to name all. But for the sake of example, the first two that spring to my mind would be Rob Bell, and Brian MacLaren, who between them seem to have attacked with all their strength, the truth of the sacrifice Christ suffered on behalf of sinners. Their false message erases the righteousness and holiness of Almighty God, and portrays Him as a wishy washy, iffeminate, and desperate being in search of those who will consider loving Him. The likes of Bell and MacLaren deny the punishment of God’s wrath that is promised upon sinners at the return of Christ, and totally deny the reality of the eternal damnation of those who remain in sins by rejecting the only sacrifice that can save them. In other words, these so called Christians are actually sending people to hell forever!
It is not therefore my desire to offer comfort from my own thoughts and ideas, nor is it my desire to put a little “spin” on the character of God to make Him more acceptable to those who do not believe. It is not expected of me or any other Christian to save anyone, but rather share the true Gospel that God says is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” [Rom 1:16]. It is He that saves those He chooses to save, and He does so through the preaching of the Gospel message, namely that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, and has been sent to die for the sins of all who believe, and has risen from the dead as the firstfruits of those He shall raise up to be with Him when He returns. These are not my ideas or interpretations, but those revealed by God in His Word [1 Cor 15:1-8], which have been testified to by many first hand witnesses. And it is the belief, or the unbelief in this message that will have eternal consequences for us all [John 3:16-18].
As for the questions posed at the start of this article, I believe it is utter foolishness to suggest that such disasters are not of God, for to do so is also to suggest He is not in control of the very universe He created. Not only that, but it would also fly in the face of His Word in the Bible that He shows that such disasters are directly from His hand. But before we incorrectly jump to wrong conclusions about His character, we would be best off firstly thinking about the opening text of this article found in Luke 13:1-5 . Worldly disasters are not sent of God to simply punish those who deserve to be punished, for if He did that we are all doomed! As it states in Luke 13:5 , “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” and that most definitely includes me and every other Christian in history. Rather the disasters and hatred, the wars and rumours of wars, the famine and pestilence, the earthquakes and floods; they are quite simply the “birth pangs” of a coming disaster that shall overtake the whole world when Christ returns [Matt 24:5-8]. For at His return, which many will scoff at right now, He will cause both the living and the dead to stand before His judgment seat, and all whose names are not written in the Book of Life {those who have not believed the Gospel}, shall be cast into eternal damnation as a penalty for their sins. The whole of the created order will be dissolved, and a new heavens and earth will be revealed, where those who have believed upon Christ for salvation will dwell with Him for eternity [Rev 21:1-4].
When God all but destroyed mankind in the flood at the time of Noah, He made a covenant with Noah that He would never again destroy mankind by a flood of water, even though all men are sinners and all deserve to perish. From then until the birth pangs we witness now, God has extended His grace and mercy to mankind, bearing with their sinfulness patiently, and calling them into His salvation. Through the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God, we see the patience of God, and the true love of God displayed in full measure. For even though we deserve to perish, we hear the comforting words of the Gospel message:
1 John 4:8-10
[8] Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
[9] In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
[10] In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
We are all sinners, and the disasters we witness, the very disasters that break our hearts for those who perish; rather than looking at them and waving our fist angrily at God, we should cry out to Him for salvation, for the day is approaching when that disaster will overtake all who remain in their sins. So it is my exhortation to all who read this message, with all that is within me I cry “Repent and believe the Gospel of Christ crucified and risen again!” . And to those who choose to scoff and ignore my cry, I call to your attention the Word of the Lord:
2 Peter 3:1-13
[1] This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,
[2] that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,
[3] knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
[4] They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
[5] For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,
[6] and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.
[7] But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
[8] But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
[9] The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
[10] But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
[11] Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
[12] waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
[13] But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
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