Yesterday,
when I heard the news of the latest atrocity committed by ISIS, aka the Islamic
State, I felt a mix of emotions: horror, anger, rage, grief and profound
sadness. How can a rational human being
understand the utter depravity of the human heart that would lead them to burn
a living human being to death? A person
created in God’s image.
I
will not watch these awful, obscene videos that Islamic monsters have put
out. I don’t want the images seared in
my mind. Yet, how can I not ponder and imagine
what the Jordanian pilot suffered?
As
I tried to sleep the one solace that I found in the face of evil is the promise
and assurance from God’s word that He will punish evildoers. The Jordanian pilot suffered unimaginably in
the last moments of his life. But I am
comforted by the thought that the unrepentant evildoers will be punished by God
who is sovereign, just and righteous. Vengeance
is God’s and He will repay. He will do
so in His perfect timing.
The
unrepentant sinner’s suffering will begin the moment they die. They will be punished, not for a few years,
not for a lifetime, but for eternity. Forever…it
will never stop. Ever! He will be in a place where there is weeping
and gnashing of teeth. In a place where
the fire is not quenched. In a fiery
furnace he will be burned, but not consumed.
It’s a place of everlasting shame and contempt. A place of torment, gloom and utter darkness.
I
thank You God for the day of justice which will one day come…when the wicked
and unrepentant sinners will be punished.
What’s
equally hard for me to comprehend is that God’s desire is that sinners repent,
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved (even the people who have
committed unimaginable atrocities). Jesus
bore their sin on the cross, He paid the penalty in full for the horrific
crimes they have committed and the “little sins” that only the God knows about. And the Father stands ready to embrace and
forgive the genuine repentant sinner who comes to Him through Christ.
God’s
forgiven all my sin. While I may not
have lobbed off someone’s head, I have sinned greatly against the Father. There’s not a day that’s gone by when I haven’t
sinned in thought, word or deed. I’ve
hated people and in my heart committed murder.
But in Christ Jesus, God the Father has forgiven me and He will do the
same for all who repent, confess with their mouth and believe with their heart
that Jesus Christ is Lord and they will be saved.
I’m
left with a question that I’ve really not heard answered. What is it going to take for decent Muslims to
stand up and speak out against these awful atrocities that these monsters are
doing in the name of Islam? Why aren’t
you crying out loudly against them?
Condemning their actions? Are you
afraid, afraid they are going to do the same to you?
Why
aren’t you storming the talk shows and condemning ISIS and radical Islamic
followers? Why aren’t you writing to
newspaper editorial pages and decrying what these people have done in the name
of your religion? Where is your voice
speaking out against these atrocities that have now become an everyday event
in the news? Why aren’t you telling your
friends, neighbors and co-workers that these people don’t represent your religion? I don’t hear too many Muslim voices condemning
radical Islam. Why is that? Why in the world don’t you loudly and publically
condemn such actions? Why don’t you rise
up against them?
“The
only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” –
Edmund Burke
I
hear a lot of silence!
Don’t
let evil triumph. Speak up and speak loudly,
unapologetically and bravely condemn the evil done in the name of Islam. The time is now.
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