February 2013

The End Time State of the Church

As I begin this writing I do so with the concern for myself and the present day church.  The bible tells of many things about the end –time state of the church.  In this writing we will be looking at many of those things.  Throughout this writing we will be using the term church to speak of that which calls itself Christianity.   Whether it truly is or not many people look around at them at the church today and everything seems rosy.  There are church buildings on every corner. Even many small towns, which may boast only one traffic light, contain two or more churches.  All is well in Beulah Land, or is it?  The problem lies with the fact that most Christians get their view of things, not from the bible, but from the world around them.  This is a tragic mistake scripture tells us Romans 12:2 “and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  We as Christians are not to be conformed to the world in our thinking.  That is we are not to think like the world thinks.  We are instead to view the church and its condition through the eyes of the scriptures that is what we will seek to do in this writing.

Before Jesus Christ returns and gathers believers unto himself there will be a falling away.  Falling away here translate the Greek word for Apostasy (apostasia).  Before Christ returns there will be a great apostasy.  That is falling away from the true faith.  Now comparing scripture, we find that the bible has more to say about this.  I Timothy4:1 “Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”  Notice that is doesn’t say that people will fall away from faith.  It says that people will fall away from the faith.  The faith refers to the beliefs that we are to hold as Christians.  We see this phrase used elsewhere in scripture.  Jude 1:3 “Beloved when I gave all diligence to write to you of the common Salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

Again the faith refers not to a person’s believing but to what it is that they believe.  So what is the faith and how was it delivered unto the saints? It was delivered to us in the New Testament and the faith is simply the truth that the New Testament teaches.  The Bible teaches that prior to Christ’s return there would be a time of great apostasy.  During this time, although people will still profess to be Christians many of them will have fallen away from the Faith.  They will no longer agree too many of the things that are taught in the New Testament.  Why?  Because they have been deceived by teachings that are spawned by seducing spirits.  All false doctrine comes from Satan who is a liar and the father of it (John 8:44).  Also the New Testament teaches about perilous times 2 Timothy 3:1-4 “This know also, that 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, high-minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.”  When reading the above passage one almost feels like they are watching the morning headline news.   Just ask yourself if this is not what society is like today.  There is perhaps no time in history when all these things were more true of society than they are in the world in which we live today.  But the frightening thing is that this passage is not talking about the world.  It is speaking of the end time state of the church.  The passage goes on to say 2 Timothy 3:5-8 “Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away.  For of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive  silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”   Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth.   Men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith these people spoken of as having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.  This isn’t talking about a bunch of people who profess to be unbelievers.  They have a form of godliness although it is just a form.  That is it is just in form only.  They deny it what they believe any real power over their lives.  They say they believe, but they do not act on it.  The Bible has a lot to say about such people Titus 1:15-16 “Unto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled.   They profess that they know God but in works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”  This passage describes people who profess that they know God, but whose works (actions) show that they do not.  They are also said to be reprobate.  That is the exact same thing that is said of the people in Timothy.  They are said to be reprobate concerning the faith.  Although they profess the faith (profess to be Christians) they are reprobate concerning it.

These people are also said to be ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.  As a matter of fact, they are said to resist the truth.  Although they may go to church, read their Bibles and sit in Bible studies, they never actually come to the knowledge of the truth.  That is they never act upon it.  A person who says they know and believe something, but does not act upon it doesn’t really believe what they claim.  The Bible warns, but be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  James 1:22 “What doth it profit my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?  Can faith save him?”  James 2:14 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”  James 2:26 We do not have time nor space in this article to do a detailed study of ever verse in 2 Timothy Chapter 3 But any serious study of the passage will reveal one thing.  This passage is talking about people who profess to be believers.  Perilous times were to come, times (just as we saw earlier) in which there would be many people claiming to be Christians who really aren’t.  All one has to do is to read the long list of sins that we saw in chapter 3 and one thing will be obvious.  Many people who claim to be Christians today live this way on a regular basis.  This passage warns of a time such as ours.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears from the truth, and shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.  2 Timothy 4:3-4.  “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.”  Who are they?  They are the people referred to in Chapter 3 who profess to be Christians but in reality aren’t.  Since chapter 4 is linked to chapter 3 with a therefore, we know that it is talking about the same people.  These people manifest themselves as unbelievers by their willingness to accept doctrinal truth.  Jesus said to those Jews who claimed to be God’s people but rejected the truth of God’s word.  He that is of God heareth God’s words, ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.  The very fact that these people will not endure (put up with) sound doctrine bears witness to the fact that they are lost for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.   Notice that it doesn’t say that they will not endure doctrine.  It is only sound doctrine that they have trouble with.  They undoubtedly love to go to church and hear Bible teachings, just not sound bible teachings.  Since these people are not interested in Biblical truth they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.  These people have itching ears that is they want to be told what they want to hear.  They like to have their ears tickled.  Because of this they will heap to themselves teachers.  They will create opportunities for any preacher who is willing to compromise the truth of God’s word and just tell them what they want to hear.

There are many such preachers today.  They very rarely, if ever follow the admonition given in this passage.  Preach the word reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.  The reproofs are rare and the rebukes are even rarer.  Because these people lust (desires) they will heap to themselves teachers.  They are controlled by their own evil desires.  They want what they want.  Go ask people today how they go about choosing a church.  Most of them will tell you that they go to a particular church because they really enjoy the pastor’s messages.  Or they will say they picked the church that they are going to because they have good music.  But the Bible tells us that sound doctrine is the most important thing in choosing a church.    They shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables.  Again it is the truth that these people have a problem with.  I Timothy 3 and 4 these people are said to resist the truth, turn away their ears from the truth, be ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.  What a testimony.  These people profess to be Christians but do not like the truth of God’s word. They may profess to like God’s word but show them what the Bible truly says and they will hate you for it.  Paul the apostle wrote am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth.  Paul had spent years teaching the people in the churches of Galatia the truth of God’s word.  But when they came under the influence of false teachers, they turned against Paul and treated him as an enemy.  Why?  Because he told them the truth it was the truth they didn’t like.  What if he would have given them what they wanted to hear?  They would have loved him.  Jesus had the same problem with people.  He said to those who professed to be God’s people in his day.  And because I tell you the truth you believe me not.  Which of you convinceth me of sin? And I say the truth why do ye not believe me?  But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God.  John 8:45 John 8:46 John 8:40

Now in my closing remark in this article we have seen the following things about the end time state of the church.  We have seen prior to Christ’s return there would be a time of great apostasy.  During this time, although people still profess to be Christians, many of them will have fallen away from the faith.  The Church will be filled with people who live no differently than the world around them.  People will not endure sound doctrine.  People will have itching ears and desire to hear what they want to hear.  Because of this, the opportunity will arise for heaped teachers (false teachers) to build large ministers by telling people what they want to hear.  If this doesn’t describe the church (professing Christianity) in our day I don’t know what does.

 

May God bless you as you do his work,

Elder Terry L. Harmon