A global issue
The second sense in which this site is narrow is far more serious than the first, and far more important. I mentioned previously the 'vast' distances of the earth and its variety and complexity, but the Bible says of the world in relation to God:
'Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; behold, he lifts up the islands like fine dust' (Isaiah 40:15).
It may well be that this is merely laughable to you, a word picture that brings to mind the giant from 'Jack and the Beanstalk' rather than something to be taken seriously. Most people in Western society now simply ignore God. The 'God is dead' theory is taken as proven by most people and even many religious people have a small view of God, a God made in their own image. This God is as powerless as we are in the face of the world-scale disasters and crises. He is 'grieved' or even 'heart-broken' by the suffering caused by an earthquake, tsunami or cyclone, but he can apparently do no more about these things than you or I. If there is a God he seems of no real significance. Why should any serious person think any other way?
There are three reasons. The first is that a majority view is not by necessity the right view. There was a time when perhaps everyone believed the earth was flat, but that widely-held belief did not make it so. A widespread disbelief in the existence of God, or widespread belief that he is small enough not to worry about even if he does exist, does not make it so. In the same chapter from which we have quoted Isaiah goes on to mock the laughable ignorance of false religion. Agnostics, atheists, humanists and others may deny God. Modern-day Christians may make God in their own image. But outside and above all this stands the God of the Bible, the God who created the earth by speaking into existence the things that we see and who is in control not only of the world and its powers but of all things. The Bible tells us that the rulers of this world do not have the power and control they imagine:
Romans 13:1-2 - Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement.
Proverbs 21:1 - The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he wishes.
A personal issue
The second reason you should consider the reality of God more seriously is because it is a personal matter. This great fact that God is in control on a global scale must not obscure the fact that this sovereign rule is possible because he knows all things. That is indicated in the quote about the king's (or President's, or Prime Minister's or whoever) heart from Proverbs 21. The Lord is able to turn the king's heart like water in his hand - it flows exactly in the direction he chooses. But the Lord knows not only the king's heart. In 1 Samuel 16:7 Samuel is looking among the sons of Jesse to see who the Lord has appointed to be the next king of Israel. In a very human moment, Samuel sees one of Jesse's sons who is tall and handsome and thinks what a fine king he would make, but God says to Samuel:
Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.
There are many other passages in the Bible that make the same point, that God knows the hearts of all people. From our point of view this reveals our greatest problem, which may seem a ridiculous statement. Then let me ask you: what do you think is your greatest problem? Your mortgage? That your husband or wife might find out about your affair? How to earn more money, or to protect what you have from the tax man? Your health? I am not doubting that these are serious matters, and there are many more equally serious. But let's be realistic: everyone of these problems are 'time-limited' by which I mean that they will die with you. Your mortgage will not concern you when you are dead, the tax man will be no more trouble, your health or the complexity of relationships, all these will be no more. But your greatest problem transcends death and will still remain to be dealt with. In God's own Word we are told that we die once (forget reincarnation as an option!) and after that the judgement. The simple truth is that while the worries and problems of this life end at death in the sense that we can do no more about them, the sin - that is to say the defiance and ignorance of God that we have cultivated, and our breaking of his holy law - remains to dealt with. The Bible makes it quite plain that all will face judgement, and the Judge we have to deal with knows not only our record of sin but also our hearts. Our most secret thoughts and motives are known to him, and left to ourselves we stand defenceless and with certain condemnation to come.
An issue of understanding
This brings us to the third and final reason I am going to give as to why you must take God seriously now. The reason is simply this: he invites you to do so. This invitation is called the gospel, and it is vitally important that you understand the invitation properly - don't lose attention now!
There's a famous episode in the 1970 & 80's hit British comedy 'Only Fools and Horses' in which the two stars undergo a series of adventures on their way to a fancy-dress party, dressed as Batman and Robin. The punch-line, however, is that they have misunderstood the invitation somehow and they arrive at what they think is a fancy-dress party only to find it is a funeral. It's a very funny scene, but one which can send shivers down your spine if you imagine yourself in the same position. But it is far more serious to find you have misunderstood God's invitation. The consequences of making a mistake may be extremely embarrassing, awkward or even expensive, but a mistake with the gospel invitation is nothing less than an eternal error.
Many people have an idea of the gospel that goes something like this: God loves you, and he sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for you, and all you need to do is accept his tear-stained invitation and all will be well - it's your decision, you can do it now. Sadly, this is not the truth, and if you read the invitation that way then you will certainly not be ready for eternity.
To understand the gospel invitation properly let me take you back to the last two sentences of the second section:
The Bible makes it quite plain that all will face judgement, and the Judge we have to deal with knows not only our record of sin but also our hearts. Our most secret thoughts and motives are known to him, and left to ourselves we stand defenceless and with certain condemnation to come.
Let me be brutally direct! No matter who you are reading this, no matter how respectable you are, no matter about all the 'good' things you may have done, if you appear before God in judgement as you are then you are lost. Apart from anything you or others might judge to be 'sin' the Bible defines 'sin' as every failure to obey God and to give him the glory and praise which is his due. Furthermore, the Bible also makes clear that we are sinners by nature, which means exactly what it says; it is part of our nature to sin and we have always done it and always will. We cannot fail at this at least! The problem is that being a sinner means to be subject to God's anger in judgement and to suffer the eternal consequences of that. The final 'nail in the coffin' is that the Bible is equally clear that we are incapable by our own efforts of repairing the damage sin has already done or even of doing 'better' in future.
So what is the gospel invitation and how can it help? The English word 'gospel' means 'good news' and the good news is this: God knows that you are a guilty sinner and have no hope. His anger toward you for that is not the kind of 'passing anger' you and I experience, but his quite right and just and holy hatred of sin in all its forms. Sin is not an accident, but a deliberate insult to the holiness and glory of God and it must be paid for. So God sent his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect, God-glorifying and God-satisfying life while subject to all the temptations the human race is heir to. When the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross at Calvary, he paid the penalty for sin he had not committed. He cried out 'My God, why have you forsaken me?' as the Father hid his face from him, so that he suffered exactly as if he were a sinner condemned not only by men but also by God. In doing this he paid the penalty for all the sins of all the people who would come to him and be saved. The gospel invitation is the offer of the Lord Jesus Christ to be your Saviour. He himself makes the offer - I am only passing it on! The whole Bible, but especially the four books of the life and acts of the Lord Jesus Christ called the Gospels are full of this offer. Jesus calls all who are tired and burdened down with life to come to him. He tells us that those who truly come to him will certainly find eternal life. He says that he alone is the way, and truth, and life and adds that no-one can come to the Father except through him.
An invitation for you
The gospel invitation is to you, and you are invited to find in Jesus Christ something more precious and wonderful than anything else this world can possibly offer. If you will confess that you are a sinner and that you give up any hope of making your own way by your own effort or any other means, and simply put all your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save you, then you will be saved. He will fill you with the Holy Spirit, and you will have a new heart filled with desire for the things of God. You will fail sometimes, but your life will change and you begin to learn to love the Word of God and delight in the Lord Jesus Christ and live a God-glorifying life. That is the gospel invitation. Take it and live.
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