Evil and Grace

We are witnessing an increase of evil in the world with senseless killings and brutal beheadings.  The persecution of Christians is at an all-time high.  But where evil increases, God’s grace increases all the more. In spite of the violence and persecution, more people are discovering faith in Christ from all over the world than ever before.

For the last two years we have hosted a Bible study in our home for international grad students at Baylor.  They have come from China, Indonesia, South Korea, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana Viet Nam and Poland.  Many of them have become like family to us.  We had a similar experience a few years ago when I served as pastor of an English speaking church in Nuremberg, Germany. Most of those attending the church were young adults from Germany, Ireland, England, Romania, Ukraine, China, Cameroon, India, Sweden, Austria, Japan and South Africa.

These young believers remind me that Jesus Christ was sent for all people of every nation in every age. When God called Abraham He promised to make him a blessing to all the nations. Isaiah said, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.” (Isa. 42:1) And again, “The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” (Isa. 52:10) Those promises are fulfilled in Jesus.

The world is experiencing the greatest population migration in history.  The United Nations Refugee Service estimates more than 55 million people have been displaced.  Christian groups are responding to offer shelter, food and the good news of God’s grace. According to a recent study by Lousanne World Pulse, Christianity as a whole is growing faster than the global population with the fastest growth in Asia, Eastern Europe and the global south.

Wherever we are, every believer needs to reach out to internationals around them, to welcome them, to love them, and to share with them the life-changing difference found in Jesus Christ. God wants people from every nation to experience His salvation in Jesus Christ.


When John described his vision of Christ in Revelation, he declared, “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:9).