When you look at what all is
going on in the world around you, do you get a sense that we are living in the
final days before the Lord’s return? Do you see the signs of his soon return in
world news, and in the church, and on TV, in our culture, and in the schools, in
the workplace, and in the home?
The Lord Jesus led me to read
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (ESV).
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers,
you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully
aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While
people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will
come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not
escape. Vv. 1-3
One of the signs of the times
in which we now live is the spiritual decline of the church, not the whole
church, but a large majority of it, at least here in America. So many churches,
i.e. gatherings of the body of believers in Jesus Christ, have gone the way of
the world in order to attract the world to their meetings.
They have turned the church
upside down. They have turned it into a business of human-making, a
marketplace, where the church is promoted to the world as a fun and exciting
place to be, with a great band, live music and entertainment, a clown
(entertainer) for a pastor, and lots of fun activities for the entire family.
Worship services have largely
been turned into massive stage productions in order to appeal to human flesh.
Movie clips, even from sexually-charged movies, are shown on stage in order to “relate”
to the people of the world. The music is often so loud that they have to hand
out ear plugs to the congregants. The music, too, is often flashy and showy and
even sensual, at times, with singers who sound more like they are singing in a
bar.
Sermons often sound more like
pep talks or like speeches given at some type of public event or rally. More and
more they are becoming feel good messages intended to tickle itching ears, to
give the people what they want to hear, but not what they need to hear. These
sermons are often also intended to entertain, even using mockery and sacrilege
in order to entertain the masses. Jokes said from the pulpit (or no pulpit)
often are turning serious situations into humor, to make people laugh about
things over which they should be weeping and mourning.
The Gospel
Thus, the gospel of Jesus
Christ, as taught by Jesus and his NT apostles, has taken a hit for the road,
and half-truth gospels (lies) have taken its place. Many are teaching that all
one has to do is just acknowledge who Jesus Christ is or what he did for us in
dying for our sins, and then merely accept his forgiveness of their sins. Then,
they are congratulated for having become children of God, and heaven is guaranteed
them as their eternal home, regardless of how they live their lives from that
point on.
In other words, these
preachers are saying “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. They are dressing
the wounds of God’s people, too, as though they are not serious. Sin abounds
within the church, pornography addiction is rampant, even among the clergy, as
are extra-marital affairs, drug and alcohol addiction, abuse, greed, idolatry
and worldliness. These are not only allowed to exist within the church, but are
not being dealt with, and thus they are spreading like gangrene throughout the
Christian community.
But, what does God’s Word say
about this? It says that if we live by the flesh, we will die in our sins. If
we practice sin, we don’t have eternal life with God. If we say we have
fellowship with God, but we walk in darkness, we are liars. If we hold on to
our old lives of living for sin and self, we will lose them for eternity. So,
if you want to have eternal life with God, you need to die with Christ to sin,
and be resurrected with Christ to new lives in him, to be lived to his
righteousness. You must walk by the Spirit, and by the Spirit you must be
putting to death the deeds of the flesh.
But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to
surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the
day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as
others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at
night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the
day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for
a helmet the hope of salvation. Vv. 4-8
Those who are living to
please the flesh, and those who are convinced that they can go to heaven when
they die, but that they don’t have to repent or obey the Lord, will be in for a
big surprise when Jesus returns to judge the world and to take his bride home
to be with him. The day of the Lord will overcome them like a thief in the
night, because they were not prepared.
But, for those of us who have
died with Christ to sin, and who have been resurrected with him to new lives in
Christ Jesus, born anew of the Spirit of God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and
who are walking according to the Spirit, and no longer according to the flesh,
this day should not overtake us. We should be watching and waiting for our Lord’s
return, anticipating his coming, and ready for him to take us home to be with
him forever.
What this means is that we
live as children of light, not as children of the darkness, which is where we
once were. This is not to say that we will never sin again, but that sin should
no longer be our master. We should no longer be ruled by it, or controlled by
it, for Jesus Christ died to set us free from our slavery to sin. Thus, in the
power of God’s Spirit living within us, we should be walking in the light,
according to the Spirit, and living to please God in all that we are and say
and do, for his glory, honor and praise.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are
awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and
build one another up, just as you are doing. Vv. 9-11
When we trust in Jesus Christ
to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we are delivered, not only from our slavery
to sin, but from the penalty of sin, which is death, but not physical death, for
all of us will die one day, but spiritual death and eternal damnation in hell. Therefore,
we are no longer destined for wrath if we are believing in Jesus and walking by
his Spirit.
But, there is a warning here
to those who profess faith in Jesus Christ but who are still walking in the
darkness. If you are still living (in practice) to please self and sin, in
lifestyle, still addicted to sinful practices, and not willing to obey the
Lord; if you are unwilling to repent of your sin, or to submit to his will and
purposes for your life, and to surrender your life to him to walk in his will
and in his ways, then scripture teaches that you don’t know God, you don’t love
God, and you are destined for the wrath to come.
So, the encouragement here is
to reject the lies which only put a bandage over your sin, but which do not
deliver you from the sin. These lies leave you still in bondage, feeling
hopeless, and with no way out from under it. But, if you believe the truth,
surrender your all to Christ, yield to his will for your life, and walk in his
love and grace, then you do have the hope of eternal life with God, and you
will not be surprised when he returns one day. But, you will rejoice that your
suffering is now over, and that you will now be with your Lord forever. Amen!
To Be Like Him
/ An Original Work
March 16, 2014 / Based off
Scripture
Crucified you are with Jesus.
To be like Him, oh, you’ll
be,
Because He died at Calv’ry,
So from sin you’d be free.
Oh, what joy He brings into
your life,
Giving life with Him
endlessly.
Oh, what plans He has for
your life.
Share the gospel faithfully.
Show the people He loves
them.
Now His witness you’ll be.
Tell the world of sin about
Jesus,
How He died for them on a
tree.
Purifying hearts, He saves
them,
Who believe on Christ, God’s
Son.
Turning now from their idols,
New lives they have begun.
Jesus saves from sin; we’re
forgiven.
Over sin, the vict’ry He won!
When He comes again to take
us
To be with Him evermore,
There will be no more crying.
Gladness will be in store.
Heavens joys will now
overtake us:
We’ll be with our Lord
evermore.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018,
8:34 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for these encouraging words. Thank you, too, for
your saving grace. Amen!
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