Love of Pleasure or Love for God, Take Your Pick

This generation may not completely fulfill Paul’s description of the very last generation, but it is looking more and more so, as we move down the corridor of time to the consummation of Earth’s history. This day and the condition of a world advanced in technology, with the centralization of power and wealth in America, the Bible has compared to the capitol city of Babylon, the child of Nebuchadnezzar, the great. That splendid pearl in the desert which no empire except Rome has been able to rival, is being repeated in the splendor provided by the United States. Spain, France, or Britain, even in their glory, did not have what we have in the way of convenience, free time, entertainment, hedonism, the most sophisticated form of idolatry ever seen throughout the history of man, due to technology.

These creature comforts had all been depressed during the reign of the previous European empires because the Bible had been anathematized by the church. But with a supernatural determination, the Protestant Reformers brought back the light of that Book, along with the restoration of the knowledge of the amazing grace of God, and His justification of man’s guilt and His acceptance of sinners. This, in place when the foundation for the American nation was laid, wove into it the principle of faith in God to sanctify His children—the great legacy of separation of church and state— and that the state shouldn’t, cannot, and better not defile its hands with sacred things.

Thus it was that America was destined for world dominion. Not through military conquest, but through peace with God and obedience to Him, the citizens would have peace and love toward their government and be obedient to ordinances, federal, state, and local. But there lie in that young nation of Protestants already a shortcoming that would unravel their whole privileged position. The Protestant denominations were satisfied with a theory of redemption rather than to the actual experience of redemption and finding peace with God. While they clung to their ticket to freedom, the Bible, they weren’t fulfilling the requirements of its dispensation of freedom. The Protestant religion, at the founding of our nation, wasn’t what it had been during the Great Reformation; the children were reaping the fruits of their parents’ labors but not carrying forward the reforms. They became satisfied with the progress already made by their forefathers and settled back into a lackadaisical attitude, and religion died.

Yet Christ wasn’t through with us. His temporal blessings promised to the spiritual obedience of the parents, a cause and effect that is natural yet providential, Christ did not bring to an immediate close for the children.

Today we see how far in an abundant life God is willing to bring each one of us if we will be obedient to Him. The heights of temporal happiness may have a delay, but they will arrive because “He is faithful who promised.” (Heb. 11:11).

Our abundance of temporal blessing have come through the freedoms of God-given creativity and invention, blessings that God gave out of His generosity and compassion, to keep our affections centered in Him or to turn us back to Him if we depart. As our Reformation forefathers knew, “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance,” (Rom. 2:4). Yet the children of the Reformation, now spoiled by the abundance of God’s goodness without continuing to carry forward His torch of truth, feel no accountability to the God of their fathers and actually have completely written Him off.

But they pay a heavy price for their insolence. Notwithstanding God’s personal intervention and guidance for them, this generation receives the following indictment: “In the last days, perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” 2Tim. 3:1-4.

As we continue to watch America’s “good life” influence the rest of the world to play with idolatry and death, and as we witness the American empire crumble and take down the rest of the world which America has tempted into greater idolatry, let us fear God and give Him glory lest we also fall in the general overthrow.

But Bible prophecy teaches that a worldwide movement will be made to arrest the collapsing of American and world societies. What we are to see is an attempt to save our nation and world with a solution that is a turn for the worse. Appearing to fix the social ills threatening the dissolution of world order, a new force will come into action, one of a religious nature. This is plainly seen in the statement of Paul, “Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” vs. 4, 5.

Old, dead religion, a conglomeration of dead Christianity and every other world religion will return in the same form as Christianity had been in Europe during the Dark Ages. The move is already begun in the return to world popularity of Roman Catholicism by John Paul II. United with that work is that of the Protestants in America. Chopping away at their own nation’s guaranteed right of religious freedom, they foment, “There never was a separation of church and state in the U.S. Constitution.” In hyperbole, the effort to salvage America finds itself frantically pulling back on the unresponsive controls of a massive Space Shuttle, to keep it from grounding in a flaming mushroom cloud. Thus the declaration of religious martial law will surely result.

But reconciliation with God, which alone saves and provides the peace and circumspect life that society needs to stay solvent, cannot be legislated or forced by a police state. Spirituality and lasting hope lies outside the realm of human jurisdictions. The final attempt by man to save himself will be simply an empty, incarcerating bondage, which Satanic hosts will take full advantage of to control the consciences of the billions in humanity.

“The wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” Dan. 12:10. “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever.” Dan. 12:3.

So, the picture is not all bleak. Although “darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people,” yet “the Lord shall arise upon thee; and His glory shall be seen upon thee.” Is. 60:2. I’ve heard it said, “As the night grows darker, the stars shine brighter.” The last great crisis will cause a well defined polarization between those that are really good, especially on the inside, and those that are really, really bad. In Revelation symbolic language, “I saw as it were a sea of glass, mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest.” (Rev. 15:2, 3).

Which group do you want to be in? I choose the latter; but the preparation for that must begin now, for “Today is the day of salvation.” Just being religious, just going to church, just going through the motions, is not enough. No one will stand out in the end by just being religious, because the whole wicked world will be religious. No, the standard to come up to is that experience of Christ and His first followers: full of faith, powerful in love, abounding in hope. They knew Christ had come, that the scriptures were true and could be trusted, and that Jesus was their friend and advocate at the throne of God, there for them. They had victory after victory over selfishness and sin.

That’s what we must have. That is what Christ has promised us. And it is reserved for all those who, in the end, joined the right side.