Preface: The essence of the winnowing that is ahead will quite likely be between those who were 'recruited' into evangelicalism....and those who were 'converted' by the gospel. The recruited were never....born again. They are like the rich young ruler who wanted very much to follow Jesus....but not at what Jesus told him was the cost of discipleship. They are the five maidens without oil in their lamps....and they are those who will say to Jesus...."didn't I do this and that....didn't I go to church and Bible studies....and speak out against abortion and socialism and the hedonist culture"....but of whom He will say...."I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." When I mention....born again....do you not flinch? Are you not even a little perturbed to be confronted with that term? We are closing in on thirty years in this church age where one no longer needs to be born again....for they need only be....Christian. We are quickly becoming a bloodless.....Christless.....'Christianity'....that does not save. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." (Proverbs 14:12)
The year was probably 2000. I had at fifty years old started doing graduate work in a degree program on Higher Education....while I worked full time at the power plant. Our son at fourteen years old was just starting to think seriously about college. I always kept a keen eye on what he was taught in school. If he had to read a book....Siddhartha being one I remember....I read it also. We did not attend Sunday School at church over the years....for that was my responsibility. So I went back to college....in that Higher Education program....primarily to be able to guide him better as he would....Lord willing....head off to college. It worked out well. He went to what I think is one of the finest smaller colleges in America....and then on to law school.
Meanwhile on campus back then....I literally loved every minute of my eighteen months as the oldest student in the cohort. I have recounted this story before....our classes involved a lot of class participation. We all eventually knew each other pretty well. For the life of me I cannot remember what the topic was that we were discussing that day.....but I remember that I had a point that I was going to make....and I stood up to make....to give it emphasis. I told these mostly 23/24 year old students that there was a division coming to America. Now no matter what decade talked about....70s or 80s or 90s....everyone always thought there was a lot of polarization in the culture....and the beginning of the new millennium was no different....but I was talking about something far more drastic. 'I could feel it my bones'....would be one way to describe it....but it was more biblical.
That extreme division came....every reader here knows what our country is like today....and I wonder if any of those students remember my warning....but I highly doubt it. You won't like this statement....but you will have the exact amount of discernment on the world and the return of Jesus Christ in power and glory....that corresponds to the amount of effort....and interest....and desire....that you have put into it! If you give 10% or so....of your time and thoughts to God....you will get about a tenth of what God wants you to know. What is the Pirates record right now? Do you see my point?
To the college students reading this....(I was on that campus again today).....you know very well that you will receive grades in proportion to the effort that you put into your studies. What makes you think that God's word....and our Christian pilgrimage....would be any different?
I've penned all the thoughts above to say this....the same thing that I told those graduate students over two decades ago....the extreme division is going to turn into persecution....and a tumultuous winnowing! Is the following just a quaint Bible verse....something for someone else at some other time?
"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12)
What this means is that if you do not at least have a burning desire to learn more about our blessed Savior....(we all struggle on this pilgrimage)....and serve Him in ways that He would be pleased with....then you are not going to be persecuted. You may even wind up as the persecutor!
Friends....read 1 Peter....read it ten times....for it is to us. See how Peter begs his reader to be serious and sober and diligent. You can almost feel the palpitations of his heart as he pleads with us.....that's right....with us! Ponder how he warns that the church will be chastened first....and then consider this Christian Nationalism today that takes our mind and our trust and our dependence off of Jesus Christ....then read on into 2 Peter...."I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder)....and pray over each and every verse....for discernment....for we are the...."Pilgrims of the Dispersion"....that Peter writes to....strangers in this world....."a chosen generation....a royal priesthood....a holy nation....(1 Peter 1:9)...."looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God..." (2 Peter 3:12a)
Note: I used the phrase....Christless Christianity. Michael Horton wrote a book with that title that you might want to read. You may even want to go to whitehorseinn.org.
