09/12/2025
“For all that is in the world - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life - is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” – 1 John 2:16-17
Trying to make sense of this world can at times seem to be an exercise in futility, but this is understandable because we live in a world that is passing away. We live in a world where people call evil good, and good evil; where people put darkness for light and light for darkness. The Scriptures inform us of this, so we are not surprised. Yet, like Christ looking over Jerusalem we weep. We weep because we see the effects of sin’s darkness and decay. We weep because we see what Jesus saw - people who are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. We see people like Paul informed us of in Ephesians 4 that are walking in the futility of their minds, darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart, and who have therefore become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. These are the effects of what sin has done, because this is what sin is, it brings death because it is death.
CS Lewis once stated, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." This world does not make sense because this world is groaning in a temporary state of suffering. Yet this suffering is leading to a new and joyful beginning. As the hymn O Holy Night so profoundly proclaims, “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” Christ entered this domain of darkness and transferred us to His kingdom of love and light. In Christ we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Christ makes beauty from ashes and restores what the devour destroys. With Martin Luther we can therefore cry out, “and though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed His truth to triumph through us.” The truth of Christ triumphs! He has certainly won the battle! Awaiting His return (or His calling us home), we are mindful of the fact that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places, and we are confident that our God is a mighty fortress, He is a bulwark never failing, He is our helper amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. So, although at times we may be afflicted, we know we are not crushed, we may be perplexed, but we are not driven to despair, we may be persecuted, but we are not forsaken, we may be struck down, but we are not destroyed.
Like the writer of Hebrews admonished us, let us continue “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” And like the apostle Paul said, “let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone,” let us shine the Gospel light of faith, hope, and love into the darkness, knowing that in the world we will have tribulation, but taking heart that Christ has overcome the world.
