Day by day we live in a troubled world characterized by continuous outbreaks of terrorist violence of every stripe and kind. The current head of the CIA, George Tenet, recently stated: "The threatening environment we find ourselves in today is as bad as it was last summer—the summer before 9-11" (Newsweek, Oct. 28, 2002, Atlantic edition).

Wars, conflicts, terrorist attacks and domestic upheavals are raging at various points on the globe. No continent escapes. Everywhere we find mounting troubles. Truly, there is an "Axis of Evil" beyond that spoken of by President Bush, one that stretches from North Korea and Indonesia in Asia through Iraq and Palestine in the Mideast—branching north to Northern Ireland and south to several notorious hot spots in Africa and westwards to Colombia in South America. Russia just experienced a horrifying terrorist incident rooted in the ongoing war in Chechnya. Many lives were lost.

Multiple dangers lie ahead—one bitter awakening after another! How will we cope?

Author William Shawcross stated frankly, "There will be more [terrorist] attacks and they will get worse... Bali brought home the fact that we are all Americans now. We are vulnerable to the nihilistic madness of the bombers" (Independent on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2002). Or, we could fall prey to crazed snipers, as happened recently in the greater Washington, D.C., area.

The Economist speculated, "A second terrorist attack would probably change America even more than the first one did."

A disconcerting world outlook

From a strictly human viewpoint, the world ahead does not look very promising. Nationally syndicated American columnist Mona Charen wrote: "The world does not and probably never will run on cooperation, peaceful dispute resolution and friendship. Peace is maintained today as it always was—by armed force and balance of power" (The Washington Times, September/October 2002 weekly edition). What a damning indictment on humanity and all our efforts to govern ourselves! That is her worldview and, at least on the surface, it certainly appears all too true. This is the sad reality of our age.

The world's counterintelligence organizations did not and cannot prevent highly damaging terrorist attacks that currently pockmark the globe. When they had credible advance warning in hand, Indonesian officials responsible for the protection of vulnerable spots like Bali apparently ignored them. Governmental authorities often mistrust covert intelligence, sometimes to their peril. We human beings are good at ignoring warnings. It is a failing of our nature. We invent reasons not to act and protect.

Yet various groups hone their survival skills, hoping to cope with whatever comes. If you happen to be a Jew, you would regard this present age as very dangerous to your worldwide community. Some call it the scariest time since the Holocaust. Anti-Semitism is on the increase, the nation of Israel is under daily, even hourly, threat and global Jewry is subject to constant stress from extremist elements in the Muslim world. This amounts to a very uncomfortable worldview.

If you are Muslim, you probably have been informed that America and Israel pose a serious threat to your life and well-being. In fact, personal prejudices distort almost all worldviews. And, all are misleading to the extent that they are not solidly based on the Word of God.

Life without a biblical worldview

Our general inability to fashion a godly worldview and to reason biblically has reached the epidemic stage. The Bible itself is under attack as never before, even from some theologians supposedly in the business of supporting God's Word.

Problem solving has fallen more and more into a secular mode. The Bible is not even in the equation. Sadly, we put bandages on external problems without ever getting to the real root of our difficulties. We often ignore godly principles, good character and our nagging consciences. We forget that there is a cause for every effect and run from the fact that our blatant transgressions of invisible spiritual laws are chiefly responsible for much of what is wrong in our world.

Pauline Boss, a social scientist at the University of Minnesota-St. Paul, recently said: "We are a society that likes to know the answers, to have predictability. When we cannot have it, our stress levels go way up and we transfer that to our children" (USA Today, Oct. 28, 2002).

The only book that will really help us make sense of multiplying chaos around the earth is the Judeo-Christian Bible. When we see and reflect upon irrational acts of terrorism, we may well ask: "What on earth is God doing?" That's a very good question, and only the Bible has the answer.

Regardless of all the machinations of sinning humans and all the evils that men do, God still has a highly workable plan and program for the salvation of mankind. Living in "this present evil age," only those who truly comprehend God's plan can have real peace and a valid sense of divine purpose. Without the knowledge of God, we continue in darkness and cannot help but experience discouragement, disillusionment and despair.

But armed with that saving knowledge and the help of the Creator Himself, we can cope with whatever the days and months and years may bring.

The perspective the Bible brings

Even before the invention of weapons of mass destruction, the apostle Paul could still accurately describe his first-century world as "this present evil age" (Galatians 1:4). He wrote letters to early Christians living in a morally bankrupt Greek city named Corinth. His purpose was to help them to successfully deal with the difficulties of residing in an environment of sleazy immorality and idolatry. In that respect Corinth was not so different from many cities of our day.

Paul told those early Christians in Corinth: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being [spiritually] renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Corinthians 4:16-17, NIV throughout).

The Church members in Corinth understood God's plan and it brought needed perspective to their lives as they struggled to avoid the ensnaring temptations so readily available in their immediate environment. Despite making many serious mistakes, they were gradually learning to submit to the biblical instruction advanced by the apostle Paul, and things were slowly coming right.

We can take a positive view of the fact that the Corinthian brethren had so many problems in the sense that these difficulties occasioned the revelation of some of the most important aspects of basic Christian doctrine in the New Testament.

But the lesson of this particular passage is clear. God's Word brings the encouraging perspective of His purpose for humanity, helping us to avoid the temptation to be cynical about life. Cynicism only brings despair. Paul said: "We do not lose heart," in spite of difficult circumstances. We learn the correct standard of comparisons. Our ultimate goal of eternal life far outweighs our combined present sufferings.

Seeking the true biblical worldview

Paul continues: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (verse 18). Little by little the new Christian convert learns to focus his attention more and more on the future life with God and Christ in the age to come. The things that happen, good and bad, are made to fit into this new biblical worldview.

Not even physical death can prevent a Christian from attaining this incredible futuristic life. "Now we know that if the earthly tent [human body] we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in [that will come from] heaven not built by human hands" (2 Corinthians 5:1).

Other scriptures show that at the first resurrection we can look forward to a brand-new spiritual body vastly superior to our present earthly body with all of its proverbial aches and pains (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

Yet God understands that we have to live in this present evil world now, and He is there to help us endure any temporary sufferings. "Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling [eternal spiritual body]...For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life" (2 Corinthians 5:2-4). A Christian's ultimate quest is to attain immortality. That's one reason why Christ asked us to pray, "Your Kingdom come."

Real life has not even begun. What we have now is but a pale shadow of the fantastic life to come. "You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand," wrote the prophet (Acts 2:30) and psalmist King David (Psalm 16:11).

"God has made us for this very purpose"

Paul then comes to the specific purpose, the nucleus, of this long section. It is all too easy to read right over some of the most important single passages in the New Testament. We all do it from time to time.

"Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the [Holy] Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (2 Corinthians 5:5). Mark that saying well! We were not put here simply to enjoy this human material life (though physical pleasures are not wrong in themselves as long as they accord with God's law). We have a far greater goal than merely passing the time, earning a living, watching TV and finally making our exit.

Many of our activities are not intrinsically wrong in themselves, but we often waste far too much time in their pursuit—time far better spent in praying and studying precious truths in the Word of God. Some things are far more important than others. We have to "prioritize" our lives to make sure that the things that make for eternal life get done.

We repeat this important biblical declaration: "God has made us for this very purpose." Can we grasp the awesome meaning and intent of those inspired words once written by the apostle Paul? We were created by God to possess eternal life in a new spirit body that never grows old. It will be like Christ's glorious resurrection body. It will go through closed doors as though they were not there and be capable of speeds greater than that of light. It is this eternal body composed of spirit that will finally get us to the planets—and it won't take light-years either.

Developing God's character

But God requires that we develop the aspects of His righteous character first. One of the first things we should work on is godly self-control. Probably you have watched one of those TV talk shows in which the presenter walks around with a microphone in his hand and invited guests often launch verbal and even physical attacks upon one another. Whether real or staged, such is an example of people who apparently cannot or will not govern their actions, possessing precious little self-control. Quickly they react to others with uncontrolled anger, malice and hostility.

God wants us to be like Him—merciful, loving, long-suffering, slow to anger—the antithesis of the behavior of far too many living in our day.

In order to develop these godlike qualities of character, our Creator gives us the help of His Holy Spirit—the germ of eternal life. A down payment or earnest money illustrates it, for it is the guarantee that we will receive the full promised possession if faithful to God's terms and conditions.

Our worldview changes as we grow in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). We begin to see things as our Creator does. We gradually take on His view of world conditions. We look forward to a better world tomorrow, when we will assist Christ as He rules the nations during His coming millennial reign on earth. We long for the age to come when all the present problems, like terrorism and violence, will be put behind us.

Then the world will be characterized by love, cooperation, kindness, friendship and the peaceful resolution of disputes. God speed that day!