The end of the world as we know it
‘The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.’ — 1 Peter 4:7
‘It's the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)’ — R.E.M.
There are days when reading the news feels a bit like flicking the pages of a dystopian novel.
A few minutes of scrolling could lead you to the conclusion that…
Artificial intelligence is coming for your job.
World War Three is about to begin.
The government is watching you.
You’re going to be cancelled.
The economy is about to collapse.
And that’s not to mention the microplastics.
Of course, all these things are serious. Many of them are likely. Some of them are probably already happening.
And when we spend too much time dwelling on them—they can lead us to live our lives under a cloud of fear, anxiety and existential dread.
But here’s the thing—our media and politics thrives on fear.
Fear sells newspapers, drives clicks and grabs attention.
Fear is the cultural air we breathe—and it’s anti-gospel.
Combatting fear with the truth
Consider, for a moment, Peter’s words that opened this email:
‘The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.’ — 1 Peter 4:7
Peter isn’t scaremongering here. He isn’t trying to be an alarmist, a doomsayer, or a first-century conspiracy theorist.
On the contrary, these words assure us of three truths that combat our fears and comfort our hearts:
1. God is sovereign over the end of all things
To non-believers, Peter’s claim that the ‘the end of the world is coming soon’ is a source of dread and anxiety—confirming the verdict in wider culture that society is collapsing and the end of the world is on its way.
However, to believers, these words should cause our hearts to sing—reassuring us that God is sovereign over all things and has already written the end of the story—a story which culminates in a new heavens and a new earth, where His chosen people will dwell with Him in safety and enjoyment forever (Revelation 21).
So, when we read the news or scroll through our social media feeds—when we ‘hear of wars and threats of wars’ (Matthew 24:6)—we need not panic or fear. God is in all things, over all things, and is directing His creation to a glorious destiny.
2. We have confidence in the day of judgment
Secondly, Peter reminds us that, in Christ, God has already saved us from an even more terrifying day than the end of the created world—the day of judgment.
A few verses later, he encourages early Christians facing persecution:
‘For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?’ — 1 Peter 4:17
Peter is saying that our temporary suffering now is preparing us for the final day when all people stand before the throne in judgment.
On that day, God’s chosen people—those who have obeyed the Good News by putting their trust in Jesus Christ—will receive the promised prize of eternal life with Him, while all who oppose Him will enter His eternal judgment.
So, if you are in Him, you have no reason to fear the end of the world—because your eternal destiny is already secure. The judgment you deserve for your sin has been absorbed by Christ, and you will live with Him forevermore.
3. He will preserve His people now and forever:
Peter concludes the chapter with these words: ‘keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you’ (1 Peter 4:19).
As long as we live in this world—no matter how dark and desperate things seem to get—we can trust that the God who created us and saved us will also preserve us until the end.
Nothing can separate you from His love. Nothing will overcome His Church. He will never fail you.
So, today, when your mind is overwhelmed by everyday anxieties or overcome by fear of the world’s impending destruction—rest in these truths again.
Whatever you read, hear and think about—hold it up in the light of these glorious words from Jesus:
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” — John 14:27
With love,
Mike
