I spoke with a young man recently about the coronavirus; in his opinion,
this is a judgment of God upon a sinful world. And I know that many
people hold to this view, but is it true that what is happening to the
world is an act of God? First, it is important that we understand that
God is not pleased with the world in its present state of almost total
rebellion against Him, but having said that, it is equally important
that we know that this virus is not an act of God, nor is it His
judgment on the world for sin.
Someone may say, what is the basis for saying that? And this is a good question. If this virus is God's judgment on the world for sin, then we must also conclude that God must have overlooked what happened on the cross, and set it aside. On the cross, God judged the sin of the world in His only begotten Son. What God is doing at the present time is calling on the world to come to His Son and be saved. Those who hearken to this call will be saved from the penalty that sin deserves.
However, it should be known that a day is coming in which God will hold the world accountable for rejecting His offer of salvation in Christ Jesus, and when that day comes, God will pour out His wrath upon the world that has rejected His offer of salvation in Christ. Jesus, speaking to His disciples in Luke 21:36, admonished them, saying, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."
In the words of Jesus Christ, there is a time when the world will be visited with severe judgment, but on that day, some people will be accounted worthy to escape. Such are people who placed their trust in what Jesus did on the cross, taking away the sin of the world. It is true that what is happening to the world today is not an act of God, but the time will come when a series of catastrophic events will be unleashed upon a Christ-rejecting world, and on that day, it will be acts of God. And to be clear coronavirus will, in comparison to the events of that day, be like a golden age for those who will witness them.
Someone may say, what is the basis for saying that? And this is a good question. If this virus is God's judgment on the world for sin, then we must also conclude that God must have overlooked what happened on the cross, and set it aside. On the cross, God judged the sin of the world in His only begotten Son. What God is doing at the present time is calling on the world to come to His Son and be saved. Those who hearken to this call will be saved from the penalty that sin deserves.
However, it should be known that a day is coming in which God will hold the world accountable for rejecting His offer of salvation in Christ Jesus, and when that day comes, God will pour out His wrath upon the world that has rejected His offer of salvation in Christ. Jesus, speaking to His disciples in Luke 21:36, admonished them, saying, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."
In the words of Jesus Christ, there is a time when the world will be visited with severe judgment, but on that day, some people will be accounted worthy to escape. Such are people who placed their trust in what Jesus did on the cross, taking away the sin of the world. It is true that what is happening to the world today is not an act of God, but the time will come when a series of catastrophic events will be unleashed upon a Christ-rejecting world, and on that day, it will be acts of God. And to be clear coronavirus will, in comparison to the events of that day, be like a golden age for those who will witness them.
To reject Jesus today,
is to embrace the wrath of God that will be poured upon the world. But
you can escape that day today by simply believing in your heart that God
raised Jesus Christ from the dead, and confessing with your mouth that
Jesus Christ is the Lord.
Toni
Toni
