Q. Why is the world so bad?
A. You are correct in pointing up the wickedness of this world. A brief consideration of Romans 3 gives us a list of the awful, godless attitudes of men. Romans 1 tells us that the world, because of its wickedness, has been given up by God. It has been abandoned to uncleanness, vile affections and a reprobate mind. So, the world is a bad place because men choose sin and lawlessness rather than God and order.

No amount of human effort will ever change this dreadful situation until people turn to Christ for forgiveness and salvation.

Because the Bible says, “Evil men and seducers shall become worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (II Tim. 3:13). We should not place our confidence in the future of earth. The idea that man’s effort will produce a perfect world is nonsense. If you hope for a perfect world, set your affections on things above and look for the return of Christ.

Q. Why does not God intervene in our deteriorating culture?
A. God has intervened powerfully in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The sacrifice of the Son of God has produced a marvelous message called, “the Gospel.” Every time you preach or testify of the Gospel you are an instrument of divine intervention in the decline of humanity and the rise of human wickedness. You are an instrument of divine intervention by announcing the Gospel. God will, however, intervene personally at the end of this age. The Second Coming of Christ is a certainty. In the meantime, God allows the world to continue because He is not willing that any should perish. He keeps open the doors of love, awaiting the last person who will enter into the ark of safety.

Q. How much of the Tribulation will Christians see?
A. We will see all of it, but not on a horizontal level. We will view the activities of earth from the vantage point of heaven. This is because, before the Tribulation, the Church will have been taken via The Rapture into the glories of heaven. Yes, the Church will be delivered from the Tribulation by the wonderful event of the pretribulation Rapture.

Q. Will we know one another in heaven?
A. Yes, certainly. “Then shall I know even as also I am known” (I Cor. 13:12). Apart from this we would not understand heaven. One aspect of heaven will be a wonderful, heart-touching reunion with loved ones who have gone before.

Q. How much should Christians be involved in political, human activism?
A. Jesus told us that we are the salt of the earth and, therefore, a degree of involvement is proper. We are not wise to drown in the political structure, but work for the preservation of our spiritual opportunity. We cannot, and will not, save the world, but we can press governments to continually allow the preaching of the Gospel. The Bible often warns the rulers of this world concerning their morality and activities. We should be the custodians of that warning.

Q. In heaven, will we remember the things of earth?
A. Again, of course. Heaven would not be heaven unless we remembered the lesser world and how we got from earth to heaven. The believers in heaven can certainly know and understand the events of earth. However, it is likely that we will be so interested in examining our mansion there that we will not spend too much time remembering the tar-paper shacks of earth. We must remember that we are allowed to endure the troubles of time so that we can be properly grateful for heaven. The degree of difficulty which we have in this world is evidence of the level of total joy that we will experience in the world to come.

Q. How can I know that I am saved?
A. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died for your sins on the cross? If so, you are saved.