A Confident Stand

A Confident Stand

The survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King.

Zechariah 14:16

IN WORD God will establish Himself visibly as King over all the earth (v. 9). In that day, even His enemies will worship Him. It may not be an enthusiastic worship, but it will be consistent. Those who once attacked Jerusalem will flock to it to do homage to the universal, undisputed King.

Think about that. Every atheist who has mocked faith as superstition will recognize the King for who He is. Every adherent of every anti-Jesus philosophy will bow before the Lord. Every nation that shunned God’s truth, every persecutor who sought to extinguish God’s people, every rebel who ignored God’s righteousness—all will come into His presence in humble obedience. One way or another, in heaven or in hell, in this age or in the age to come, everyone will acknowledge the supremacy of Christ. As Philippians 2:11 says, every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.

Isn’t that encouraging? It means that whatever flak a believer takes in this world is temporary. Every offense, every slight, every insult, every injustice will bow to the vindication of our Lord. When He makes all things right, not only will He correct and restore us from the wrongs we’ve committed, He will prove to others that we put our faith, flawed as it may be, into the right Kingdom. We laid up true treasures that can never lose their luster.

IN DEED For that reason, never go through this world intimidated. There’s no need to. We can wait—calmly, patiently, and without malice or vengeance—for the vindication of our God. Believers who lash out at those who scoff at our faith have forgotten the end of the story. They are like trash-talkers before the big game, wasting energy on a battle of words that means nothing. Don’t do that. Live instead in the calm assurance that all enemies of the gospel will one day bow to our Lord. Stand confidently in this world.

In the first advent, God veiled His divinity to prove the faithful; in the second advent, He will manifest His glory to reward their faith.

—JOHN CHRYSOSTOM