What does the Bible say about hell? Is it a real place? Will God actually send people there? If so, why would a loving God do that? And what about heaven? Is it real? If so, will everyone eventually go there? If not, who will?
And what about nations? Does God bless whole nations? Does He judge whole nations, as well? If so, could our nation be under judgment, or could it be fast approaching?
We read about people who abuse children, traffic human beings, sell drugs to teenagers, destroy families, ruin reputations, and prey on the weak for money or power.
Then there are school shootings, terrorist attacks, hate crimes, and acts of violence so horrific that we struggle even to understand them.
And sometimes the people responsible seem to prosper.
They have money.
Influence.
Freedom.
Power.
No apparent remorse.
And no immediate consequences.
It can leave us asking:
Where is God?
Why doesn’t He stop them?
Why doesn’t He judge them now?
Ezekiel’s message reminds us of something we can easily forget.
God’s patience is not indifference.
His delay is not approval.
Israel had been warned again and again, and for a time it may have seemed as though judgment would never come.
But it did.
And Scripture tells us the same is true for every person who persists in rebellion against God.
No one ultimately gets away with sin.
But before we become too eager for God to deal with everyone else, there is another uncomfortable truth we need to face.
We tend to want justice for their sin—and mercy for ours.
So today we’ll ask two questions:
Why does God sometimes delay judgment on evil?
And:
What should that delay teach us about His patience, our own sin, and the urgency of the gospel?
Was the Cross a Cosmic Overreaction? Last night our pastor asked the question, “What do people think about the Cross?” What do people think about the Cross? What do you think about the Cross? What do I? Perhaps...