Is There Truly Good News Today?
HOW refreshing it is to hear good news! But people are generally cautious about what presents itself as good news. They have found that what is hailed first as good news often proves to be disappointing. This has been true of political promises, because frequently the promiser either has no real interest in or intention of fulfilling his promises, or, if sincere, he lacks the power to fulfill them.
But truly good news does really exist. It is news of good that will last, and it is from a person who has our highest welfare at heart. Race, color or nationality make no difference with him. Furthermore, this person also has the power to fulfill his promises. The good news can bring relief now, and full happiness in the near future. The person sending the good news is Almighty God, the Creator, whose name is Jehovah. (Ps. 83:18) The Bible, written over his “signature,” contains the good news, and needs only to be considered with an open, sincere mind in order for it to reveal the full understanding of its message to men. Jesus said: “Accordingly I say to you, Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you.”—Luke 11:9.
Mankind certainly need help, not only in governing themselves, but also because, regardless of environment, good or bad, they get sick and die, losing everything. This is due to man’s being imperfect, falling short of perfection, short of the “glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) Man’s sinfulness is really the basic reason and source of the bad news that we hear all around us today. Men are sinners, most of them not of their own will, but “just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.” (Rom. 5:12) This is why all humans die. The apostle Paul describes the situation of the man who seriously tries to do right when he says: “The good that I wish I do not do, but the bad that I do not wish is what I practice. If, now, what I do not wish is what I do, the one working it out is no longer I, but the sin dwelling in me.”—Rom. 7:19, 20.
The same Bible writer goes on to show that humankind is in this condition, but not without hope from the Creator. He speaks of the earthly creation’s being “subjected to futility, not by its own will,” and states that it was thus subjected “on the basis of hope that the creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:20, 21) This is good news of perfection and everlasting life for humankind.
“Children of God”! This would mean a relationship with God as a family living on earth in unity, directly under his care, happy, well provided for, with plenty of things to keep people occupied in pleasurable work. For the earth was made as the home for humankind, and it is indeed a beautiful home, made to stand forever. ‘The meek will inherit the earth,’ said Jesus Christ, quoting from the Hebrew psalms, which also declare that the earth “will not be made to totter to time indefinite, or forever.” (Matt. 5:5; Ps. 37:11; 104:5) This is good news; it is wonderful to know it! How will God bring about his stated purpose toward the earth?