Why Do the Wicked Seem to Win?
It’s a question that has plagued believers and challenged us for millennia: Why do those who cheat, lie, and oppress seem to lead lives of effortless success? The injustice is palpable when a coworker who cheats and lies gets a promotion, when a neighbor suddenly has a brand new, shiny possession parked in their driveway, or when an elderly person gets scammed and the criminals go unpunished. It is an irreligious problem, a profound challenge to faith that shakes the very foundation of our belief in a just world.
How To Become A Citizen of God’s Kingdom
Over the last decade, millions of people have fulfilled the requirements to become a naturalized U.S. citizen: be at least 18, hold a valid green card, pass an English and civics test, and take an Oath of Allegiance. It's a clear, rigorous path to enter a nation.
But what about citizenship in the Kingdom of God?
Our journey starts with a question posed in the book of Psalms: "Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?" (Psalm 15:1).
In the Old Testament, God's perfect holiness meant no human was worthy to stand in His presence. The path was closed by a thick veil in the Temple, and only the High Priest could enter—and only once a year on the Day of Atonement.
The good news is that Jesus Christ's death on the cross tore that veil in two, providing a way for us to enter God's presence. Jesus's message was that the Kingdom of God was "at hand"—not a physical kingdom to overthrow Rome, but a spiritual kingdom where He rules in the hearts of His followers.
Entry into this kingdom, Jesus explained, requires being "born again" (John 3:3-5). We become citizens when we repent and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins, receiving the Holy Spirit. This act makes us morally pure and holy, worthy to stand in God’s presence.
Finding Your Way Out Of The Cage Of Pessimism
"In the classic Victorian tragedy by Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, a young peasant girl named Tess Durbyfield discovers she is of aristocratic lineage. But instead of a dream life, this revelation leads to one disappointment after another. In a heartbreaking scene, she is asked if the stars are like our world. She replies, 'They sometimes seem to be like the apples on our stubbard tree. Most of them splendid and sound—a few blighted.' When asked which kind of world we live on, she answers without hesitation: 'A blighted one.'
