2nd Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 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"....
This passage of scripture tells us of the reason why God's mercy still lingers, and it has to do with His unwillingness to bring destructive judgments upon the land, which will cause millions of people to perish in their sins. God hates sin, but He loves the sinner, and therefore, as the heart of a loving parent yearns after the soul of a wayward child, so The Lord yearns after the beings He has made, who are perishing in sin unnecessarily, with the remedy and cure for all our troubles right at our fingertips. God's forbearance and mercies are indeed amazing, for long after we may have given up on individuals and nations, Christ still pleads and entreats the sinner to turn from his wicked ways and live. Let's read:
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
It is often the case that the opposite response of that which God desires for His people, comes to pass, because the human family tends to take God's grace for granted, and His mercies are erroneously interpreted as license to continue in sin. Thus, instead of turning away from our many sins to serve the true and living God, we are often found to be indulging in stubborn rebellion against His plainly revealed will.
Many of the evils that are now being countenanced across the land could be brought to an abrupt stop, if God were to exercise His omnipotent power in destructive ways, for then everyone will know exactly what sins need to be repented of, and most of us will straighten up in an instant. But the tendency to abuse God's kindness seems to be a part of our fallen nature, and is highlighted in the scriptures. Let's read:
Ecclesiastes 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
In the days of Jonah, the people of Nineveh had almost crossed the boundary between God's mercies and His judgments, and therefore the prophet was sent with a startling message to alert that nation of impending doom. What is worthy of note, is that in Jonah's message there was no mention of any particular sin, and he did not state what should be done to avert the predicted calamity. All he said is that the nation had forty days before being obliterated, and somehow, they all knew exactly what sins needed to be repented of, and what needed to be done through prayer and fasting, so that the impending doom could be stayed.
Without any coaxing or GPS, they suddenly knew where the nearest church was, and where Bibles could be bought, and even as a pagan country, they now knew how to repent and forsake sin. After 9/11 had occurred, most of the churches across America were filled to capacity, and everyone suddenly knew where the nearest church was, and what time prayer meeting was scheduled, and many of us stood in line, waiting for seats, or for standing room only, so that prayer and sober reflection could be made. Thus, like the men of Nineveh, it took something of a very serious nature to arouse us to our need of repentance and turning away from sin. Let's read:
Jonah 3:4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh".... 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying".... 8 "Let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
In our day we are found to be pushing the envelope of God's grace to the very brink, and like the men of Nineveh, it may require a startling message of impending doom to shake us out of our comfort zone, so that we can see that we are going too far in trampling God's laws and sacred institutions. In the very near future the supreme court is expected to hand down a decision on whether gay marriage will be made the law of the land in all fifty states, and it is with words of solemn entreaty, that God bids all Christians pray as never before, lest we push our luck too far, and take our nation over the moral cliff.
It is worthy of note that the King of Nineveh commanded everyone to pray, because it was everyone's problem, and thus, even the beasts of the land were clothed in sackcloth and ashes, and were required to fast too, lest they all be swallowed up in the general ruin. The problem of nullifying the sacred marriage institution is everyone's problem, for it will cause our society to crumble, and everyone will feel the adverse effects that will certainly accrue, whether we have supported it or not. Therefore this is a call to earnest prayer, so that we may peradventure have a lengthening of our tranquility.
We therefore end with a word of caution which should cause sober reflection, and should cause all sincere Christians, and thinking men and women to step up to the plate and do all that we possibly can to stay the tide of evil, for we are now treading on very dangerous ground. Let's read:
Isaiah 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. 16 Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.
He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what The spirit saith unto the churches. May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. "Good night" and God bless!