And what will ye do in the day of visitation
which shall come from far?
To whom will ye flee for help?
And where will ye leave your glory?
Isaiah 10:3
Submitted by: Victor W. Baugh, Sr., Th.D., Ph.D.
I’m just wondering—do you get it? Do you understand what this verse is saying to you? I don’t know about you, but this verse disturbs me when I think of the way things are unfolding on the political and religious horizon in our country. In fact, around the world. Friends, we are in a mess! I realize I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, that is, unless you are living in denial of truth. This verse is prophecy that has not yet been fulfilled and Isaiah is asking Israel … “what will you do in the day of visitation which shall come …?” But keep in mind that “all scripture is given by inspiration,” so this is for all of us, right now.
In my last article, I spoke about the Silence of the Church, of the need to awake out of indifference and to come to the truth of God’s Word. We are living in the end times and these are difficult days, but stick around, things are not going to get better. They are going to “wax worse.” I’m not a professor of doom and gloom, “… for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day” (II Timothy 1:12). But I am responsible for delivering the truth of the Word of God.
The Apostle Paul called these times perilous, and I want to linger in II Timothy 3:1-5 where Paul is predicting the apostasy, which we spoke about last time. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” He gives all the reasons for this prediction, and if you are the least bit attentive, you know this is where we are living—in perilous times, in the times of the apostate church, and many so-called Christians are caught up in the tangible things that have caused this great falling away. Notice in reading all of II Timothy 3, that apostates depart from the faith, but not from the outward profession of Christianity: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (3:5). In these verses of Chapter 3, we have the definition of apostasy and what you as a Christian must do when you are dealing with “churchy” people who are caught up in this wicked device of Satan—“from such turn away.”
Paul lists the elements of apostasy, so that’s what I am doing.
• Lovers of self
• Covetous (envious)
• Boasters
• Proud
• Blasphemers
• Disobedient to parents
• Unthankful
• Unholy
• Without natural affection
• Trucebreakers
• False accusers
• Incontinent (unrestrained and uncontrolled)
• Fierce
• Despisers of good people
• Traitors
• Heady
• High minded
• Lovers of pleasure more than God
• Having a form of godliness but denying the power
These are insidious matters, but the Lord never leaves us in situations without instructions on “how to go through.” I say that because He promised “never to leave us or forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5). And, although we are to turn away from the sin of the apostates, we are not to leave them without the message of Christ. Our instructions are to run to the Scriptures. Paul advised Timothy to remember his childhood. “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
We can effectively say this is “perfect” instruction.
You might say to me, “But I’m one of those who is in over my head, caught up in the things of the world, and the Lord and His church don’t mean anything to me anymore.” In my pastoral ministry, I hear this or see this every day of my life. If you are in this condition and state of mind, you were obviously initially fed a satanic lie. I’ll have to say, you are the one Paul told Timothy to “turn away from.” Just maybe you are that one who is “… ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (verse 7). “Like Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith” (verse 8).
I’m not going to leave you dangling and without hope, but I want to make one more important statement. Go to the list again. Are you involved in any of this? Are you proactively engaging in the sins of, specifically, II Timothy 3:3? If so, you need serious biblical counseling.
But don’t lose hope!
Jesus himself said in Luke 19:10, “But the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” And even if you have involved yourself in unmentionable, contemptible sin, God loves you and Jesus died so that you could be “forgiven of your sins and cleansed from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).
Let God, through His Holy Spirit, draw you to Christ in this very moment. There is no sin for which He did not die. Don’t make a statistic of yourself by refusing His great love and plan for your life and by falling into the activities of a sinner in perilous times, according to II Timothy 3:1-5.
Embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9-10; 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation … For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Through His great love,
Victor W. Baugh, Sr., Th.D., Ph.D.
Pastor, St. Luke AME Church
Havana, AL
http://www.thatgracemayabound.blogspot.com/
