1 Thessalonians 5:2
For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
Have you noticed that critics of the Christian faith often question the goodness of God because of the evil prevailing in the world? How do you respond to that? Of course, we can’t deny the reality of all sorts of evil on earth today-corruption, injustice, lies, violence, abuse, murder, brutality, immorality, tyranny, unjust wars, poverty, slavery, terrorism, exploitation, oppression and witchcraft, to name a few.
However, what most people don’t understand is whose DAY this is. Our Scripture today provides a wonderful clue. It says the Day of the Lord WILL COME. That means it has not yet come. That means currently we’re NOT living in the Day of the Lord. When the Day of the Lord comes, there will be no confusion about who is in charge. When Jesus reigns in all His glory on earth, only His goodness will prevail on earth. There’ll be no more sin, sorrow, sickness or strife. When His kingdom comes in full force, there will be justice and righteousness as the waters cover the sea. Satan and all his demons will be locked up. Evil and wickedness will be relegated to history. Hallelujah!
So whose day are we living in now? Since the fall of man (in Genesis 3), until the Lord Jesus comes, we’re living in the DAY OF MAN. Humanity is in control on earth today. Sadly, humans generally operate under satanic influence and control (see Ephesians 2:1-3). Here Scripture says sinful humanity follows the course of this world and the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. So, who is reigning on earth and ruining so many lives? It’s NOT God!
Rather, it’s the unholy alliance between humanity and the devil. Next time someone points an accusing finger at God for all the evil in the world, you know how to help them. All Christians must understand that no human system is capable of delivering perfect peace, justice and prosperity on earth. No human leader is capable of delivering our world from all the ills that bedevil our world. Never pin your hopes on any human leader, culture, system, ideology or government.
At best in this Day of Man, we can mitigate the excesses human leaders are prone to indulge in. We must continue to be salt of the earth in order to prevent the total decay of our societies and we must do our best to be the light of the world wherever we are (Matthew 5:13-16). That means adding value in our communities, nations and the world. We must play our part, lest the evil one runs riot all over the shore. We must put safeguards, checks and balances in all our systems. We must vote and contribute to societal development.
Above all, in this Day of Man, we must pray for all our political, civic and spiritual leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2). But none of us can totally eradicate evil in the world. Only Jesus can and will! That’s one of the reasons why Jesus says we must pray, “Thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10). That’s why John prays, “Even so, come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). Let us also pray that prayer. Oh, how I look forward to the Day of the Lord, when the Prince of Peace shall reign with all His saints. That means Jesus shall reign with you and me. Hallelujah!
Pastor Josh