An Endtime Dilemma
“There will be terrible times in the last
days. People will be lovers of themselves.”
2 Timothy 3:1, 2
When
Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, the human race separated from its
Creator and consequently died spiritually. For six thousands years, it has been
putrefying and an ever-increasing stench fills the nostrils of God. As bad as
the history of mankind has been, it still awaits its worst moment. Paul prophesied
that there would come a generation in the last days, who would surpass all
others for indwelling wickedness. Heading Paul’s list of godless
characteristics, and probably the cause of all those that follow, is self-love.
When Jesus spoke of the last days, He first
mentioned deceit and He repeatedly warned His disciples, during that discourse,
that there would come an unprecedented deception. I believe, the father of lies
brought into play two great factors, conceived in the nineteenth century, one
after the other, which have contributed to the development of a unique
mentality, deeming man the master of his own destiny and determining that he
should stop at nothing to fulfill his dreams. It is the mindset at the
beginning of this millennium and is preparing the world for the reign of
anti-christ. One factor is the theory of evolution (Charles Darwin, 1809-1882)
and, although I may offend some, I will dare to say that the other is
psychology (Sigmund Freud, 1856-1939). These relatively new doctrines are
prominent and almost universally accepted as legitimate sciences.
Two disastrous deceptions
While evolution is teaching man that he has
come into being by cosmic accident, and need not worry about giving account to anyone
for his sin and degradation, psychology tells him that he ought to feel good about
this. In his worst moment in history, when he ought to be most conscious than
ever of his horrible condition, he feels that he is okay, after all.
There was a time when churchmen debated these
cardinal propositions of the psychologist, but with the passing of time, the
dissidents, for the most part, have become quiet and today, if a preacher
raises the issue, he is looked at askance as a proponent of obsolete thinking.
The terms “self-esteem” and “good self-image” are accepted as desirable biblical
truth.
I have to go back to an article from 1982,
written by Dennis Denk in “His”, an Inter-varsity Fellowship magazine: “New research reveals that the most common
error in people’s self-image is not low self-esteem, but a ‘self-serving bias’,
not the inferiority complex, but the superiority complex ... Pride leads to
every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind ... It is not surprising today that many would
take the Lord’s command ‘to love your neighbor as yourself’ and totally reverse
the focus so that it becomes a command to love oneself.”
Top of the abomination list
In the book of Proverbs, there is a list of
things especially hateful to God and destructive to human personality. Topping
the list is “a proud look”. The
enemy’s efforts have been highly effective in producing the most audacious form
of unbridled egotism – arrogance at its basest level. People are lovers of
themselves and are taught that this is good, normal behavior. The anti-christ,
the superman, will appear, following in the steps of Lucifer, who fell from
heaven because of His arrogance. The same arrogance is already projected in
society in general and protects sinners from deep repentance, therefore
assuring their damnation. Likewise, it shields Christians from effective
discipline, spoiling them rotten.
The teaching of self-love and its universal
acceptance have had a profound effect on modern preaching. The public speaker,
above all else, must be “politically correct.” He must be careful not to offend
or frighten his listeners. The prime concern, after all, is to see that they
love themselves and he must be careful not to injure their self-esteem.
The preacher’s dilemma
Ray Comfort wrote the following: “The ungodly don't fear Him because
the Church has made "void" the Law. It preaches a message that has no
bite. It has removed the teeth of the message because it is deemed
too cutting for sinners. This has resulted in few showing any interest in
reaching to the lost. But as we read of the exploits of the early
Church, we see one thing - the Gospel of Salvation being preached to a
Hell-bent world.”
As a result, it is a rarity to see an
individual coming under deep conviction of sin and an awareness of eternal
punishment. And if someone has enough interest to speak bluntly to bring the
family of God to task for their sin and carnality, that assailant will be
dispelled or the offended will choose another church. They may not look at it
this way, but they simply have learned to protect their self-esteem. It is a
dilemma for a God-appointed worker to know how to address people today. Paul told Timothy, “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number
of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their
ears away from the truth ...” (2 Tim.
4:3, 4) Rare is the worker, who cooperates with God in applying the cross,
promoting brokenness of spirit to produce the attitude of Job, “I despise myself and repent in dust and
ashes.” (Job 42:6)
Spoiled kids
Some Christians may recognize the need for
discipline, but feel they have the right to choose the kind of discipline and
how it is to be applied. Consequently, it is ineffective and God’s kids are too
often spoiled brats – if they have gotten into the family of God at all.
An aversion to serious self-criticism and
self-examination opens the door to hypocrisy. Paul revealed in Romans 2:1-3, a
teacher or counselor that forbids certain things, yet practices the same.
Today’s egocentric mentality can justify such blatant contradiction. How many
are ruled by a Holy Spirit-convicting conscience?
We probably do not realize to what degree we
have been influenced by the false concepts of this age and how much it effects
the way we look at ourselves. A few years ago, after a discussion with a
certain leader, he assured me, “Lowell, I want you to know I love Jesus with
all my heart.” Quite recently, it was discovered that this man had an illicit
relationship over a period of years. I contend that the only one he loved with
all his heart was himself. Paul observed the teaching and lifestyle among some of
the Christians in Corinth and concluded, “Some
have no (personal) knowledge of God.” (1 Cor. 15:34) How much truer is it
today?
A humanitarian gospel
Even the conservative side of Christianity
today is largely humanitarian, dedicated to the well-being of man temporarily
and eternally, rather than, above all, to exalt Christ. We see ourselves in
others who are like ourselves, sympathize with their needs and give them a
“gospel”… a shabby, easy-believism, accommodated to relieve some of the
suffering and guilt, while still protecting the ego. Some of the men of God of
the last generation wondered if only a low percentage of evangelicals were
actually born of God. Lately, listening
to comments and opinions on what Christianity means to many people, it makes me
wonder if the percentage has decreased. How can a person be born again and not
see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3)? If he has
seen the Kingdom, how can he have so much confidence in this world and
conform to its system, education,
entertainment, security and mentality? His children, raised, catered to,
and “disciplined” according to humanistic standards, become self-centered and
are lost to the world. Abraham saw the Kingdom and turned into a migrant, even
in the land he had inherited, and taught his children to live in tents. I am
convinced that many involved in the work of God, serving others and working
beyond and above the call of duty, are living out a self-serving gospel of
works. I don´t see many directly walking by faith in personal obedience to the
Holy Spirit.
Let’s be lovers of truth expressed in and by
the Jesus of Scripture, not a christ, who is the product of an egotistical
imagination and experience. Let’s recognize our need for God to do His true and
eternal work in and through us for His glory, which man cannot add to or take
away from. There can be no doubt that such recognition will bring us humbly and
desperately to our knees. ■
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