A Warning From Armero

Good News – July/August 2024 – Grace & Truth Magazine

A Warning From Armero

On November 3, 1985 a volcano in Colombia, South America erupted. The lava rapidly thawed the snow on the mountain, creating an enormous volume of floodwater mixed together with mud, which inundated the small city of Armero.

There were signs and warnings of imminent danger. The volcano had been rumbling for some time, spewing smoke and small amounts of lava. Its ash fell on the town daily. But, the people of Armero were said to be a proud group, thinking themselves to be better than many others and that disaster could not happen to them. Generally speaking, the warnings went unheeded.

Reportedly, while the city’s mayor was talking on the local radio station, calming the fears of the people and saying there was no danger, the station suddenly went dead. The volcano had erupted, and the flood had hit! In minutes, the town was obliterated and about 23,000 people died. Today you can visit the area and see the devastation. It is an eerie sight.

This reminds us of the days of Noah. God “saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man … and He was grieved in His heart” (Gen. 6:5-6 NKJV). Therefore, He declared that He would judge the earth. But before judgment came, God made a way of escape. He spoke to Noah, a man who “walked with God” (v.9) in the middle of all this wickedness, and told him to build an ark – a huge boat – for the saving of his family and the animals and for anyone else who wanted to enter.

It took Noah 120 years to build this boat, and during that time he warned people of the impending judgment of a huge flood, but no one listened to his warnings. The invitation to enter was open to any and everyone, without cost. The only thing that they had to do was enter, thereby showing their faith in the message God was giving through Noah. One day the LORD told Noah and his family to enter, and they did. God also brought many animals to the ark, and they entered it too.

The door of the ark remained open for seven days, when God closed it. Then the rains and flood came and covered the whole earth for half a year. Only those inside the ark survived.

Gradual degradation has brought man to the same low moral level as before the flood. Bible verses clearly declare our moral bankruptcy. “We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isa. 64:6). “There is none righteous, no, not one, there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God … There is none who does good, no not one … all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:10-12,23).

As in the time of Noah, today God has provided a way of escape from the impending judgment: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (6:23). God has “no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezek. 33:11).

Man is guilty; God is holy. Sinful man cannot attain standing before God without help. So God sent His Son, Jesus, who willingly came to earth, lived a perfect life here, and as the Sinless One He stood in guilty man’s place. He willingly paid the price that was ours to pay. Thereby, God made the way of salvation. In the time of Noah, each one had to enter the ark to escape judgment. We too must individually accept the way of salvation that God offers through faith in His Son. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (Jn. 3:36). To believe in the Son means you:

• Acknowledge that you are a guilty sinner before God.
• Understand and believe that Jesus was sinless but took your sins’ punishment from God on Himself at the cross and now you are free.
• Ask Him to be your Savior and Lord, desiring Him to guide your life as to how you should live for Him rather than for yourself.

Do not delay! Now is the time for you to make this decision, don’t put it off. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). We can tell you how.

By Albert Blok