There is a line from a poem by William Ross Wallace (1819–1881) that you have probably heard. He wrote, “For the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”

“I have bad news and good news. Which do you want to hear first?” This is a premise of some jokes and also of some serious diagnoses. No one wants to hear bad news, while we all love good news. Prophets of God and Jesus Christ Himself delivered both bad news and good news.

A much-beloved Protestant hymn asserts, “This Is My Father’s World.” The song has a beautiful melody, and the sentiment is tempting. Yet, the reality of the matter—as so pointedly shown by the many sudden and destructive events caused by natural disasters—is that our world today is not our Father’s world.

Can we obtain salvation by our own efforts? If we obtain salvation, is it true that we are “once saved, always saved”? Many people are confused about the truth behind these doctrines. Scripture tells us that a Christian is justified by grace (Titus 3:7). So, what does it mean that we must not lose what we have worked for (2 John 1:8)? If justification is by Christ’s blood (Romans 5:8–10), then why is eternal life the reward of the righteous (Matthew 25:46), while eternal death awaits the unrepentant sinner (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23; Revelation 2

Years ago, on a bitter cold night in January, our house caught on fire. Our family of seven slept upstairs in a wooden farmhouse.  As we raced down the stairs, fire was coming up through the steps below. That night, my Dad, Mom and I were able to put out the fire, but not before it had ruined part of our home.