“Understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” [1]
Our world is changing before our eyes. Christians are often grieved as we witness the world blindly plunging toward ruin and dissipation. I don’t know that our world today is more corrupt than the world was during the days of the Weimar Republic, or during the days that described the French Revolution, or even as the world was during the days of the Roman Empire when the Apostle was incarcerated in the Mamertine Prison. Sin has always been regnant in our world, and it will only grow more virulent as we near the end of days.
Though I could wish it were otherwise, I am under no illusion that the inhabitants of this darkened world will take note of what I am seeking to say in this message today. However, I am fully aware that God’s Spirit does work in strange and powerful ways to speak to the hearts of fallen people. Therefore, I pray that perhaps someone will hear, and God’s Spirit will convict all such individuals by what is said. As the Lord does this, I am confident that each Christian will give thanks to our gracious Saviour that He has used this message to the praise of His glory. Nevertheless, I am now speaking to the people of God assembled in this place at this time. I am deeply concerned that you understand the times and that you therefore know how to respond in godly fashion to the challenges that you must face.
In an earlier encyclical, the Apostle to the Gentiles wrote, “Look carefully … how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” [EPHESIANS 5:15-21].
The days are evil, and no doubt many of us would argue that this is truer now than when Paul wrote those words. Regardless of the times, we who name the Name of the Risen Saviour must take seriously the need to honour God through living in such a manner than He is revealed through our lives. Though we live in a world that increasingly rejects the natural order that was imposed by the will of the Creator, we who worship the Son of God must order our lives according to His revealed will. In this way, lost people about us will witness the grace of God through our lives. Though we live in a world that increasingly resorts to violence when people disagree, we Christians must be known as people who reveal the peace of God even in our conversation. Though we live in a world that is increasingly rebellious, we must be obedient to the will of our God. In short, we who follow Christ the Lord must not adopt the attitudes that mark this dying world. We must live so that His resurrection power is witnessed in our lives.
I don’t mean to insinuate that we who serve the Risen Lord of Glory must seek peace at any cost, or that we must acquiesce to every aberrant behaviour that seeks to be normalised. I do mean that we must not be pugnacious or deliberately combative when we are offended. It is enough for us to refuse to accept the evil about us as normal, refusing to commend wickedness as though it is somehow acceptable. And there is plenty to offend us as people who seek to honour the Risen Lord of Glory.
THESE ARE THE LAST DAYS — “Understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty” [2 TIMOTHY 3:1]. “Understand this…” What the Apostle is about to say is critical, so critical that he emphasises what he is about to say, stressing the necessity of understanding what he is about to say. Paul is effectively demanding that the reader pay careful attention; and of course, we who are followers of the Lord Christ will want to listen carefully to the Apostle’s words, making the appropriate application.
It does seem as if we Christians read the words of the Apostle as he speaks of the last days, imagining that he is writing of events that will occur in the far distant future. I believe the reality is far different than we imagine. As an example of what I mean, note Paul’s cautionary words to Timothy in an earlier missive, when he wrote, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” [1 TIMOTHY 4:1-3]. To be certain, he was writing of events that were revealed by the Spirit of the Lord, but it seems easy to understand that what he wrote would qualify as a valid description of our contemporary situation.
Or think of what Paul wrote to the saints in Thessalonica at a still earlier date. “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore, God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” [2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-12].
I cannot help but believe that we are indeed living in the last days. However, they are the last days from what perspective? Whenever we see the term “the last days,” we naturally have a chronological understanding of what is meant by the term. We think in terms of a cessation of present conditions as we transition to a new and to a different situation. As followers of Christ, we quite naturally think in terms of His return and of our being gathered to Him. We live in anticipation of the Rapture, and the days of tribulation that are coming on the earth.
When we witness the evil that seems to grow throughout our world, we murmur, “Surely, these are the last days.” Without thinking too negatively, do you suppose that Christians that suffered under the heel of Nazi oppression, or that Christians who know the lash of Communist oppression in Korea, wondered, or wonder now, if they were living in the last days? Christians who are terribly oppressed in China today, or Christians who are jailed and tortured in Iran in this day, must question whether these could be the last days.
The term “the last days” occurs in several places other than our text. Looking at these other instances, we become aware of the application of the term as used in the Word of God. For instance, Peter stood to preach on the Day of Pentecost, and as he begins the message of the Lord, the Big Fishman says,
“And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved.”
[ACTS 2:17-21]
As you read these opening words of Peter’s message, it is obvious that the scope of his message includes the entirety of the Church Age. Beginning with the Day of Pentecost and continuing until the return of the Saviour, the entire period constitutes the last days. According to the message Peter declared we are in the last days now. Though we can speak with a measure of certainty when the last days began, we cannot say with certainty when the last days shall end. What is certain is that this time is limited. We are told how this period identified as the last days shall end, though we cannot know the timing of the ending of these last days. The last days shall end with the rapture of God’s holy people, after which divine judgement shall be unleashed on the earth throughout the period known as the Great Tribulation. Then, Christ shall return to judge the nations, and He shall reign on the earth for a thousand years. And we who are saved are destined to reign with Him.
Another verse that provides some insight into the last days is found in the opening verses of the Letter to Hebrew Christians. There, we read, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” [HEBREWS 1:1-2]. The writer says that the time in which he wrote was “these last days.” The transition from the Age of Law to the Age of Grace, or the Church Age, witnessed the beginning of the last days.
Allow me to point to one other instance of the use of the term, “the last days,” as used by Peter. In his second missive to the saints scattered throughout the world, the Apostle to the Jews has written, “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” [2 PETER 3:1-7].
In this prophecy, Peter writes of the growing response of religious people toward the declarations found in the Word of God during extended period of which we are now speaking. As the last days move toward a conclusion, there will be a growing number of “scoffers” who cast doubt on the return of Christ. Among the arguments proffered by these scoffers will be that of universalism which, they will claim, is proven by the absence of judgement. They will argue that we can account for the presence of all things by evolutionary doctrine, since everything continues as it always has been. And if everything continues as it has always been, then there is no reason to think that the Christ will come again. And if the Master isn’t returning, then there is no judgement. And if there is no judgement, then we might as well live as we wish. The argument will lead these religious people of the dying days of the last days to assert, as does one wealthy man, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry” [see LUKE 12:19].
This response to pending judgement at the return of the Master is truly frightening, or at least it should be frightening. You see, as Jesus told that parable, He concluded by saying, “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” [LUKE 12:20-21]. The parable Jesus told is aimed straight at the life of the religious person who fails to consider that the Son of God will return, and that when He returns, He will judge the living and the dead. And that knowledge should serve to restrain all who fail to consider the consequences of walking away from serving the Saviour.
My point of taking this excursus through the Word is simply to emphasise that we have been living in “the last days” since the resurrection of our Lord and His ascension into Heaven. We entered into the Church Age when the Spirit of God was poured out on all flesh and the work of God was entrusted to His people. His Kingdom was to be spread throughout the world as His people testified of His grace and lived holy, righteous lives before the eyes of this fallen world. Throughout this age, God has been working through His people as the Spirit of Christ equipped and energised them to fulfil His will.
To be sure, the world is not getting better from the standpoint of righteousness or moral character. Though we are growing more sophisticated in terms of our knowledge, the world in which we live is growing ever more wicked. Every good and noble characteristic is being sullied and demeaned, and the people of this world appear delighted to witness this degradation. Realising the growing wickedness of mankind, we who look for the return of the Master must take care not to allow ourselves to be lulled into a careless state.
Listen to the word of warning that Jesus delivered. “Concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore, stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake” [MARK 13:32-37].
It is essential that you grasp this truth—these are the last days. These are not the last days because they are evil; they are, however, increasingly evil because they are the last days. There is no question but that the days in which we are now living are increasingly evil. There have been evil days at other times, but it does seem that evil has grown ubiquitous and prevalent over a vast region of the earth. We have been in that period known as “the last days” since the ascension of the Saviour. As the age moves toward a conclusion, the evil that characterises all that is opposed to righteousness spreads like a dark miasma across the world.
CONDITIONS IN THE LAST DAYS — “People will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” [2 TIMOTHY 3:2-5a].
These verses speak of the conditions that will prevail throughout society during the last days. You cannot read that characterisation of society in the last days without reflecting on the torrent of negative news that is continually vomited out via newscasts and forums in this day. Surely the description Paul provides is an accurate presentation of contemporary western society! One need not have a degree in philosophy to draw a comparison between the description that Paul has provided and what is recorded on any news site on any given day. Of course, the fulfillment of what was prophesied is a confirmation that we are now in the last days. One need not stretch the mind to make the present condition fit the prophecy.
Love of self does appear to be the prevalent characteristic of those living in these days. Flowing from love of self are the other dark characteristics that the Apostle lists. People become lovers of money because we equate money with our own worth. If we have money, we have worth in the eyes of others associated with the spirit of this age. Thus, we pursue money, seeking to acquire ever more money because in our minds the wealth we accumulate defines our value to others. And we want to be valued!
When the Apostle says people will be proud and arrogant, we understand that these characteristics are akin to one another. Each of these dark facets flows from our love of self. Of course, we are proud because we love ourselves! And our pride in self leads us to be arrogant. Why should we care what others might think or feel since we have established ourselves at the centre of our universe?
We have already established that most of mankind loves self, and that is of the world. It is a reminder of John’s assessment of this present world when he wrote, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” [1 JOHN 2:15-17].
When the Apostle speaks of people being abusive, he is pointing to the speech that will characterise people of the last days. The Greek term used is transliterated into English as “blasphemous.” It conveys the idea of speech being marked as demeaning, as reviling, as slanderous. The anonymity provided by hiding behind an avatar and a name that masks our identity allows people to write demeaning statements about others without fear of retaliation. We slander rather than presenting arguments to counter whatever position they have adopted.
This condition is not new. The LORD speaks through the Psalmist to charge mankind,
“You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother’s son.”
[PSALM 50:20]
The dark censure anticipates conditions that would prevail just before Judah was overthrown and sent into captivity. At that time, Jeremiah wrote,
“Let everyone beware of his neighbor,
and put no trust in any brother,
for every brother is a deceiver,
and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.
Everyone deceives his neighbor,
and no one speaks the truth;
they have taught their tongue to speak lies;
they weary themselves committing iniquity.
Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,
they refuse to know me, declares the LORD.”
[JEREMIAH 9:4-6]
Government has usurped the role of parents. Government leaders, both in Canada and in the United States, claim their responsibility over children supersedes that of parents. [2] In such a situation, should we be surprised that we witness a society in which children are disobedient to their parents?
A society that has become ungrateful is a society that is moving inexorably toward ruin. I have pointed out on multiple occasions that the mad descent into cultural ruin begins with a lack of gratitude toward God. This is glaringly obvious as the Apostle Paul begins the dark description of the descent of any society into chaos that is recorded in his Letter to the Romans. You will no doubt recall that Paul writes, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse.” At this point, the Apostle provides stunning insight into the divine explanation for cultural destruction, writing, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” [ROMANS 1:18-21]. Failure to acknowledge God as Sovereign, failure to reveal gratitude to God, leads to the first step into the inevitable descent into societal chaos and ruin.
Of course, individuals who are ungrateful to God will have no gratitude toward people, nor will they have a reason to be grateful. And ungrateful people are self-centred people, and those who are in love with self are proud and arrogant, as we have already seen. In their pride, those who are on this maddened, unrestrained slide into cultural oblivion will be unholy. Unholy people will inevitably be exposed as heartless, without feeling, unloving. This description should be expected since the people whom Paul describes have established themselves at the centre of their universe. Why should they care what others may think? Their own opinion is all that matters in their view.
The sad truth is that those who are heartless will be shown to be unappeasable because they are certain that they are never wrong. Since their own opinion is all that matters, they never feel the necessity of seeking accommodation with others. There is no need to negotiate with others; why should they be co-operative with others whom they consider to be outside of their realm of correctness? And because they are convinced of the validity of their own judgement, they will be slanderous. Malicious gossip becomes the lingua franca of the realm as people exalt themselves and demean those with whom they disagree. It follows that they will be without self-control and that they will be brutal. What a tragic description of society in the last days! And does it not appear that Paul is exposing life in these waning days of this age.
Without the goodness of God controlling their thoughts, society will inevitably be characterised as one that has no love for what is good. That terminal culture will be one that is treacherous and reckless. Since each member of that society is trained to exalt their own opinion over all else, they have no choice except to be traitors, betraying the feelings of others, betraying the confidence of others, betraying even the trust of others. People will be using others rather than serving others. It is the natural expression of the exaltation of the self. Thus, we are told that society in the last days will be made up of people who are swollen with conceit.
It has always struck me that the most distressing characteristic found in this dark list of character traits in the last days is that provided in the fifth verse— “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” Religion doesn’t disappear during the last days, but it no longer reveals the presence of the Spirit of Christ. Religion in those final days before the judgements of the Almighty are poured out on the earth will consist of the outward effort of those living in those days to assure themselves that they are good. Religion in the last days will be concerned primarily, if not solely, with addressing the self. Religion will seek to promote self-fulfillment, self-promotion, self-exaltation, self-aggrandisement, self everything.
Increasingly, the churches of our day boast of their inclusive nature. Somehow, the churches of our day have forgotten that the Master of the churches cautioned all who will hear Him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” [JOHN 14:6]. How narrow must the Faith be when the Founder of the Faith has cautioned, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” [LUKE 14:26-27].
Perhaps it is no longer acceptable in modern society to say of the Faith of Christ the Lord, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” [MATTHEW 7:13-14]. But whether we are willing to accept what He has said, or whether we will attempt to ignore Him, the reality remains unchanged.
Though contemporary churches seek an easy path to life in the Kingdom, there is no easy path into the Faith of the Risen Lord. Our Lord has cautioned those who weigh whether they will follow Him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” [LUKE 9:58]. When one imagines a reason to delay following Him, Jesus bluntly states, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” [LUKE 9:60]. Or when one imagines that he must first obtain the blessing of his family, Jesus cautions, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” [LUKE 9:62]. Make no mistake, our Master will be Master, not some friend willing to overlook indiscretion and indecision. Christ is seeking workers, not shirkers.
RESPONDING TO CONDITIONS OF THE LAST DAYS — “Avoid such people” [2 TIMOTHY 3:5b]. God is not saying that we must not rebuke evil, nor is He suggesting that we must become eremites isolating ourselves from the world in which we live; rather, He is saying that we must not become close to those identified with the death of society. We must not expose ourselves to the potential that we will even tacitly give approval of the lifestyle associated with the world.
We who follow the Risen Saviour must know the times and so live that we are prepared for what must come. Jesus spoke of the danger of ignoring the truth that He shall shortly return. You will recall how the Master has taught those who follow Him, “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” [MATTHEW 25:1-13].
This is such a stark warning! At the return of the Master, it appears that all who name His Name will have grown weary, and most, or even all, will have fallen asleep. At the cry of the return of the Bridegroom, the faithful will waken. However, some will suddenly be compelled to rush to the hope of the churches, run to seek out the Word of God, hasten to seek the Spirit of Christ, only to discover that they were unprepared to meet Him.
I don’t want to press that thought beyond what is intended in the Word, but I confess that I find it deeply disturbing to think that few will be prepared for the return of the Master. Is this perhaps what was meant when Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth” [LUKE 18:8b]? Will the Lord indeed find faith on the earth at His return? Is it possible that even we who say we are looking for His return will at last grow complacent? Is it possible that we will allow ourselves to neglect His command to watch? I fear it is not only possible, but also highly probable that such will be the case.
Earlier, the Master had been instructing those who follow Him, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying, and selling, planting, and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left” [LUKE 17:26-36].
Consumed with the routine of daily life, it appears that people will begin to neglect first things. And yet, Christ will come! The Master cautions that at His coming, some, like Lot’s wife, will pine for what they imagine they have lost. Looking back, they shall be consumed. Perhaps their heart is so bound to this present life that they never allowed the Saviour to reign. Thus, they will share in the condemnation of this present world, perishing with those who are fully identified with the world in opposition to the reign of the Son of God.
There is perhaps a related warning in another of the Gospel accounts in which Jesus again spoke of the conditions prevailing on the earth preceding His return. There, Jesus has taught, “They will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” [MATTHEW 24:9-13].
Take careful note of the stark warning, “Because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” There is the suggestion that as lawlessness is increasingly established, many who profess love for the Master will grow disillusioned and become disheartened. They will begin to imagine that since He delays holding the wicked to account, they had as well give in to their own despair. Perhaps they will decide, “If you can’t beat ‘em, you might as well join ‘em. If God isn’t going to judge this evil now, then He will never judge wickedness.”
An unknown writer has written, “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible” [HEBREWS 11:24-27]. Unlike Moses, who fixed his eyes on the unseen God and considered the smile of Heaven superior to the wealth of Egypt, it seems that many in those last days will choose the fleeting pleasures of sin rather than choosing to wait for the promised return of the Master.
I consider the passages we have just reviewed to serve as warnings against allowing ourselves to become so enamoured of this dying world that we lose sight of what God has promised. This raises the question, “If we will equip ourselves to avoid losing sight of the fulfilment of His promise, what must be done?” That question should occupy the attention of each one who follows the Risen Lord of Glory at this date so late in the Age of Grace.
The first recommendation I make is to keep our eyes fixed on the Master Himself. Perhaps you will recall the words with which the writer of the Letter to Hebrew Christians begins the twelfth chapter. He writes, “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” [HEBREWS 12:1-2].
He encourages us to look to Jesus, and he provides a guide for how we are to look to Him. First, familiarise yourself with the firm stance of those who have preceded us in the Faith. Take time to read how they were emboldened to stand in the face of opposition. Allow this knowledge of their boldness encourage you in your own situation.
Then, take an inventory of those aspects of your life that hinder you. Ruthlessly jettison all that dishonours the Master and embrace that which honours Him. This means that you will need to read the Word, incorporating what God has said into your own life. Those actions and attitudes that dishonour Him are to be removed from your life; and those actions and attitudes that honour Him are to be embraced.
Then, boldly begin running the race. And you must know that it will be a race, not a sprint. Do not allow yourself to slip into the errant thought that you will never face opposition. You know very well that you will be challenged at each step of the way by those who despise the Master. The very powers of hell will rise up to oppose you as you begin to walk with the Risen Saviour. This is to be expected, so don’t become discouraged. Even members of your own family will oppose you if you are walking in the way of the Lord and they are determined to serve themselves. Remember how the Master has taught, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” [MATTHEW 10:34-39]. This is what is meant by the phrase, “Looking to Jesus.”
“Looking to Jesus,” means that I will engage with Him through my prayers. I will spend time speaking with Him and listening to hear what He is saying. This means that I will be reading His Word to discover what He is saying, I will endeavour to become biblically literate, to know what the Word says. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] See “Professor: Children Belong To The State, Not Parents (VIDEO),” The College Fix, April 9, 2013, Professor: Children Belong To The State, Not Parents (VIDEO) | The College Fix, accessed 25 May 2023; Pogany Koppany, “Canada Children belong to the state Ontario,” 18 Apr 2017, Canada Children belong to the state Ontario - YouTube, accessed 25 May 2023; “Your Children Belong to the State, Unless You Take Them Back,” Focus Press, Oct 26, 2021, Your children belong to the state, unless you take them back - Focus Press, accessed 25 May 2023; William Kilpatrick, “Do Children Belong to the State?” Turning Point Project, Nov 16, 2021, Do Children Belong to the State? - Turning Point Project, accessed 25 May 2023; Emilie Kao, “No, President Biden, Children Don’t Belong to the Government,” Newsweek, 5/6/22, No, President Biden, Children Don't Belong to the Government | Opinion (newsweek.com), accessed 25 May 2023; Ingrid Jacques, “Who knows what’s best for kids? Hint: Biden and Democrats don’t think it’s parents,” USA Today, April 27, 2023, Biden is wrong about your kids. They don't belong to the government (usatoday.com), accessed 25 May 2023; Mary Margaret Olohan, “Biden Tells Teachers: Children Are ‘Like Yours When They’re In The Classroom,’” Daily Wire, Apr 27, 2022, Biden Tells Teachers: Children Are ‘Like Yours When They’re In The Classroom’ | The Daily Wire, accessed 25 May 2023; Madeline Leesman, “Karine Jean-Pierre Ignites Angry Reactions for Saying Children ‘Belong to All of Us,’” Townhall, May 20, 2023, Karine Jean-Pierre Ignites Angry Reactions for Saying Children ‘Belong to All of Us’ (townhall.com), accessed 25 May 2023;
