The One Thing
by R.C. Sproul Jr.

Last issue we looked at history, understanding that while we do not know everything that happened in the past, we can know something. While we recognize that at least most of the history is written by the victors, we reject the

notion that history is but a narrative construct masking a power grab. Something happened, and we can know something about it. The same is true for the future, that is, that we don't know everything doesn't mean that we know nothing. That all sides in the culture war affirm a final victory somewhere in the future is no proof that we won't, in the end, win. I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I have read the prophets who received their inspiration from God, who knows tomorrow as well as He knows today. After all, He wrote them both. And from those prophets I know that I know next to nothing about the short term future, assorted possibilities about the distant future, and one absolute certainty about the end of history, that our side wins.

Several months ago I found myself raked over the proverbial coals because in the other publication for which I serve as editor I dared to suggest that maybe, just maybe we might be in for something of a bumpy ride when the new year comes. Raising that possibility suddenly turned me in the minds of some readers into a scare-monger, an alarmist, and a doubter of the sovereignty and the goodness of God. I was even lumped in with those dispensational speculators who make their living cramming their newspaper headlines into the book of Revelation. I confessed my ignorance of the future repeatedly, but suggested that the mere possibility of hardship serves to remind us men who are covenantal heads over our families of our responsibility to see to the needs of our families. I argued that our happy view of our short term future happiness probably stems more from our trust in the state than our trust in God. As that critical date approaches I still don't know what will happen, which puts me in a large company, including that bevy of bureaucrats and spin doctors who tell us at the same time that everything is under control and to prepare for a week or two of havoc.

The impending turnover to the big 00 prompts me in .Every Thought Captive not to make the same point we made in Tabletalk. Yes, men need to protect their families, indeed need to think through how to do that before stuff gets nasty. But here we chose to devote this issue of ETC to that one thing that needs to be said. Instead we want to treat this issue as our last chance to say to you whatever it is we think needs to be said. (Of course in every issue we say what we want to say. Have you noticed how much fun we have?) It may in fact be our last chance. If there is no power we certainly can't get this done. I doubt I'd even try to put out an issue via smoke signals. If there's a serious economic crash we may not be able to afford to print and mail ETC. Or, Y2K could be nothing, and I could get hit by a bus. Well, probably not a bus. There aren't too terribly many of those out here in the open country. But I could be attacked and killed by a small flock of unproductive and very angry chickens. Stranger things have happened, even on my own tiny little chicken farm. Or, maybe you will get hit by a bus, or forget to let us know you want to get ETC sent to you. Maybe you will let us know you want to receive ETC, but you'll be the only one. Much as we'd like to help, there has to be some critical mass for all this work to make sense. Or, we may just be able to continue as we are. We don't know.

Given that we never know, doesn't that mean we should live all our days as if they were our last? Who wants to go to their grave knowing that their last few minutes were spent waiting for a delayed flight, which I am doing even now? Shouldn't we have started with this theme in our first issue? Issue one should have been on the most important thing, issue, two on the next most important until in thirty years we're making helpful suggestions on the right way to fold your socks. Nothing could be more important than the most important thing, could it? So why haven't we? Because we should not spend each day as if it were our last. That's the one thing that needs to be said here. Whether it is the secular "You only go around once so go for the gusto" version, or the dispensational, "Why plan for next week's cruise when we know the ship is sinking tomorrow" version, the truth is that though this may be our last day, we ought not to live as if it were. Instead we argue that we ought to live as if this were the first day, the first day in the rest of the march toward the true last day, when all things are made right. Whether in plenty or in want, this is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

The piety or impiety that sprouts this "Live like it's your last day" stuff come from the same source, a denial that Jesus Christ is upon His throne. If the gusto we seek is mere hedonistic pleasure, we can be assured that we will spend an eternity in a distinctly unpleasurable way. Hangovers are small potatoes compared to what waits on the other side of the veil for those whose god is their belly. And if we are His, and we live as if this were a last day, we will find ourselves before the King one day trying to explain why we thought it wise to bury our talents rather than invest them. He is no mere ceremonial king after all. He is a king actively ruling, actively bringing all things into subjection to Him, bringing every emotion, every action, every thought captive. And we're supposed to be participating. We are not only acted upon by our great King, but we act with Him. His plan is long term, as ours should be.

And maybe that is the most important thing, to know the end of the story, such that we are working every day at full tilt to hasten that day. It probably won't come tomorrow, and so and so we need to be thinking about the day after, and the day after that, and the generation after that. We need to be acting not as if this were our last day, but as if what we do today will influence the shape of the future into eternity. I don't teach my children the Apostles' Creed because they might die tomorrow, but because they might be, God willing, the godly grandparents of scores of covenant children who likewise will become such grandparents. That's the goal, to move us closer to that day when the glory of our King is universally recognized. And perhaps the second most important thing we need to know is that we are sure to reach that goal, because our King is King indeed. As John shows us in his apocalyptic vision, the thing we need most to endure short term uncertainty is the long term certainty of the consummation of the kingdom. Like the flowers of the field we are then free from worry. If Y2K is nasty, it will be nasty because that is what best serves to bring all of us to that end. If I get hit by a bus, the same would be true. If we continue along our merry way, well then, that must be what God has ordained to use, at least for a while, to bring the consummation.

We can, and should, make a guess, at least for what is going on in our own lives. We're not sitting here passively, waiting for what comes next, so that we can then sit some more waiting for what comes after that. Our grateful trust in the providence of God does not lead to catatonia, but to action. At the same time we're committing this issue to the "one thing", for instance, motivated in part by the unlikely event that this will be our last chance to communicate with you, we are also taking some steps in faith about the future. We have added four more pages to Every Thought Captive because we believe, rightly or wrongly, that this little publication helps in that ultimate process. (At the same time we're doing our first real purge of the mail list, in order to be better stewards. We no more want to bury the talents in the yard than we want to waste them at the post office. Unless you want to be among the purged, please be sure to send in the postcard in the middle.) One of those pages includes other aids we think might help. We are, for the first time, offering some of our teaching on audio tapes. One day we may even have a new batch of t-shirts to offer. You'll find information on these resources on our new page, elegantly titled, "Stuff You Can Get." We've added a cover, (Did you notice? Did you like?) and one new column. Hit and Run, will address a few different things briefly, tiny little things we hope will make you go, 'Hmmm?". It will bear a resemblance to the Anvil column of Credenda/Agenda. We assure you it is mere coincidence. The other new page you find right here, expanding our Vision column so that we can look a little further and a little more closely. And so your eyes don't get strained, nor your patience taxed, we're also scouring the land looking for more like-minded friends who would like to write to you as well. I'm sure you're as tired of seeing my by-line as I am of writing it. It's not easy finding good, insightful and funny writers willing to write for free, but we're trying. Somehow the honor of appearing in such a prestigious publication.

We're also finishing up one batch while planning our next batch of classes for homeschoolers. Whatever happens in the future, it is highly likely that our children will still be around, and still need to know of God's covenants with us, and His working in our world and in history. And, somewhat before you get this probably we will be starting a new teaching series on a biblical view of the family at our Tuesday night gatherings. As long as Jesus tarries there will be families, and so we still look to the future with hopeful anticipation. And we're still trying to coax eggs out of our chickens. You won't find us hiding in a cave. Even if things get really ugly, if you can get to us, we'll still be ministering, and will do whatever we're able to help out. We're by no means saying goodbye. Nor is all this just a veiled emergency appeal for more financial support. It's just a theme, nothing to get worked up about. We've even planned our theme for next issue, but you'll have to wait for that. One thing I can tell you, it won't be "the inside-out" issue.

Whatever the one thing is that needs saying, we will, by God's grace, continue to say it simply, separately and deliberately. And we pray, and hope you'll pray with us, that God would be pleased to continue using our work here for His ultimate glory.