Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Sudden illness, a tragic death, a natural disaster, a job loss. Everyone who faces calamity asks why. The Eye of Faith looks forward to a future reckoning of all accounts, a time when the why questions get answers. To find out more about that coming time, stay with us.
From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, will eternity reveal the answers to all of the whys of life? You know, Dave, I've often thought about that, and we might not understand everything, but there's no doubt that many things will be clarified. The verse of Scripture that comes to my mind is, Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.
Exactly what that's going to be like is difficult for us to visualize, but this much we know. We have to be faithful to the end and someday many things will be made clear.
Well, it's that time of year when we begin to think about how quickly time goes. First comes Thanksgiving, after Thanksgiving comes Christmas, and then the first of the year. And we always want to have a new beginning, don't we?
Well, we have a very special resource for you, a new resource for you. It's a 365 daily devotional. It's entitled Running to Win. and is written by D. L.
Moody and me. We took some of the writings of D. L. Moody, I added my own, so you can have your own copy and be able to read God's Word and our response to a verse of Scripture every single day. For a gift of any amount, we're making it available for you.
It'd be a great Christmas gift. Here's what you can do. Go to rtwoffer.com. Or call us at 1-888-218-252. 9337.
Ask for the devotional Running to win. Really? I've entitled the message today, Looking Back. on planet Earth. Because someday when we're in heaven, we'll be able to look back upon this earth and understand more fully than we understand today what God was up to.
through 10,000 years of history. I think that once we are in heaven, if we can see planet Earth from heaven, and I assume we'll be able to, we'll be impressed, first of all, with the tiny size of this planet in comparison to the vastness of the solar system and the stellar universe. And we will again be amazed that God should choose this small planet to be the one. Be that stage upon which good and evil, and justice and injustice, is played out. And we will be overwhelmed by the fact that we had a small part.
in that drama. Then I think, secondly, we'll be impressed also with the shortness of time. You know, 8,000 years, 10,000 years seems to be a long time, and if you live 80 years, it can seem to be a long time. But once we're into eternity, we will be overwhelmed with the shortness of time in comparison to an eternity that has no end. And we will be swept up in the incredible grandeur.
of eternity. But I suppose that when we're there in heaven, one of the things we're going to do is to finally get a chance to ask God the question that plagues the minds of anybody who's ever done any thinking at all, and that is the question, why? Why all the suffering on planet Earth? Why all the grief? Why all the earthquakes?
Why all the tragedies? Why all the heartaches? Why all the broken families? Oh, God. What were you up to?
Before I try to answer that question, let me just take a moment to walk with you through the pages of history. Remember, after Adam and Eve were created, then generations began to come about, and those generations turned away from the Lord, and in turning from God, they began to serve pagan idols. And the whole world was so corrupt with its immorality and its cruelty that God says, I'm going to start over. All that he had left was Noah and his family. And so a flood came on the earth.
We read that too quickly in the pages of the Bible. Have you ever thought of what a universal flood would mean? Here are families being swept away as the rain begins to pour and they go to higher ground and finally little children see their mommies and daddies being taken away by the fast. Thoughtless, harsh, current. And they're gone, and the children are crying, and they're weeping, and they're shrieking, and they're crying out to God.
And the rain doesn't stop until every single human being is drowned. And God starts over. But you read about Noah and soon you find that he also was involved, he and his ancestors involved in turning away from God.
So you have the whole Babylonian empire that begins with its occultism. And remember that whenever you have occultism, you always have cruelty. That's why as the United States swings toward the occultism of the New Age movement, cruelty, barbarianism, will always increase. And so during that period of time, you have many wars. You have one nation conquering another nation.
You have brutality on a scale that you and I have never seen. And generation goes after generation, and the knowledge of the true God is practically non-existent upon the earth. God decides to choose Abraham. And Abraham becomes the father, of course, of the Jewish nation. And you know that through the life of Abraham, God began that nation, but when you stop to think of it, Israel was a small nation in comparison to all the other nations of the earth, for one thing.
And even within the nation Israel, there were relatively few who really knew the living and the true God. Most of the people ended up just going through the formality, they were not necessarily God's people in their hearts at all. And then, after Jesus Christ comes to earth, when he's here, how many people really do believe on him? Yes, a few hundred, yes, a few thousand, but what about the nations that were developing, such as China? Years ago, my family and I were in China, and we stood upon the wall of China and were told that much of the wall had been built 200 years before the time of Christ.
Whole civilizations that do not know anything about the Savior and never find out as year after year goes on and one generation comes and another generation goes. Oh, I know it's true that through the church, Europe. became Christianized. But I think of those 300 years of persecution. When people were taken and they were thrown to the lions and they were killed in so many barbaric ways, and many of God's choicest people cried up to the Lord and said, God, where are you?
Deliver us. The heavens were as silent as brass. Things happened during those days that would be enough to bring tears to a rock and God didn't intervene. And after that period of time, of course, the church begins to collapse into traditions as church and state are unfortunately united, and the true knowledge of God is again almost extinguished, apart from a few groups. And then you have the Reformation where people began to go back to the Bible again, but then you think of subsequent generations and you think of the heartache and the grief.
The Soviet Union, where my wife and I were two and a half years ago, 25 million people killed by Stalin, 7 million farmers in the Ukraine systematically starved to death, if you please. And then another 25 million people killed in the Second World War, and those two events were going on almost simultaneously. Can you imagine the heartache of the earth? And then we haven't mentioned China, where the United States Congress said that Chairman Mao killed 60 million of his own people in that revolution that ended up with the triumph of communism in China. And what can we say about North Korea and Eastern Europe?
And you look at the history of the world, and how do you characterize it? Nothing really except human suffering and heartache. I used to always say that 20,000 children starve every day, and then I get Christianity Today, and recent articles say 50,000 starve. Every single day. What can we say about the United States of America, this great country in which you and I live?
We can see things going downhill. We talk about the fragmentation of the family, the heartache, the kind of immorality that is so destructive. And we can see that the influence of God is being stamped out. and were headed for a new wave of persecution. In our home, we don't get the Tribune regularly.
We usually buy, though, a Sunday copy. In fact, that's one of my heavy responsibilities Saturday afternoon: to buy a copy of Sunday's Trib. And I sit there and I read it and I look through it. Did you see yesterday this article where it talked about the university campuses of the United States? Do you know that the trib says that one out of every four girls attending our universities?
are involved in what is called date rape. I read that yesterday and I was angry. Makes you mad, you can't even think about it. What kind of a society, what kind of cruelty and barbarism are we really rearing in the United States anyway? God, what is it?
that you're doing. What is the plan anyway? And when we get to heaven, we're going to ask him that question. And today, we're going to find out as much as possible before we get to heaven what in the world God was up to. Aren't you glad you came?
You know, there was a poem that was written that I think says it all, God's plan made a hopeful beginning, but man spoiled his chances by sinning. We hope that the story will end for God's glory. But at present, the other side's winning. You know that philosophers for years have said that there are three propositions that you as Christians, speaking about us as Christians, we believe, but we are believing a contradiction. And the three propositions that we are told cannot logically exist together are: first of all, that God is good, God is omnipotent, that is all-powerful, and evil exists.
Because the argument is this: that if you have a God who is good and all-powerful, He will exterminate the evil. Therefore, we are told that we as Christians believe a contradiction.
Now, if you deny any one of those three propositions, the contradiction does not exist. William James, who had a great deal to say about American education, believed that God was finite. William James believed that God was doing the best he could to exterminate evil, but he wasn't all-powerful, so he can't pull it off. And William James said, We ought to help him.
Well, if you have that kind of a finite God, then you've resolved the contradiction. You look at the mess that is in the world, and all that you can say is: well, this is the best that God can do. What are you going to do with a God who isn't all-powerful? But that's not the God of Christianity. The God of Christianity, the God of the Bible, is a God who can speak and it's there.
Our God is in the heavens, the Bible says. He has done whatsoever he has pleased. Nothing's out of control. with the God of the Bible. How do we put it together?
There's only one way that we can possibly solve the dilemma of those three statements, and that is to say that God is using the evil and the suffering of this world to produce a greater good. a greater good. And what could that good be? Could it be a good that is related to mankind? Is he doing something that's good for man?
Not necessarily. When it comes to Christians, certainly God is doing something that is good for us, and we know that He uses suffering for our good. But there are many people in the world who do not know Christ as Savior, for whom the suffering of this world will never, ever turn out. for their good. Jesus said about Judas, It is good for that man.
It would have been good for that man. If he'd never been born, how much better it would have been for Judas to not have seen the light of day than to have stood next to Jesus Christ and looking at Jesus the way to heaven, deliberately chose. The way to hell. And nothing that Judas will ever do, nothing that will ever transpire in the universe will make all that suffering good. for Judas.
and millions like him. who do not trust Christ.
So what is God up to?
Well, what I'd like to do is to, since we entitle the message, Looking from Planet Earth or Back to Planet Earth. The only thing that we can really do is to take our Bibles and to look at the book of Revelation, where I want to point out the superiority of God. And that God is using the evil in this world to display Himself, to put Himself on display. Let's begin in Revelation chapter 4. I'll tell you why I like the book of Revelation.
Much of it is difficult to understand, but this is. The book in which we see the church of Jesus Christ in heaven. Along with all the angels that God created, and they are all singing songs and they're making statements. And we have every reason to believe that they are theologically accurate. You know, in today's world, we have all these theological controversies.
Well, one thing is sure: that when we get to heaven, all of those controversies will end, and we'll all agree theologically. When I was teaching at the Moody Bible Institute, I used to jokingly say that: I don't care if you disagree with my theology, in less than 100 years, you'll know I was right. We're all going to agree when we get to heaven. But I want you to notice what it says in chapter 4, verse 11. Worthy art thou, O Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou didst create all things.
And because of thy will. They existed. And they were created because of thy will. I know that the King James says, because of thy pleasure. And that's not a bad translation.
Everything was created not for man's happiness, though our happiness is important to God. especially that of believers. But everything was created for the glory and the honor and the power and the display of God. By thy will, for thy pleasure. They are and they were created.
H.G.
Wells said on one occasion that if he knew that there was an omnipotent God in heaven who had the power to put an end to war and yet did not use his ability to do it, he said, I would spit in his empty face. That's one possibility when you're confronted with God. There is another, as we shall see.
Now, what I'd like to do is to show God's superiority, and we're going to look just through a couple of verses where angels and men join together in the book of Revelation and sing the praises of God. First of all, God is proving his superiority in holiness. Notice what the four living creatures in chapter 4, verse 8, and I take this to be a reference to angels. The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. Day and night, they do not cease to say, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
What an awesome statement. It's the only attribute of God that, when it is mentioned in the Bible, it is frequently. emphasized three times in succession. Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God of hosts.
Now I want you to realize today that holiness does mean wholeness. God has it together, we could put it that way. Yeah. But also, I want you to realize something else, and that is that God is wholly other. That is to say, He is totally different from us as human beings.
totally different from us. Do you realize that anything that I say about God today Anything that I say about God will, in some sense, be inadequate because God is too beautiful, God is too pure, God is too wonderful, God is too holy. For us to adequately express who He is. There was a little boy who was drawing a picture, and the teacher came and said, What are you drawing? He said, I'm drawing a picture of God.
Teacher said, Nobody knows what God looks like. He said, Oh, yeah, they will by the time I'm through.
Well, the answer is nobody knows what God is like. It says that no man can see God directly face to face. and even live.
Now tell me, how could God possibly display his holiness unless there was the contrast of sin? To show it off, if I may put it in that language. You see, God is using the evil so that against the backdrop of human failure and satanic rebellion, we can see in a way that we would never possibly understand the wonder and the greatness and the holiness. Of Almighty God, his superiority and holiness. Secondly, his superiority in power.
For this, we go to chapter 4, verse 11 again. Worthy art thou, O Lord, our God, to receive glory and honor and power. The Greek word is dunamis, from which we get the word dynamite. God is displaying His power. In creation, yes, the heavens display the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.
He's showing also his power over Satan. I've already emphasized in preceding messages several times that God is trying to show that no creature that ever opposes Him can possibly win. God is absolutely king. He is the superior one. He is stronger than Satan.
And God allows Satan to work in many destructive ways on the earth, trying to thwart God's plan here, trying to block him there, trying to do this to him and that to him in a warfare and combat situation. And all the while, God keeps total control of what is happening. And in the end, he will prove that no creature, whoever opposed him, be he man or angel, can ever win. By the way, are you thinking that you're winning today? Those of you who have some sin in your heart, you're going to make a sinful decision, and you know it's sinful, and you think it's going to bring you happiness, and in the end, you're going to win.
You're wrong. Never once in all of God's universe can sin ever be profitable. Because God sets up the rules and He has the cards. in his hand. And then, third, God wants to prove his love.
Notice in verse 9 and following, and here I put love and grace and mercy, it says, and they sang a new song. This is chapter 5, I should point out. Chapter 5, verse 9. And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book and to break its seals, for thou wast slain and didst purchase for God with thy blood. men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
Let me ask you something. Do you think it's hard for God to love all the angels that do his bidding? I don't think that's too hard for God to love angels who haven't sinned and they do what God wants them to do. But it is very difficult to love men who have stood with Satan in opposition to God. Yet Paul says in the book of Romans that when we were enemies, Christ already loved us.
You see, what God is trying to do is to show that His love is not just to His own kind. His love does not extend merely to those that are holy, it can actually reach beyond that and to reach people who are very, very unholy, people like you and me. We are very unholy. We would never possibly understand the depth of the love of God. Once we understand our sinfulness and know how far we've fallen, we could never possibly understand the depth of the love of God unless God were willing to reach down and to love fallen creatures who are distinctively unlovable.
And we would never know the height of his love for us were it not for the fact that he would take us from the quarry of sin and chisel us and then exalt us and put us at the right hand of God the Father, kings and priests with Christ. That would have never happened were it not for the fact that there was evil in the world.
So you see, God is displaying His incredible grace. His love. to fallen humanity. And so God is showing his superiority. in love.
Um No. And you know, my friend, throughout all of eternity, we are going to wonder at the love of God. By wonder I mean we are going to be overwhelmed. When we think of how God loved, The unlovable.
Well, I'm excited about a new devotional that we have to give to you. It's actually entitled Running to Win: 365 Daily Devotionals, written by none other. Then D. L. Moody.
And me. We've taken some of Moody's writings, and then I've added my own.
So you'll have the opportunity to read. And to contemplate a verse of scripture every single day. For example, If you were looking at January 4th, you'd find that Moody is talking about heaven. He says, I want to learn all that I can about it. I want to make sure that I learn as much about heaven as I possibly can.
And he goes on and he speaks about it. And you'll get an insight into his heart, into his desire. to serve the Lord and to win souls.
Well, for a gift of any amount, we're making it available for you. Here's what you do. Go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer dot com or call us at one eight eight eight two one eight ninety three thirty seven. This would be a great Christmas gift to give.
It's entitled Running to Win 365 Daily Devotionals. Go to rtwoffer.com. Or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337. You get a glimpse into Moody's heart. and his insight into the scriptures.
You can write to us at Running2Win, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. Running to Win comes to you from the Moody Church in Chicago to help you understand God's roadmap for your race of life.
Next time, Erwin Lutzer wraps up his message, A Look Back at Planet Earth. a view we ourselves will take from heaven. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
