Many believers see the problems of the world and think that God is punishing the land and that we need to fast, cry out and repent to have our sins forgiven.

They quote this passage:

2 Chronicles 7 “13 “If I shut up the sky so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. “

But we have to see the context. God was speaking to Israel under the Old Covenant.They had to offer animal sacrifices and obey ALL the commandments to be forgiven their sins.

2 Chronicles 7 “4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before Yahweh. 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated God’s house.”

But under the Old Covenant, their sins could never be taken away by the sacrifices of animals!

Hebrews 10 “For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Or else wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. 4 For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.”

But then Jesus Christ the Son of God was born under the Law and perfectly fulfilled the Law on our behalf:

Galatians 4 ” 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, 5 that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as children.”

The unbeliever remains under the judgment of the Law.

But Christ’s perfect sacrifice fulfilled the Law so that the believer has been made PERFECT once for all. God will never judge the believer anymore! Our sins are eternally forgiven!

Hebrews 10 “9 then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second, 10 by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Every priest indeed stands day by day serving and offering often the same sacrifices which can never take away sins, 12 but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet. 14 For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified6 “This is the covenant that I will make with them: ‘After those days,’ says the Lord,‘I will put my laws on their heart, I will also write them on their mind;’ then he says,17 “I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more.”18 Now where forgiveness of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”

Christ’s death took away the sins of the believer. Therefore there is no more sacrifice for our sins. Therefore there is no more judgment for the believer.

But what about the world? The world still remains under judgment of the Law.

God so loves the world that He wants all men to come to salvation and not perish.

1 Timothy 2 “³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”

At the moment, we live in an imperfect world where good and bad can happen to both believers and unbelievers.

Matthew 5 “For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. “

But in the end, one day this world will end. All people will be judged regarding salvation by faith in Christ:

2 Peter 3 ” ⁹ The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

This is why we preach the Gospel both in good and bad times. The world will be judged on the last day when God will only save the believer in Christ.

Jesus fulfilled the law to give righteousness as a FREE GIFT to all who believe!

Romans 10 “4 For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. “