Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us’ (Romans 8:18). The existence of evil does not eliminate the possibility of God, but the existence of God guarantees the elimination of evil. Jesus came ‘to destroy the devil’s work’ (1John 3:8) and demonstrated that he had done so when three days later (again in fulfilment of prophecy) he rose from the dead, a stupendous truth confirmed by hundreds of independent eyewitness, the transformation of his followers from cowards to conquerors, the institution and growth of the Christian church and his dynamic influence in the lives of millions of people over thousands of years. Today, he offers the forgiveness of sins and a living, eternal relationship with God to all who will turn from their self-centred lives and commit themselves to him as Saviour and Lord.

September 11 is a wake-up call. It warns us that evil is real, that life is brief and fragile, and that death is certain. Even more loudly it tells us to prepare for a final day of reckoning when ‘each of us will give an account of himself to God’ (Romans 14:12) who will ‘judge the world with justice’ (Acts 17:31). As ‘The wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God’ (1 Corinthians 6:9), we can be certain that if that judgement were to be on the basis of our own thoughts, words and actions our case would be hopeless and we would justly be condemned to spend eternity in hell, consciously enduring the appalling punishment we deserved. This is exactly what Jesus meant when he warned his hearers, ‘Unless you repent, you too will all perish. Now comes the best news you will ever read! On the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus in the place of sinners, God the Judge is willing to settle out of court! If you will come to him in true repentance and faith, turning from sin and trusting Jesus Christ as Saviour, all your sin will be forgiven, you will have peace with God and when your earthly life is over you will spend eternity in God’s sinless, painless, deathless, glorious presence. Let me urge you to think carefully about two things. The first is that God makes this wonderful promise: ‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart’ (Jeremiah 29:13). The second is that this gracious invitation has a closing date: ‘Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near’ (Isaiah 55:6). In his perfect holiness God hates sin, yet he is ‘not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance’ (2 Peter 3:9) and in his great mercy he loves those who genuinely want to do this. Then let nothing keep you back from calling upon him here and now, asking him to forgive you and to give you grace to turn from sin and commit yourself to Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour. Discover for yourself that ‘The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord’! (Romans 6:23).

We should confess that we are wrong to question God’s power, justice and love and should humbly commit ourselves to him: ‘I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes’ (Job 42:6).