How Can the Godly Survive in a Depraved World?
The world we live in is a place where sin is celebrated in the streets. Truth is suppressed and duplicity and lies are all around us. How can the believer live righteously when all around him is evil, and there seems to be so few godly people? Believers of all generations have asked this question. It is helpful to see David’s words in Psalm 12.
The first section of this psalm is the Prayer for Deliverance from Duplicitous People (1-4). David begins by asking God for His help because it seems that there a so few righteous people around him (1). All that he sees and hears is lies, deception, and falsehood (2). People boast in their pride of the great things they have done; all the while declaring that they are masters of their own fate (4). In response to this evil around him, David prays that they would be silenced by God (3). Brethren, we know that when Christ returns He will come in judgment upon the wicked of this world (Rev 19:11). It is good to pray for Christ to return as this is our greatest hope. All the lies and falsehoods of this world will be exposed, the wicked put to shame, and the righteous vindicated. Yet, we must also remember that God is patient with the world, desiring people to come to repentance and faith in Jesus (2 Peter 3:9). We endure the wickedness of this world knowing that we are merely sojourners here, citizens of heaven (1 Peter 1:1). We also know that the goal of our lives is glorify Him through our gospel witness (Matt 28:19). We share the good news of Jesus Christ and demonstrate to others that the gospel is true.