One of the most memorable statements to ever open a book was, “It was the best of times, and the worst of times.” This could be said of all times, and it is true today.
The day of The Lord is called “The great and terrible day of The Lord.” It will be great for some, and terrible for others. The 2016 Presidential election could have been a preview of this. There was about an equal number thanking God for the outcome as there was those cursing. 2020 is likely to be a repeat of this, if not more so. The “more so” is because the stakes get greater each year.
These are the times we’re in. They will be increasingly intense, but we are actually among the most privileged to live in these times. Just as the greatest revivals and moves of God in history all came in the darkest times, as the darkness increases, it will be one of the greatest opportunities to walk in the light—and to be the light we are called to be.
What factors will determine if this “day of The Lord” will be great or terrible for us? One of the most decisive factors is if we are a thankful person or a complainer. As we are told in Psalm16:11, in the Lord’s presence is “the fullness of joy.” We know from Psalm100 that we enter His gates with thanksgiving, and we enter His courts with praise. This means we get even closer to Him with worship. It is not possible to be anxious or depressed in His presence because there we have the “fullness of joy.” As we are told in Nehemiah, His joy is our strength.
As we also read, the Lord would not allow the first generation to leave Egypt and go into the Promised Land because of their grumbling and complaining. He said that such would not “enter His rest.” We find rest and refreshment by being yoked together with Christ. Grumbling and complaining is the result of a heart that is set on the opposite of faith and cannot be in the presence of the Lord.
We should face the future resolved that it will be great, regardless of the challenges. We have the promise from our God that everything in our life will work out for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28), and He cannot lie. So even if the times are hard, they will be good for us. We can and must thank Him for everything in our life, including the challenges. This leads us to His presence, where faith cannot help but grow, and the answer to the challenges come.
Just as the day of The Lord will be either great or terrible for different individuals, the same will be true for individual cities and nations. Because of this, it can be going bad for our city or nation and still go great for us if we abide in The Lord. Just as each individual can determine how things go for them by how they walk with The Lord, a city, state, or nation can do the same.
What is the tipping point? What is the percentage of people in a place that must serve The Lord, or the issues that we must side with Him on, that will gain His favor and protection? With Abraham’s intercession for Sodom, The Lord said that He would spare that city if there were just ten righteous in it. Did Abraham stop his inquiry before The Lord would stop? Why didn’t Abraham ask again if He would spare the city if there were just five, or even one, righteous in it? Of course, there was one righteous living in it, one who Scripture calls “Righteous Lot.” Yet, The Lord did not spare the city just for him. Why?
Perhaps the Lord would have spared Sodom if there had been just a few more righteous in it, or if Lot had been more righteous. This is not revealed, perhaps because we are so prone to target the least needed to get by. Leaving this ambiguous keeps us in pursuit because the Lord does not want any to perish, but rather all to come to Him.
At what point in our walk in the ways of The Lord are we considered righteous? Under the New Covenant, we are considered righteous by faith in the atonement of Jesus on the cross. Is it enough to believe in His atonement for our eternal salvation, or do we also need to believe for the deliverance of sin in our daily life? Do we then need to believe Him for the salvation of our cities and nations? He made the sacrifice for our atonement because He loved the whole world, not just us.
True disciples of Jesus can answer this because it is revealed in Scripture. True disciples are committed to knowing The Lord and His ways, as revealed in Scripture. From the Scriptures, we know that The Lord prefers to show mercy rather than judgment. When a wicked king like Ahab, one of the most evil kings ever, repented just a little and The Lord extended mercy to Him, we know the Lord’s inclination. However, The Lord showed Ahab mercy because he humbled himself just a little; nowhere is Ahab ever referred to as righteous. The mercy that The Lord showed to him was personal, and his realm still suffered terrible judgment.
Though we cannot establish an absolute line with regard to obedience or faith that causes us to be considered righteous, it is apparent that those who are intentionally seeking The Lord and trying to obey and love Him with all of their heart definitely attract His grace and favor. To be righteous is to do what is right in the sight of The Lord, but as we are told in Proverbs 24:16, “a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again.” So, the righteous may fall repeatedly, but they keep getting back up and fighting on.
The insecure and immature want detailed, clear guidelines, but The Lord has left many mysteries in His Word. This keeps us seeking Him for deeper understanding. He does not hide things from us, but for us. If we stay on the path of Life, we will find everything we need to know when we need to know it. The path of life is not in a rule book, but in an adventure of following The King—the greatest adventure we can have in life.
Though we may not be told exactly how much faith in Him we need to be righteous, we are told what the fruit of having faith in Him will be. We are told things like His disciples will be known by their love for one another. So, when we hear someone say that they love God but don’t like His people, we know they are not a disciple. As John wrote, it is not possible to love God and not love His people. There are many signs, such as increasing love, that let us know we are still on the path.
We know that at the end of this age the darkness will grow, but so will the light for those who walk with God. The darkness makes the light seem even brighter. As this “great and terrible” time unfolds, both the good and the evil will become more distinct. This is not a day for neutrality. The neutral, the indifferent, and the lukewarm will not endure it. Let us resolve that we will walk in more light and more love—for Him first and then for one another.
