CHARLO, New Brunswick, October 30, 2023 – God is infinitely merciful while there is still time, but if you remain willfully unrepentant even after being warned, you will be judged without mercy.

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

The children of Israel witnessed firsthand what it means to fall into God’s hands. Before they destroyed Jericho, they were warned not to take any spoils other than gold, silver, iron, and brass for consecration to the Lord. But Achan ignored the warning and stole clothing and precious metals, hiding them in his tent. When God revealed the theft to Joshua, and Achan confessed to it, he and all his family, servants, livestock, and possessions were stoned, burned, and buried under a heap. An earlier uprising by Korah and his followers against Moses and Aaron was abruptly halted when God opened the ground beneath the rebels’ feet and the earth swallowed them, their families, and their servants alive. Those who ran from the pit were burned to death. Even Moses’ own relatives were not spared when God incinerated two of Aaron’s sons after they’d offered “strange fire” to demons using censors from the holy tabernacle.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Modern war is no different from previous wars. Those who are in it are in it to kill and gain spoils. When God told the children of Israel to destroy a place, he himself fought for them, so the victory was sure and the destruction complete. Nothing was spared except whatever God specifically stated should be spared. In most cases, not even the children were spared.

Should we condemn God for not sparing the children? Of course not. God was clear that the wars he directed and supported were payback for centuries of unrepented and ever-worsening sin. The destruction was an earned reward, just as the destruction of Jerusalem under King Zedekiah and later under the Romans was an earned reward. God is no respecter of persons; he’s as willing to destroy his own people as he is to destroy others, his justice being impartial and his judgement perfect.

It is difficult for me to look at the wars taking place around the world today and not see them as God’s payback for centuries of unrepented and ever-worsening sin. I do not see any innocent victims.

“But what about the children!!!?” What about them? Souls come into this world already sin-laden. If you consider children victims simply because they’re young, you call God’s justice imperfect. Yes, God does distinguish between those who are too immature to make informed decisions, but he also knows those who are evil by nature, meaning children of the evil one. Evil doesn’t grow up and automatically turn good. The children of the evil one remain children of the evil one, no matter how many chances they’re given to repent and turn from their evil ways.

As born-again followers of Jesus, we don’t go looking for people to help; we’re obligated to help only those whom God puts directly into our path. This is what Jesus did and this is what we, as his followers, are to do, even if they’re enemies. God gives mercy to whom he gives mercy and vengeance to whom he gives vengeance, and in everything he does he is just and perfect. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. I am deeply saddened that so many people reject God’s Way, but I won’t support their ungodly causes or call them innocent.

I won’t fly their flags or wave their banners or chant their slogans or spread their lies.

The only real victim of war is objective reporting.