I’ve been trying to think of some adjectives to describe the world in which we live: decadent, broken, wicked, dark. None of them seem to do justice in describing our present culture. We live in a horribly dysfunctional world bent on rebellion against God and determined to send itself to hell. If we are not careful as Christians, we may think that it’s the worst it’s ever been.

The truth is: it’s been this bad, and maybe worse before. Solomon reminded us that there’s nothing new under the sun, including the sinful condition of the world and its inhabitants. In Noah’s day, God repented that He had even made humankind. When Sodom reached its lowest depths of perversion, it merited God’s wrath in an unprecedented form: fire and brimstone. Idolatry in the Northern Kingdom of Israel prompted God to allow its total annihilation. And, of course, the pattern will continue as Scripture prophesies until the end of the age. We are reminded that the love of many will grow cold, and that lukewarmness will permeate even those who are a part of the Church.

Since the Garden, sin has had its way with God’s creation. All kingdoms of life are now subject to the attraction to darkness. Jesus commented on this phenomenon in John 3: “Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.” And it’s not just humans. Although the animal and plant kingdoms don’t participate in willful sin, they are also broken and do not fulfill their created purpose. In Eden, humankind and the animal kingdom coexisted in peace. Adam and Eve could satisfy their appetites without the shedding of blood. It was indeed a utopian existence. 

It may help to think of a jigsaw puzzle. God designed this world and put every piece into place. It was a beautiful portrait, perfectly painted as God’s nature spilled out onto the canvas of creation. Every piece fulfilled God’s desire and cooperated in perfect harmony. And then the serpent appeared, humans rebelled, creation fell, and the death sentence was pronounced. Sin’s tornadic storm scattered the perfectly assembled jigsaw puzzle into a thousand pieces. But they were not only scattered. The pieces were bent, edges broken off, some blown into sin-filled chasms and temporarily lost, and still others had their vibrant colors washed away. With a puzzle so damaged, it is no wonder that no matter how sincere or devoted one might be, human efforts to return the pieces to their former glory always fail.

This is why the world we live in looks nothing like the one God created, the one we long for, the one we wish was our daily experience. But despite living in the aftermath of the world’s worst decision ever, there is good news. Since the Garden, God has been working His sovereign plan to restore His masterpiece to its original condition. Whether we recognize its presence or not, God’s plan is in process, and it’s a course of action that will succeed. You see, the One who created it all is the only one who will be able to repair it. That is, after all, the overarching narrative of Scripture…redemption and restoration!

So, how do we live in this world which hasn’t yet been restored? Some live in despair and despondency. Others are comfortable with writing off this present world and relegating its inhabitants to hell while dreaming of their heavenly mansion. Neither is a biblical response.

We are to maintain hope in a world of hopelessness. Hope that restoration will come and that redemption is available to all who call upon the Lord. We should rejoice that we have been commissioned as agents of the good news and that our assignment is part of God’s restoration plan. We are to persevere patiently as a testimony to the world that our faith and trust in God is enough to sustain us and fill us with confidence that what our God promises, He will bring to pass. 

This is the world in which we live, but it is not the one in which we have hope. We travel these paths with a visa to visit and work, but our citizenship is in a country where our Heavenly Father dwells. We have been privileged to proclaim to a very broken world that a very good God is working very hard to reclaim His creation and once again declare it to be very good.