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"We have chosen
to be relevant, pragmatic, and compromising, thus exacerbating the
rampant decay ..."
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The Bible claims to be light.
“THY word is a lamp unto
my feet and a light unto my path.”
Simeon held the BABE of GOD in his arms and proclaimed HE
was:
“A light to lighten the gentiles,
and the glory of thy people Israel.”
CHRIST stated in John:
“I am the light of the world”.
Our LORD’S first mention of light was also of HIS church being
the
“light of the world”
commanding us to let it shine before men; thus making us,
if you will, a Spiritual Light Brigade.
Let me suggest some reasons from
2 Timothy 3:1-5 as to why we make
the charge. GOD states that men apart from HIM in sin are:
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"perilous"
[chalepos] … used only here and
Matthew 8:28 where it is
translated “fierce”
in reference to the devil possessed maniac of Gadara.
-
lovers
of their own selves”
… describes our age of entitlement and the self-esteem cult
which has spawned it. We are self-indulgent and that
Super-Sized! This neo-narcissism is also the
fountainhead of the twenty other sins listed through chapter
3, verse 8.
-
disobedient to parents” … just go stand in the
toy aisle at Wal-Mart for about 10 minutes.
-
“unholy” … once un-helly, America, founded for
the glory of GOD & the advancement of the Christian faith
according to the Mayflower Compact, has become desperately
“un-holy” ... what a
satanic twist!
-
despisers of those that are good” … only here in
the N.T. … lit. hostile to virtue; void of brotherly
affection.
-
“lovers of pleasure more than lovers of GOD," …
Are football players who average millions per year for part
time work indicative of a pleasure crazed society ... and
the
professing Christians who prioritize sports and recreation
over GOD to support them another indicator?
-
having
a form of godliness” … we have ‘In GOD We
Trust’ on our currency; ‘One Nation Under GOD’ in
our pledge; ‘WWJD’ on our wrists; ‘Fish’ on
our bumpers; ‘My Daily Bread’ on our coffee tables;
‘The KJV’ under our arms; ‘The Old Hymns’ in
our pews; and yet little or no power evidenced in our lives!
"They profess that they know GOD; but
in works they deny HIM, being abominable, and disobedient,
and unto every good work reprobate." That Ol’
Negro spiritual comes to mind: ‘Everybody talkin’ bout
heaven ain’t a goin there’
-
All this and much more we could say
betray the fact that we live in a decadent society. JESUS
said: “ye are the salt of
the Earth” … but the Church has lost much of her
savor. Somebody has leavened our lump! We have
chosen to be relevant, pragmatic, and compromising, thus
exacerbating the rampant decay of sin around us, in us, and
through us. We must "charge" to
"preach the Word", for It
is the only preservative against the decay of sin.
"... be instant in
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine."
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