Jesus Christ Is Your Only Hope

By Justin Edwards

Cast yourself upon Christ and flee from the wrath to come - He is your only Hope!

Osama, Terrorism, Despair, and Hope

By Justin Edwards

The world has been in a whirlwind since the news of the death of Osama bin Laden broke late Sunday evening.  Reactions have varied from celebration to condemnation, with many Christians struggling with how they should respond to the death of the world's most notorious killer of the last 2 decades.  In his article, A Christian Response to the death of Osama bin Laden, Randy White revisits the evil acts of bin Laden in recent years:

Osama bin Laden is a clear enemy.  As the leader of Al Qaeda, he is responsible for the death of over 3,000 men, women, and children on 9/11, as well as those who died on the USS Cole, the deaths of US servicemen shot down in Somalia in Operation Restore Hope, the 301 persons killed and 5,000 injured in bombings of U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, the bombing of a synagogue in Tunisia, the deaths of 180 people in a nightclub in Bali, and the list goes on.  Clearly, Osama bin Laden has been the deadliest terrorist of this young century (HT: Worldview Weekend).

Osama bin Laden was a cold-blooded murderer who deserved death.  Christians can rejoice that this wicked man has received temporal justice for his crimes against humanity, and we can rejoice that he can no longer take another innocent human life.  Yet, while we can rejoice that bin Laden is history and can harm us no more, the reality is he is in hell and has yet to face God's final justice - in that, we cannot rejoice, but more on that later.

Although bin Laden is dead, the threat of terrorism did not die with him.  In fact, his death will likely be a catalyst for near-future attacks.  Coincidentally, about a week before May 2, I saw that Wikileaks had released information regarding repercussions of a bin Laden capture or assassination.  In this report, Al-Qaeda threatens to unleash a nuclear hellstorm if Osama is caught or assassinated.  The terrorist organization has supposedly hidden a nuclear bomb in Europe, ready for detonation should Osama be incarcerated or killed.  It is not unlikely that such a threat is imposed within the United States, given our security risks on the border among other things.

In my opinion, killing OBL is another win for Islam.  The U.S. was absolutely justified in this assassination, but the consequences will be more attacks and restricted freedoms.  Not only might Al-Qaeda accelerate its efforts to attack the United States, but there may be an increase in lone wolf terrorists or bin Laden sympathizers to unleash their frustrations against perceived tyranny of the United States.  In fact, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula publishes a high quality English-language magazine, Inspire, to recruit and instruct Muslims in the West to carry out terrorist attacks in their home countries. They released their 5th edition in April:

With this is mind, the threat of so-called "soft targets" being attacked has significantly increased since the killing of Osama bin Laden.  Security has been heightened in major cities around the country, and agencies are being encouraged to employ security measures that would invade the privacy of American citizens.  The following CBS report explains that routine patdowns may become the norm for entry into these soft targets:



As the next few weeks unfold, we will likely see an increase of Muslims memorializing bin Laden.  In fact, the location of his killing is already becoming a shrine for his admirers, where one Muslims states:

I've come here today to see a piece of our history...Osama was a good Muslim who fought for Islam. He was a hero to us. I expect in time to see all sorts of tourists here, even Japanese and Americans.

This shrine may serve as a rallying point and pilgrimage for bin Laden's followers to pay their respects.  What we are seeing is faithful Muslims supporting one of their heroes - a martyr in their eyes.

Such is the sentiment that may bring about a new wave of terror in the United States. The world is already in turmoil with a failing economy, natural disasters, and Middle East turmoil, and with the perhaps imminent threat of terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe, we can expect more death and restricted freedoms.

So what does this mean for you?  What kind of emotions do you feel knowing that the world has significantly become more volatile, as if it wasn't volatile enough already?  Are you afraid?  Are you fearful of the unexpected?  If all you have is this life now, then there really is no hope for you.  If this world, which ultimately offers you nothing but temporal happiness, despair and death - an evil place where wickedness reigns and immorality destroys, if this world is the only one you have to cling to - then you are utterly hopeless.  At any moment, your life could be taken from you, and the chances of that happening have now increased by the death of one evil man.  

If death knocked on your door today, would you find yourself in the same place as Osama bin Laden?  The truth is, if you are still living for yourself and for this world, if you have need of nothing and are trying to live in a manner that you believe would make you worthy of heaven, then you are just as guilty as bin Laden and will face the same judgment as he will face. While the wrath of God may come down more severely upon bin Laden, God's wrath is still unfathomable upon those who refuse to obey the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  You may think such a position is incredulous, and I don't blame you, but that doesn't change the reality that you are a law-breaker and deserve the wages of your sin.

To read more about this and how you can avoid facing the same judgment as Osama bin Laden, please see Eternal Life.

Now, for my brothers and sisters in Christ - we have an incredible opportunity to use the killing of Osama bin Laden to proclaim the Gospel.  First of all, as opposed to those without Christ, we have an enduring hope!  As we are secured by grace, it doesn't matter if we should be the victims of a terrorist attack.  We are not to fear the unexpected on this earth, for our hope is in the One who has conquered death and has established a kingdom for us to rule and reign with Christ for eternity!  This is the Hope that is within us, and we must be constantly ready to share this with others.

Secondly, I expect most people are willing to talk about the death of Osama bin Laden.  I can think of no easier way to transition into a spiritual conversation than using this instance to break the ice.  In the days to come, I may put a list of survey questions together to use in witnessing encounters, but for now, consider asking people this simple question: 

Where do you think Osama bin Laden is now?

This will be a springboard for you to eventually ask the person where they will go when they die. 

Most of us have lost people close to us.  The news of Osama bin Laden just might be a catalyst that sparks a new wave of terrorism, which could ultimately play into God's prophetic timetable.  In any case, the hour is now all the more urgent to proclaim the Gospel.  While we really don't know how any of this will play out, God, on the other hand, is in absolute control.  He is sovereign over all nations, people, angels, and devils, and these events are proceeding just as He has ordained them to proceed.  We do not know every detail of the future, but we do know that Christ is returning, and looking at the condition of the world today, I believe He is at the doorstep. 

If you have doubts as to where you will spend eternity, please do visit the Eternal Life page.  If you are unsure of your salvation, please don't hesitate to contact me.  If you know you are saved by the grace of God, what are you going to do with your life from here on out?  We have only one purpose in this life once we are bought by the blood of Christ - to love and obey Him with all of our hearts and to make His name known. 

Let your conduct be worthy of the Gospel of Christ... - Philippians 1:27

See also:

The Great White Throne Judgment

20 Reasons NOT to Hope for Christ's Return in 2011

Are You Ready?

Awake from Your Slumber

Don't Play Games with Your Eternity

Heart Inventory

People Who Will Not Go to Heaven

Why the Resurrection of Christ Matters

By Justin Edwards

And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” - Mark 16:4-7

The very cornerstone of our Christian faith rests upon the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we approach the memorial day of our risen Lord, let us meditate on His resurrection and the price that He paid to redeem a people for Himself, which He set out to do before the foundations of the world (1 Peter 1:20).

The resurrection matters because:

Our Lord is the Resurrection (John 11:25).

Without Christ, no man shall see God (John 14:6).

If there be no resurrection, then we are the most pitiful of humans (1 Corinthians 15:19).

My brothers and sisters in Christ, our Lord has indeed risen from the dead!  His Spirit did not remain in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption or decay (Acts 2:31).  But He was given power over death and has destroyed the work of the devil! (Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8).  In Him we have life, yet those apart from Him shall only see death. But,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. - 1 Peter 1:3-5

If you are walking in the Spirit of the Lord this Resurrection Season, you have much for which to be grateful.  Although you cannot repay what Christ did for you, the least you can do is offer your body as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1).  Pray that God draws you into His grace more each day, that you will find out what is pleasing to Him so that you may cast off the works of the flesh and practically walk in newness of life.  Pray that He gives you a fire, hunger, and thirst for His righteousness through the Word of God, helping you prioritize your day to spend time with Him in prayer and study.  And pray that God gives you a passion for the lost, that they might know of the Resurrection through your obedience to

Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. - Mark 16:15

Let us make much of the resurrection of Christ, for through the blood our sins are washed away, and through His life we are given Life Everlasting!

Between now and this Sunday, I encourage you to take your time reading through 1 Corinthians 15:1-58.  It is one of the most beautiful portions of Scripture where we find that if we only have hope in Christ for this life, then we believe in vain; but since Christ has been raised from the dead, like the Apostle Paul, we may

be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. - Philippians 3:9-11

For your convenience, you can spend time with Him now in the chapter posted below.  May you be found in the riches of God's grace and mercy, dwelling in the glorious Hope of the Resurrection and the Life, holding fast to your First Love, that you would share in His inheritance as a co-heir of Christ on the throne of the Eternal Kingdom of God. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come!

(If you are unsure whether you will be resurrected with Christ, please see: Eternal Life)

The Resurrection of Christ

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Mystery and Victory

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.


Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.