A prolonged state of uncertainty is one of the most stressful experiences imaginable. Perhaps you have waited for days before getting the results of medical tests or waited helplessly knowing a loved one was in a dangerous situation beyond your control. Helplessness reminds us that there are many aspects of life that are out of our control.
A friend once told his son to “be patient.” The response he received was, “That takes too long.” So it is with all of us to one extent or another. We are most comfortable when we know, or at least think we know, what comes next. The hospital “waiting room” is synonymous with the connotation of uncertainty.
This is where our faith plays a huge role in our ability to process such times. When Adam and Eve sinned, they thought they were taking control of their own destinies but their sin only served to destroy the certainty they had in God’s Providence. The history of mankind split into covenant breakers (after Cain) and covenant keepers (after Seth’s line). The subsequent covenantal history of Scripture is distinguishing between those two lines. “Christian” history continues that division’s development.
God’s revelation to us gives certainty because it comes from a sovereign God Whose every work is sure. Much of God’s communication to man begins with either, “I am the Lord thy God,” or “Thus saith the Lord.” If you believe in God and the certainty of the Word He gave, the uncertainties of your mortal experiences become less stressful.
Part of God’s revelation that gives us certainty is that dealing with eschatology, where and how things end. We must never see eschatology as an academic subject or a puzzling enigma for hobbyists to debate. Our eschatology is where our faith in God’s certain Lordship points us. Does Jesus end up a cosmic loser or as Lord of lords in your eschatology?
Today we live in a transitional phase of history. The religious, political, economic, and philosophic trends of modern history are coming to a head and things will be different in the not-too-distant future. We cannot pretend to know what the future will hold, but we do know Who holds it.
- Mark R. Rushdoony
Mark R. Rushdoony graduated from Los Angeles Baptist College (now The Master’s College) with a B.A. in history in 1975 and was ordained to the ministry in 1995.
He taught junior and senior high classes in history, Bible, civics and economics at a Christian school in Virginia for three years before joining the staff of Chalcedon in 1978. He was the Director of Chalcedon Christian School for 14 years while teaching full time. He also helped tutor all of his children through high school.
In 1998, he became the President of Chalcedon and Ross House Books, and, more recently another publishing arm, Storehouse Press. Chalcedon and its subsidiaries publish many titles plus CDs, mp3s, and an extensive online archive at www.chalcedon.edu. His biography of his father will be published later this year (2024).
He has written scores of articles for Chalcedon’s publications, both the Chalcedon Report and Faith for all of Life. He was a contributing author to The Great Christian Revolution (1991). He has spoken at numerous conferences and churches in the U.S. and abroad.
Mark Rushdoony has lived in Vallecito, California, since 1978. His wife, Darlene, and he have been married since 1976. His youngest son still resides with him. He has three married children and nine grandchildren.