Above Reproach in a Perverse Generation
Living Above Reproach in a Perverse Generation
Have you ever seen those large domino displays where the builder purposely topples the first domino and the rest, sometimes thousands of them, fall over in a precise pattern?
Interestingly enough, it can take hours, even days, to build one of those displays.
I can see a correlation with today’s world.
Undeniably, we’re in a spiritual war between Good and Evil.
Attacks on our faith (once unheard of in America) are now becoming more commonplace.
There are so many examples of this – too numerous to list them all.
We are seeing man’s rebellion against God played out on the world stage.
Did you ever think our country would sink this far?
Man continues to try to elevate himself above God, following a secular humanist worldview.
People drift from generation to generation, and the morally unthinkable becomes thinkable as the years move on. – Francis Schaefer, theologian and apologist.1
Christians are to be lights in the world, but how can we live for Him and glorify His name in a perverse generation such as this?
Is there any hope that we can help win souls for Christ while living in what amounts to a house of cards?
Courageous Faith Above Reproach
As the Bible clearly tells us, our hope and assurance is in our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. – 1 Peter 1:3-5, (NASB).2
We are at a pivotal point in human history.
This entire world, under divine judgment, will continue to fall into chaos.
This sets the stage for the Antichrist to establish his deceptive peace plan.
In the meantime, never lose hope.
We are to be shining lights to a dark world.
The beginning signs of Christ’s return are all around us, as prophesied.
But, we can take heart.
God has not forgotten us.
At God’s appointed time, we will be removed during the Rapture of the Church to be with Him forever.
Christian – Your Name is in His Book
In the Book of Malachi, we see an example of God’s provision for His people who were living in perilous times.
The prophet assured the Israelites that the Lord had not forgotten them.
16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened attentively and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and esteem His name. 17 “And they will be Mine,” says the Lord of armies, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will have compassion for them just as a man has compassion for his own son who serves him.” 18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. – Malachi 3:16-18, (NASB).3
By extension of His love and grace, our unchangeable God has also not forgotten you and me.
God has a Book and in that Book are the people who belong to Him and none of them are going to get washed up in the Judgment. This is important because we have to understand that we are living in a Romans 1 world of judgment. This is how it is, but we are His. We are His own possession. – Pastor John MacArthur, Pastor and Bible teacher from Grace To You.4
In these difficult times that we’re living in, we’re to encourage each other.
Everything is falling exactly into place.
As God’s Word tells us, we are to “live above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world . . . ” (Philippians 2:14-17)
No politician or religious figurehead can fix the world’s problems.
Jesus . . . only Jesus.
# # #
1 Francis August Schaeffer, (1912-1984), evangelical Christian and theologian. Courtesy of azquotes.com. Accessed April 25, 2023.
2 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
3 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
4 From MacArthur, Pastor John, “Living In A Perverse World (Philippians 2:12-16)” Courtesy of Grace to You. YouTube Podcast, [14:18- 14:45]. July 14, 2022. Web. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/eSXzUDh7o60
