My dear readers,

1. "Look unto me, and be ye saved…" (Isa 45:22)

God’s first institution is crumbling: homes are breaking up, no longer citadels of security and love. Under ever-increasing attack by merchants of porn and lust, adulterers and rapists, child molesters and homosexuals, society is heading for massive collapse.
Why is this so?

The answer is wrapped up in one word: depravity. Modern man without God goes from bad to worse. The Apostle Paul says, "… evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived" (2 Tim 3:13). This is Satan’s double snare: against it men are helpless.

But our God is able. To the perishing world He calls, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isa 45:22). For why will ye die?

2. A divine deliverance
"…he will have mercy…" (Isa 55:7). The Lord’s mercies fill the Scriptures, surely one of the great themes of the Bible. The Psalmist sings: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy … For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him"(Ps 103:8, 11). There are multitudes of God’s mercy (Ps 69:13), mercies that endure forever (Ps 106:1), abundant mercy for all who confess and forsake their sins.

The Father’s Purpose: Isaiah gives this word to Israel: "For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer" (Isa 54:7-8). Daniel, having confessed his people’s sins, said: "To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled…" (Dan 9:9). What a comfort this is to all who have slighted the Father’s mercies! How tenderly does that Father plead: "And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful …" (Joel 2:13).

The Saviour’s Purchase: God’s mercy flows from the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Mary saw that the coming of God’s Messiah was "in remembrance of his mercy" (Luke 1:54-55). Mercy and Truth met together, were reconciled, on Calvary’s Cross (Ps 85:10), and there all our iniquity was purged, once for all, and redemption purchased (Prov 16:6; Heb 1:3). After His resurrection, Jesus ascended into Heaven, there to be our great High Priest and Advocate. Because of this, we are exhorted to come boldly unto the Throne of grace to obtain mercy and help in time of need (Heb 4:15–16).

The Spirit’s Purity: When a sinner confesses and forsakes his sins, he is cleansed by the blood of Christ, and enabled, by the indwelling of the Spirit, to walk in the light, in fellowship with the Father, and Jesus Christ (1 John). The Holy Spirit enables every believer to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ …" (2 Pet 3:18). Paul urges us to keep on being filled with the Spirit that we may walk in the purity of that Light (Eph 5:15, 18).

3. The Lord is longsuffering

The general mood today is, "Jesus’ return will happen, maybe in 10,000 years’ time!" meaning to say, "forget it." The Apostle Peter, in his epistle, so correctly points to the coming of scoffers who say, "Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (2 Pet 3:4).

But Peter rebuts such men, "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished" (2 Pet 3:5-6).
These scoffers have badly erred, not realising that God’s final judgment of Planet Earth will not be with water, but with fire! The Apostle points out in the next verse: "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men" (2 Pet 3:7).

The Apostle further explains: God has His plan, which in man’s thinking is "slack" or "slow" or "sluggish" but, in reality, is "longsuffering," or simply put: "… not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet 3:9).

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Pet 3:10).

Then the Apostle concludes, "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?" (2 Pet 3:11-12).

The Apostle Peter concludes with 2 Peter 3:13-14: "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

Heed the Lord’s loving call: "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isa 45:22). For why will ye die?

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,

Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor