The Certainty of Survival

Ezekiel 36:25-28, NKJV

Sermon by Pastor Nathan Johnson, 3/9/2025

The Certainty of Survival: Finding Light in Dark Times 

In a world filled with uncertainty, where darkness seems to creep in from every corner, there’s a powerful truth we must hold onto: the certainty of survival. This isn’t just about physical endurance, but a deep-rooted spiritual assurance that no matter what challenges we face, we will overcome. 

The concept of survival goes beyond merely existing. It’s about living over, living beyond, living despite, and living through our circumstances. It’s about remaining alive, outliving our difficulties, and continuing to function even when things get tough. This survivor spirit isn’t new – it’s been the backbone of communities that have faced immense hardships throughout history. 

Consider the words of David in Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” These aren’t just poetic phrases; they’re a declaration of unwavering faith in the face of adversity. David, who was hounded by King Saul and faced numerous life-threatening situations, found solace and strength in his relationship with God. 

In our modern context, we face different but equally daunting challenges. The darkness of our times manifests in various ways: 

1. When ignorance replaces intelligence
2. When cruelty replaces compassion
3. When greed replaces grace
4. When cowardice replaces courage
5. When wrong replaces right

Yet, in all these circumstances, we can survive because the Lord is our illumination. Just as the sun peeks over the horizon to bring the dawn of a new day, God’s light reorients us to see what is real, righteous, true, and trustworthy. 

But survival isn’t just about overcoming darkness. It’s also about thriving in times of distress when life seems to close in on us, restricting our movements and impeding our progress. In these moments, the Lord becomes our liberation. The Hebrew word ‘yasha’ implies not just escape, but the provision of sufficient room to function even within our challenging circumstances. 

This truth echoes through generations. Our forebears, despite facing immense hardships, found ways to care for their families, educate their children, and build institutions of higher learning. They didn’t just survive; they created legacies that continue to impact us today. This wasn’t because life was easy or circumstances were favorable. It was because they had the Lord on their side, making a way out of no way. 

Yet, even with faith, doubt can become an uninvited, unwelcome house guest in our minds. It can change our song from “I know the Lord will make a way somehow” to “I don’t know if I’m going to make it.” In these moments of doubt, we need to remember that the Lord is our preservation. He is the strength of our lives, offering three key elements: 

1. Harbor: Drawing us close when life’s seas get rough
2. Height: Lifting us up when we’re prone to despair
3. Helmet: Protecting our minds from false realities and fallacious thoughts 

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of our survival is how the Lord becomes our negation – nullifying the effects of darkness, distress, and doubt. This allows us to boldly proclaim, “I will not fear.” It’s not a naive statement of blind optimism, but a declaration grounded in the nature of God Himself. 

We serve a God who is:

1. Non-contingent: He doesn’t need help or permission to be who He is
2. Non-changing: In a world of constant flux, He remains the same
3. Non-copying out: He doesn’t renege on His promises
4. Non-comparable: There is no one like Him 

This God – unchanging, faithful, and incomparable – is the foundation of our certainty. He’s not confined to any single religion or philosophy. He stands alone in His ability to love, forgive, heal, deliver, and save. 

In times when institutions fail, when support systems crumble, when the world seems to be in chaos, we’re reminded that our hope was never meant to be in these things. God is using these challenges to shake off our false hopes and remind us where our true security lies. 

The key to accessing this certainty of survival is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s not enough to know about Him; we must know Him intimately. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). This isn’t a statement of exclusivity, but of clarity – there is one sure path to the Father, and it’s through Christ. 

As we navigate the complexities of our world, let’s hold fast to this truth. We have the certainty of survival not because life is easy or because we’re exceptionally strong, but because we serve a God who is light in our darkness, liberation in our distress, preservation in our doubt, and negation to our fears. 

Let us then live with confidence, not in our circumstances, but in the One who transcends all circumstances. Let us be people who, like David, can say with conviction, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” 

In a world desperate for hope, may we be beacons of this certainty. May our lives testify to a faith that doesn’t just survive, but thrives in the face of adversity. For we know that no matter what comes our way, we have the ultimate assurance: the Lord is with us, and in Him, we have the certainty of survival.