davidbowerkingwood

What Can We Expect?

The Bible warns that Christians will face dangerous times as the end of the age draws near. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 we read:

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

Does any of that sound familiar to you, have you seen or heard of any current events which would demonstrate the dangers Paul mentions? I have occasionally experienced events that would fall into the above categories and I have indeed heard of such things taking place around the world and even here in Houston, Texas.

Many believe that we are living at the beginning of the end times described in the Bible and I can easily see how someone might be drawn to that conclusion. From the condition of our society here in the United States to the conditions found around the world the evidence seems to be falling in line with the world situation as described in the Bible for the last days.

Should that be the case, then it is reasonable to assume that conditions will worsen, not improve. If we think for a moment of the United States alone there seems to be an almost endless number of dangers that are threatening this country. Any list of dangers to this country would probably include attacks by terrorists, or economic collapse near the top of the list. A more recent contender for a top listing might be civil unrest. I have to admit I never imagined a Houston freeway blocked by civil disobedience regardless of what it may be called by the media.

What Should We Do?

There seems to be a growing number of causes trying to enlist the support of Christians today; most of these causes are attempting to address the ills of society by crusading against this or that “ism.” The problem with that approach is these ills are nothing more than symptoms of the basic problem, the fallen nature of man.

I’ve always been impressed by the example set by the Aspostle Paul who lived during a time of many social ills including slavery. In spite of many opportunities to address these ills Paul choose to limit his efforts to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Social ills both then and now are nothing more than symptoms of the sin problem.

The challenge we face today is to keep our focus on Christ. Paul stated his position on the gospel very clearly when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, “And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. ² For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³ I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. ⁴ My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, ⁵ so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”

The message of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ is just as powerful today as it ever was and is needed every bit as much. We must not lose our focus and allow social issues to take center stage; the only really important issue now and always has been the person and work of Christ as the Savior of the world.