“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20) And we are watching it happen. The question is, are you only watching, or are you doing something about it?
In these days of growing evil that we live in, this particular verse comes to mind, “For he that is not against us is on our part.” (Mark 9:40) And many of those that this verse fits are sitting in the pew right beside you, what you need to determine is whether or not you are that person. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)
Sin is the action of direct disobedience to the will and Word of God, it can also be an inaction, and I believe that is much of what we are witnessing from many who claim Christ as Lord. They will watch the news reports, but that is all they will do, at best limited small talk with friends, family, close associates and perhaps like-minded individuals at church, but that is the extent of their actions to stand in these evil days, and so it becomes an inaction. Faith in Christ, standing for the Lord Jesus, means putting yourself in situations on purpose where you may be offended, or much worse, faith is not just good feelings, it’s not just an inner strength, if that inner strength is not exhibited in an outward manner, it is not true strength.
We have listened and watched over the last few decades as the voices and actions of professing Christians has dwindled down to silence and inaction, fear, fear of personal repercussions has made men stand only in a crowd, and only in a crowd of like-minded individuals. “Thou shalt not” is rarely if ever heard anymore, speaking to sinners about the penalty for their sins has been reduced to “Just bring them to church,” Bibles have been replaced with cell phones, there are some who desire to study, but few indeed are willing to act. The street preacher is all but gone, the evangelist on the corner is nowhere to be found, the population of the planet no longer fears the Lord God, science and philosophy now reign there, the Almighty has become a non-entity to most.
It’s the natural response of mankind, to turn our backs on the Lord and go our own way. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) Adam did it, we should expect no less from the rest of mankind, but God expects much more from us.
There are the “at least I’ll be in heaven” people, you can find them in church every Sunday morning, but most of them are not going to open their eyes after they die in the place they thought they would be.
There are those whose entire “work” for the Lord is no more than attempting to be a better person, never offending by never speaking about either salvation and the only One that can bring us into the kingdom, or the eternal torment of sinners who will not repent. They are trying to work their way into heaven by being “better Christians.” Inside they are really no different then those who attend religious organizations, the cults of the world, their belief is in the traditions of the church, not the Lord Jesus.
Then there are those who could not care less if they are dead by nightfall, their one purpose is to glorify God, to stand in the days of evil, to speak up about not only the way the world is going, but in love, to tell all they meet of the love that is offered to them. Here is the truth of the matter, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” (John 15:18) Now, stop reading this letter, put your phone down, or turn your computer off and look inside of yourself, does the world hate you because of Jesus Christ, or are you a friend of the world? The answer to this question will tell you who you are serving.
