“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come” (2 Tim. 3:1).
On my last post, I suggested that these perilous times might already be on our doorsteps, prepared to assail God’s people at the best of their possibilities. I also wrote about the general indifference facing anyone attempting to share the Gospel, an indifference prone to turn into belligerence if confronted by the truth.
In this present post, I would like to mention another giant that is gaining ground at an exaggerated speed, namely, the increasing schism between believers and unbelievers. Let me explain.
A perilous contrast
The times in which we live are—by their very nature—increasingly prone to polarize humans into two subgroups, namely, believers and unbelievers. And it is so because the disparity marking these two entities is growing speedily and therefore gives rise to inevitable conflicts in the realm of communication, morals and values. In fact, as the years pass by, the degree of commonness uniting these two camps is being so reduced that communication becomes nearly impossible, for communication is, by necessity, contingent on commonness. That’s why mechanics flock with mechanics and musicians with musicians, for they love to commune with one another since their field of interest overlaps sufficiently. We could say: They find themselves speaking the same language.
Now, if commonness draws people together, it seems only logical to conclude that a lack of commonness will estrange them. That is why two people that have no language in common will naturally be alienated from one another to a significant degree. The same is true about worldviews. They can diverge so much that a division becomes only natural.
The Scriptures enunciate this growing schism when it says: “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4:18). But it also says: “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse” (2 Tim. 3:13). So here we have a polarization. We have two groups moving in opposite directions, and the greater the gulf becomes the harder communication gets. So there is an estrangement. Peter expresses it in these terms:
In regard to these, they think it strange that you don’t run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:3,4).
So we are becoming strange and strangers, and more atypical shall we become. In fact, our presence is, and shall be, increasingly disturbing in a world where lawlessness is on the rise (Matt. 24:12), for as the Scriptures declare, “everyone practicing evil hates the light” (John 3:20). So what will happen if our light shines ever brighter in a world in which lawlessness is being multiplied? One doesn’t need to be a prophet to figure it out. It will be perils on perils, ostracism on ostracism, and ultimately, annihilation on annihilation.
The Reformation
It must be understood that the Reformation, which took place in the Western church in the 16th century, had reduced considerably the existing chasm between believers and unbelievers. For a few centuries, most unbelievers were religious. They respected the Scriptures; believed God existed; and recognized the validity of an absolute moral law. Therefore there was an existing communication between believers and unbelievers, deficient, but existent. But today all this is done with. The large majority disregards the Scriptures, denies God’s existence, and rejects any sort of absolute moral law. So the times have changed and the dividing gulf has widened exceedingly. All this and more bring to surface the perilous times Paul was talking about.
The words of Isaiah depict accurately the threat we are facing, a threat more substantial now than then:
So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey” (Isaiah 59:15).
I think we all agree that to become a prey is indeed perilous, and more so when the predator is vindictive.
A twofold peril
So there is the peril a prey experienced, which might lead to death, but there is also the peril of compromising in view to avoid the prey position. If bright light disturbs the sinner, what about dim light? And if to depart from evil is risky, what about flirting with it? Maybe there is a middle zone? What if we tolerate darkness and keep silent to avoid confrontation? I suggest that this is the real peril we Christians are facing, the peril of being disloyal to the truth for convenience sake.
A denomination I know had a special conference a few years ago for the active workers involved in their churches. The main point that was made during the symposium was that our preaching should be “light” and more palatable in view to make sinners feel at home when they come to our meetings.
The objective, which had been badly disguised, was to dilute the Gospel to soothe the mind of the hearers. But this is a real tragedy. It is to interfere with the Spirit of old whose work is precisely to disturb the conscience and lead people to repentance. The approach that was offered during that conference was more apt to save our own skin than the sinners. It amounted to a departing from our responsibility as ambassadors of Christ in this crooked and perverse generation.
Conclusion
Let us remember! Jesus was crucified because of the message He preached. Paul was beheaded for the same reason. Timothy was exhorted to not shun from preaching an uncompromising Gospel. And what about us?
Brethren! Let us be faithful and uncompromising. Let us not dilute the Christian message with the water of cowardliness. It is time to stand valiantly and speak up, for as He was in this world so must we be (1 John 4:17).
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