The Last Days, Part III

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (I Corinthians 6:9-10, ESV)
Will things be so bad in the last days that no man or woman can withstand the onslaught of the evil one? That is what many would
have you think. Because of the sheer quantity of sinful acts in the world today, many people believe that we are heading into the end times and then Jesus will return to set up His Kingdom on the earth for a thousand years. Ignoring the selectivity of giving literal meanings to symbols in the book of Revelation and the refusal of some to understand the historical setting of the book, still the question of societal breakdown leaves many wondering what the end times will be like. Books like Deliver Us From Evil by Ravi Zacharias (available from Amazon.com and other vendors) help one to understand the breakdown not only in the American culture but in every culture that chooses to distance itself from the One True God. To those who understand God’s word concerning good and evil there is no surprise to what we see going on around us. As was true in ancient Israel, women and children and all of the weaker members of society are vulnerable to attack by those whose hearts are filled with evil. A look at history will prove that no amount luxuries and modern amenities will change the human heart. For many, hope was replaced by apathy and that has now turned to despair. There is never an end to the need to accumulate more and more while others are deprived on even the basics for living.
What is God’s response to the evil in the world? Are we merely to wait for the end time? Are we indeed in the last days leading up to the destruction of the heavens and the earth and the creation of new heavens and a new earth? Will God repeat what He did in the days of Noah?
For those who are obsessed with the need for tangible proof of God’s existence, usually through the manifestation of some charismatic gift, who believe that is the power of God, the following scripture needs to be read over and over again. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16, ESV) I don’t know about you, but I was taught in English class that the word “the” signified that what followed was superlative. That is, one and only. If the gospel is “'the' power of God for salvation” then it is the supreme power and it is sufficiently powerful enough to save the souls of men and women. There is no greater power. It is powerful enough to turn towns, cities, and even countries around. Notice what this powerful weapon did in the city of Corinth. Corinth was known for its debauchery, its ritual prostitution, its corruption. To call someone a “Corinthian” was surely a term of derision. But notice what the great apostle Paul says in the first letter to the Corinthians after stating earlier that “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (I Corinthians 1:18, ESV). “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (I Corinthians 6:9-11, ESV) The power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the Cross of Christ. Paul said that the cross was foolishness to folks who were dying but that same cross was the power of God to those of us who are being saved. What power! Paul says the power of the gospel transformed men and women in Corinth, people who fit the description of many in our society today. In fact, we should look into the mirror of the gospel and see that in our own hearts there are all kinds of lusts, envy, cravings for things that enslave us to sin. We are set free by the power of the gospel, the Cross of Christ. Paul told Timothy that he, Timothy, was living in the last days. The Corinthian church, which was also living in the last days, was filled with men and women who came out of lives of depravity to live wholesomely. The remedy for our society is the gospel of Christ. Paul told the Corinthians that three things would last forever, faith, hope and love. Love is certainly the greatest of these. But the Corinthians were called to faith in Jesus Christ and a hope for tomorrow. Those three grow in the hearts of men and women who are ready to receive the good news, just like the good and honest soil that Jesus spoke about in the parable of the sower. We must believe that there are folks who want the freedom that comes from believing that they are sinners and that Jesus can set them free. Instead of hand wringing, we should be telling the world the good news of Jesus.