Safety, 9/11 and the Gospel

It has been ten years. The normal reply would be, ten years since what? But this weekend, everyone remembers what occurred on September 11, 2001. The rumors are swirling of a 10-year anniversary attack. Is it possible for history to repeat itself? Are you and your children truly safe?

At this point, no one but God knows the answers to that question—but some things we do know with certainty—biblical truths designed to bring great comfort to you and your family:

There is evil in the world. In some instances this evil resides in the hearts of people who have no fear of God, people who are consumed with hatred and vengeance. Evil is the natural state of all humans, whether they are born in the United States or Italy or Iran. The streets of some major American cities are no safer than the roads of Iraq or Afghanistan. Evil, wicked actions are a part of life, whether we pass laws to the contrary or not.

The world you live in is not safe. Because of the evil that was unleashed when man fell, no one is ever totally safe. Even a casual reader of world history can testify to this reality. It is foolish not to realize that you will be impacted by this evil at many points in life.

From a human perspective, the actions of man are unpredictable, but no evil act is random. The control and power of God extends even to the actions of evil men. We know this from many places in Scripture, but here are two verses that speak to this issue:

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20

Here, Joseph was speaking to his brothers about the evil actions they had done against him. The truth is that even though his brothers sold him into slavery because they hated him, the Lord of the Universe was in control of their actions, to bring about good for them and for all of mankind.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

This verse would be meaningless if God were not controlling the actions of all men and events.

Therefore, safety lies, not in avoiding evil, but in being joined to God as he orders the events of redemptive history. Acts 17 states that God has set the boundaries where all men will live, and gives them their next breath, life, and all that they have, so that they would reach out and perhaps seek Him.

Thus, we can say that being safe is not a matter of where you are but who you are. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ makes you safe—or anyone else safe—when evil intersects your life. Being safe is a by-product of knowing God. You see, anyone who is separated from God is the one who is not safe. Those who died on September 11, 2001, knowing Christ, were safe then, they are safe now, and they will be safe throughout all eternity.

The gospel really does matter.

This great comfort of the gospel is the one you must give to your children. This is the response to give to co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family when they are consumed with worry about an attack that has happened or one that might happen in the future. Safety means we are one with Christ, and he has paid the penalty for everything that threaten our safety—our sin. So Paul’s words bring hope. If you have embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ, nothing can separate you from him and his protecting love!

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

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