For a few years now, I have found it rather disturbing to hear and read comments made by some Christian people immediately following tragic events happening around the world. Drought, famine, fire, floods, tornadoes, cyclones, earthquakes, political and economic upheaval, war … whether it is factual or not, all of them do seem to be happening at an exponential level now. And given that Jesus has told us that such events give witness to signs of the times and the end of this age, it is only right that as Christians we should be speaking about them and the fact that they are signs of the Lord’s impending return.
However, what I do not believe to be helpful is the part-truth comments and statements being made by my fellow believers in Christ. Take the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, where it is believed the death rate was anything from 230,000 to 400,000 people. Of that tragedy, some Christian men and women were quick to point out something like, “This is God’s judgment taking place upon those heathen, anti-Christ nations! His patience has run out!” How about the 2010 earthquake in Haiti? Supposedly over 300,000 people killed and 1,000,000 made homeless. One Christian man says they were under God’s curse and hundreds of Christians agreed with Him.
In the 2010 Chile earthquake, hundreds of people died, thousands more made homeless. In speaking personally with a couple of Christians and reading the website blogs of others, Chile was, “just another example of God’s judgment upon unrepentant sinners. God will not be mocked!” In the recent devastating floods in the states of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria here in Australia, I’ve heard and read similar statements, “This is God’s judgment upon the filth, sin and corruption of this land. People who think they can continue with that kind of lifestyle and ignore the warnings of a Holy and righteous God had better think again! ‘Vengeance is mine,’ sayeth the Lord, ‘I will repay’ – bless God hallelujah!”
And now to Christchurch City, New Zealand, 22 February 2011. Just like Haiti and Chile there’s total devastation to individual people, babies, children, families, homes and businesses galore. A few casual glances at Christian blogs and social media, however, leave us in no doubt that this is the work of a wrathful God who was very angry at that city’s lack of repentance and thanks-giving to God for the sparing of lives in the severe earthquake 5 months earlier. Comments: “Those who think they’re Christians will perish through lack of knowledge and a real relationship with Christ.” “Those who obey Him will be blessed, those who disobey will experience judgment.” “This is no time to mess with the grace of God.”
More. “This is serious. God is warning the heathen; it’s time to repent, or else!” “God showed me about this earthquake … His wrathful hand was upon it!” “Only the hard-hearted will deny what’s happening here; this is the beginning of sorrows, as Jesus said. Just you watch!” “This is no coincidence that it’s happening in Christ’s Church.” “My pastor told us we’re in for perilous times; they’re here now.” Now, with regards to Christchurch, Chile and Haiti, so far as I can tell, these comments have not come from Christians living in those countries. All of them seem to be coming from other nations. I find this rather interesting given the deplorable spiritual state of Christendom in their own backyard; but that is not the issue for this post.
The issue is, nowhere have I heard or read God’s full story with regards these matters. It’s been the constant, one-sided story. The only message coming across from these people is the offence of God, the impatience of God, the wrath of God, the judgment of God, His hatred of sin and His forthcoming punishment of willful, disobedient sinners. In other words, as is so typical of many Christians all over the world, part-truths are being proclaimed at the expense of whole truths. Yes, God is a God of wrath, but He’s also a God of love and compassion. Yes, God is a God of judgment, but He’s also a God of mercy. Yes, God is a God of punishment, but He’s also a God of forgiveness and acquittal. Yes, there is the curse of God, but there’s also the blessing of God.
One can never know what’s going on inside the heart and mind of another Christian, but if a messenger of God constantly fails to include the truth about God’s love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, acquittal and blessing when he or she claims to be speaking for Him I have to ask myself, how much of that same love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, acquittal and blessing has that person experienced for themselves? This is not a judgment, it is a question. How much of each has been experienced? It’s my personal belief that what is regularly experienced is sure to get regularly imparted. How common it is for Christians to look down on those who are outside of God’s kingdom. It never gets verbalized but it shows up all too often.
They chastised Jesus for being a “Friend of sinners” Matthew 11:19 and so He was. Jesus never looked down on anyone, He disgraced no one, He openly offered compassion, forgiveness and love to the lowest of the low, the dregs of His society. Who are we to express less? It was not until I began to meditate on these part-truth messages coming forth from my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ did I begin also to meditate on Jesus’ rebuke to the Pharisee, Simon Luke 7:36-50, particularly Verse 47. Something else I’ve noticed about some fellow Christians, they are fond of telling us that we’re living in the Laodicean church age Revelation 3:14-22, which we are, but the question is, are some also living in the loveless age? Revelation 2:1-7.
Speaking of the loveless age, it is appropriate now to address the other part-truth messengers, also claiming to be speaking on God’s behalf. These too have a constant one-sided story. I’m referring to the “ordained” – the “clergy” of the “church.” That is, the religious media-darlings in the pulpit, the reverends, the very-reverends, the spiritual cowards, the politically correct and all others who deny the offence, the wrath, the judgment, the punishment and the curse of God. In spite of appearances to the contrary, such men are loveless. They have no godly love for God and no godly love for people. How come? Because they deny His written word which clearly declares God’s forthcoming judgments.
When asked by the media if these tragedies are the hand of God upon a sinful world, all too often they are quickly responding with a definite, “NO.” Then they go into all sorts of ungodly theological jargon to explain away these events as simply acts of nature. It may be difficult to know for sure if God is judging through these tragic events, but they are wake-up calls and these men should be telling us this fact. To disbelieve and or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God. Therefore, if there’s no repentance forthcoming for such disbelief or disobedience, God will bring His wrath, judgment, punishment and curse down upon them. And if they don’t experience that in this age, they’ll experience it in the eternal age.
Societies everywhere thrive on half-truths and it seems the Christian society is no exception. So very few there appear to be who would forever be living in the question with God. That is, there appears to be very few who are seeking to increasingly know the mind and word of God. Rather, the choice seems to be one of “getting my doctrines down pat … signed-off … sealed and delivered!” How inflexible such a person then becomes for the Holy Spirit of God to work through. “God-in-a-box” is how such behavior can be described. Many there are who believe they can tell us about the word of God, but few there are who can tell us about the God of the word.
So what am I saying? I am saying that the word of God is the Bible. And the will and mind of God for all mankind is to be found nowhere else but in the Bible. I am saying that for a person to have a deep insight and understanding of God’s love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness, he or she must also have a deep insight and understanding of His anger, wrath and forthcoming judgment against sin. God loves sinners, but He hates their sin. That is what John 3:16 is all about. And God has gone to the uttermost to keep everyone of us from perishing (hell). That is why the Scriptures tell us that God Himself became a Man and came to this earth to die as a substitute for us all.
The Bible declares that this message is to be received by repentance and faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. It is known as saving-faith – salvation. Salvation is the gift of God. Salvation is deliverance from the guilt and penalties of our personal sin. Salvation is the experience of enjoying God’s unchanging favors upon us. All of which is confirmed by the Holy Spirit of God, Whom Jesus sent to live within us individually, enabling each of us to live the new life that God requires. That’s the Good News of the Bible; that’s what ‘gospel’ means. On the other hand, if we choose to reject this message along with the Lord Who gave it, then we send ourselves to hell, God doesn’t send us there.
A Bible teacher once said, “The grandest deceptions of all are those things that are mostly true.” It’s a statement that continues to burn deep into my soul. Deceptions are rampant in the church. As spokes-persons for the Lord Jesus Christ, we may have many differing views on certain doctrines of Scripture, but there can be no room for differing views when it comes to the doctrine of salvation and how to become a recipient of it. Our eternal destiny hangs on that; there is a heaven, there is a hell. And right now, the Trinity of God is doing everything possible to get us into the former and keep us out of the latter. If this were not true, there would be no mention of it in Scripture 2 Peter 3:9.
For many Christians, it is time to stop dishonoring God and get rid of the constant one-sided story. It’s time to stop thinking of ourselves as God’s little defenders of truth and, it’s time to stop putting ourselves above God by adding to and subtracting from the Scriptures. We can argue otherwise till we’re black and blue. We can jump up and down, we can stand on our heads and look sideways to London if we want to, but it’ll change nothing. It is the Truth that sets us free, not part-truth. “…….But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Luke 7:47. “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” Acts 20:27. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.