Ramon Arias | November 26, 2012
For thousands of years, man has been playing god, he wants to be supreme, divine, making his word absolute, but what does history reveal? History reveals that this mentality has always ended in utter failure. While man promises benefits for some, it must be done upon the destruction of others. The tragedy translates to the slaughtering of millions upon millions of people and the misery carries through from generation to generation. The amazing factor is that individuals make the same stupid mistakes over and over again by allowing evil intentioned people to lead them in the wrong direction. That is, until they fully recognize that man is not divine, neither is his word absolute, nor his way the only way because his lies are uncovered every time.
Who is in total control of the world?
The answer depends on whom you are asking. Man wants to believe it is his ideology or religion that dictates how man should live. A quick look at history reveals the ill effects of such worldview. We can expect non-Christians to be utterly confused, but what is the excuse for all professing Christians who allow their minds to be twisted and misguided?
What good is it for Christians to believe in God and believe He is the Creator of all visible and invisible things if they are part of the social problem when they embrace outrageous ideas as their truth? They become no better than the most pagan or ungodly individuals in society.
If the nation and the world are not getting any better let’s not blame the devil, Muslims, atheist, Marxists, socialists, humanists, Hindus, Buddhist, or any other human idea and evil action, or sickened behavior. Let’s put the blame where it belongs, squarely on the shoulders of Christianity. For the most part, Christianity is the biggest culprit that has abandoned the truth of God for the lies of man.
People who reject Jesus’ Lordship and Salvation are already condemned.
John 3:16 is more than well known, and most Christians can quote it by memory, but, what about the context that follows?
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God” (John 3:17-21).
Any misguided person, regardless of his or her status in life that believes and teaches that God’s moral law does not apply to all humans is a voice for destruction and misery. It is impossible for God to set two different standards by which man should live. Just as the laws of physics apply to all things and violation to the same has consequences, so are God’s moral laws. If you call yourself a Christian or by any other name to say that you are in right standing with the God of the Bible, then you must remember Jesus’ admonition:
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).
You and I doing God’s works is the way God stops corruption; you and I are to demonstrate the sense to life’s meaning and purpose. If we refuse to be God’s solution to a decaying society then there are consequences, God has no use for our lives and we must pay the price for rejecting our place in life, “It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”
Jesus told the Jews, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) and “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5).
Christ was sent by God to save those who will believe and accept His offer of salvation in order to receive the new nature. Jesus remained loyal to God’s will and conquered the evil one and all his forces. He was faithful in obedience to all of God’s moral law. He is the perfect example for all to follow. God the Father expects all his children to be His light for others to follow and become free from the chains of sin and death.
When Jesus said, “You are the light of the world” that is exactly what He meant. Light is the expression of God’s knowledge and wisdom. The two most vital and powerful ingredients humans need in order to solve all their ills and be able to destroy evil to acquire peace and prosperity to flow like a river. Once the light is on, there is not enough darkness that can overcome it; the only way for the light to be overcome by darkness is to be turned off. By this token, it is a grave consequence for God’s followers to stop being the light when they choose to reject God’s revealed truth.
However, when we are determined to make God’s ways known then we joyfully accept to live by His truth to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
People desperately need to know what the meaning of being under God’s sovereignty is; they know what it is to be under the rule of evil men, they must clearly see the alternative in the lives and ideas of God’s people.
People know the burdens of man’s laws, judgments and false promises of salvation; they need to know what it means to live under God’s law, judgment and salvation.
However, they can only understand if they see it exemplified in a practical way in the lives of God’s people.