“But 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.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV
As far as the Bible is concerned all the days post-resurrection of Christ are the last days. So, in applying this text we should guard against the idea that a building intensity of evil, not unlike what we’re currently experiencing, is a definitive precursor to the return of Christ.
What we don’t know is the exact hour of His return so specific speculation is futile (Matthew 24:36).
It’s actually worse than futile because it often times diminishes the intensity in which we approach our sanctification, cultural mandate and evangelism. We should be hopefully awaiting His coming – that is, the return of the King, to rule and forever establish His Kingdom of pure righteousness. But this hopeful expectation shouldn’t devolve into frantic news-searching and a sense of fatalism about world affairs.
Whenever the Bible speaks of the return of Christ and the assurance of the Final Judgment, it’s to encourage the saints, to gird us up, and provide stamina. It doesn’t speak of the great Day in order to send us off on some sad form of eschatological treasure hunting, like we’re Indiana Jones searching the world for hidden clues. We search the Scripture to find Christ and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7); we search the world for the lost, to spread His word of reconciliation (Romans 10:15). We’re literally His ministers to the world:
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV
End times revelation isn’t meant to be a puzzle, but an encouragement in troubled times and an incentive to spread His message lest any perish.
We endure because these present sufferings aren’t worth being compared to the glory that awaits us (Romans 8:18). And we’re reminded that a good many of our Lord’s parables centered on exactly this point: we don’t know at which hour the Master of the house comes, but we do know He’s coming. How then ought we to act? Ecclesiastes warns us that because the judgment against evil deeds isn’t executed immediately, because the sky doesn’t fall upon the heads of blasphemers, liars, the sexually immoral, etc., sinners convince themselves (though they know it’s a lie as per Romans 1:32) that Judgment Day will never come (Ecclesiastes 8:11). It’s for this reason, incidentally, that the Bible says it’s better to go the house of mourning than to a party (Ecclesiastes 7:2).
The assurance of the Lord’s coming should steel us, settle us, and keep the wind at our back even when we’re in life’s storms. Much damage is done to the Christian and their testimony when they become illogically fixated on times and seasons and politics in Israel rather than upon the promises of the Lord. Tough times will come. They must because there’s a gravitational pull to the power of sin, pulling us down, down, and down.
Likewise, the power of the world, all the energy and skill, all the competition, is in the effort to suppress the knowledge of the Lord and His judgment.
Second, the common misunderstanding about a rapture has caused us to lose our focus on both the Great Commission and personal sanctification.
Our entire life’s work is to be faithful to Him and to go and make disciples wherever we go.
But people will say that not all people are professional evangelists and pastors. This is the fallacy of clericalism, which is the belief that as a “normal believer” you aren’t a professional Christian. That distinction isn’t anywhere made in Scripture, though. Sure, some have “offices” of elder and teacher and deacon within the church, but all believers are saints. And as saints, saved by grace, we take the gospel flag and place it down in whatever our hand finds to do. The resurrection of Jesus Christ not only redeemed our souls from the penalty of sin, but also our vocational work too. The Protestant work-ethic rests upon this truth. The cultural mandate is to do all in the name of the Lord, and do it well.
To be sitting around whining because the world of sinners is growing, you know, more irrational and sinful, is to ignore the obvious teachings of Scripture. The theological thing to remember is that unless God’s grace holds us back, our sin will have us running around a field eating grass like we’re a slightly less hairy dog. But last time I checked, President Biden, despite his challenges, isn’t as bad as Nebuchadnezzar. Yet anyway. The logic of sin is that we reject the fact of our nature – our image-bearer status – and embrace animalism. Peace is, therefore, a blessing of grace upon all (Matthew 5:45).
Are the woke Democrats immoral tyrants who hate Christ and want to usher in a new world order of sin and socialism? Absolutely. But the logical implications of man’s war against God always leads to tyranny and the moral insanity we see growing like weeds all around us. Such growing sin is not, repeat not, an example that the Lord is absolutely coming soon. He might, yes; but probably not. And even if He is, aren’t we better off keeping our lamps burning so that He finds us, not preparing for some kind of prepper-war, but doing the work of the gospel? Do we have a heart for the lost or are we so mad at the Dems and the woke Left that we don’t see the horrific toll upon their victims? Oddly enough, as sin’s toll becomes more evident to the lost, having the false promises of atheism exposed, they’re more likely to hear the gospel and we should be ready to explain it to them (1 Peter 3:15).
JP Spears, Jordan Peterson…many high profile atheists have, over the last few years, due to the rising tide of sin, named the name of Christ and/or openly expressed their support of Christianity!!! How amazing is that? No, we won’t be quite so comfortable as we currently are if America falls or if the economy crashes. But we should see that no matter what the Lord does, it will be good and our job is to show the excellency of Christ to all.
Of course, this requires that we sanctify the Lord Jesus in our hearts and continue, in faith, to live a godly life of humble obedience. An unbiblical fixation on end times (dispensationalism) diminishes the power of faith in our personal life and vocation, thereby undercutting the power of our witness. It lends to our thinking politically about the world rather than theologically. How many Republican Christians rightly denounce the mushrooming sexual sin in culture but fail daily in their own battle with lust? Or fail to pray and minister to their wives and children? How many of us know more about the political news than we do about the Old Testament? The so-called rapture becomes, in modern evangelicalism, an escape hatch. “Oh, you know…the whole world is going to the hot place…Jesus must be coming…” That sort of thinking isn’t biblical nor productive.
“Therefore, whether we are at home [on earth] or away from home [and with Him], it is our [constant] ambition to be pleasing to Him. For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities].” 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 AMP
The Second Coming is the end of history. It’s go-time! It’s put up or shut up. All will be revealed. The King and Judge will crush all opposition and the truth will be known. Is that something to take in a cavalier manner? Of course not. Properly understood it sends us into faithful training, like a boxer preparing for a title fight. Yes, like that we throw ourselves upon His grace and run, run, run from sin. And we regard no one according to the flesh but as the eternal being they are. In need of His message. And we endeavor to live in such a way that allows us to bring that message to the lost.
For those of us who aren’t preaching in a pulpit, that means doing all the other God-ordained tasks well. Our preaching is in our style of living and character.
Show up on time for work; turn in your assignments after having done them well (Luke 16:10; Proverbs 18:9). Love your neighbor by serving him/her with the best of your efforts and consider no task as menial (Colossians 3:17). Obey the governing authorities (Romans 13:1). Don’t grumble and complain at work but be a model employee (1 Timothy 6:1-2). Cast petty, non-gospel orientated grievances aside (2 Corinthians 6:1-10). Obey the Lord’s command in the home (Ephesians 6:1-4). In all, walk in the Spirit, not the flesh (Galatians 5:16-26). This is triumphant Christian living regardless of who’s in the White House! This is what it means to be “more than conquerors through Christ who loves us” (Romans 8:37).
Yes, the end times are upon us but that doesn’t mean that we should sit back and feel sorry for ourselves in the face of persecution and evil. It means that God’s word is, as always, true. We should rejoice in Him even as our hearts break over the consequences of sin around us. But we shouldn’t be afraid. Nothing can separate us from His love! Nothing. Ever.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39 ESV
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