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Vital Truths for Sober People

by Dr. Henderson Ward  
3/20/2015 / Christian Living

Sober people prefer to hear the truth, even if some truths make them uncomfortable, because they know, as serious people, they can handle whatever the truth implies. Maturity should be the state in which reality can be faced, flinching or unflinchingly, and be accommodated without undue alarm.

It is to be hoped that the reader of this article is sober, and serious, and mature, and willing to face existential truths.

The precipitous decline of humanity through the ages has landed us with a situation that can be frightening, and many are wondering if we are near the brink of extinction.

Let us be honest, neither you nor I can fully evaluate the full depth to which humanity will fall at the end of our sojourn on this earth. We know that at the end, things in general, will be abysmal, earth will become a living hell, and those alive will regret not being long dead.

All of that is clear from the only reliable source of truth that has proven itself through the ages the Scriptures; especially as recorded in Revelation.

What is less clear is what happens in the interim, the near future, perhaps in the next decade or two. It does not require any special skill of forecasting, or gift of prophecy, to see where we are heading; for the Bible gives us a clear road map to assist us in our determination.

We, as believers, need to be SOBER as forewarned by the Scriptures, "Be SOBER, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

In today's degenerate world believers need to examine, and if necessary re-learn, some sobering truths.

Sobering Truth 1. These are the last days.

This bold statement, that these are the last days, has always puzzled some people, because we were born hearing this statement, and yet decades later things are going on much as before. Our grandparents heard this very statement, as well as their grandparents before them.

What is certain is that Jesus is coming soon, or so we believe and teach, but how soon is soon nobody can really determine. Jesus warned us not to be caught napping when he said, "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." (Matthew 24:44). Jesus also said, "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." (Mark 13:32)

Some believers in Paul's time thought Jesus was returning during their lifetime, some think that these same believers abandoned their work, families and took to the hills awaiting His return. Others were not clear as to when and how Jesus would return. Whatever their state of mind, Paul had to set them right on the matter of Jesus' Second Advent, and he did so in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.

Some believed that Jesus meant it literally when he said, "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:28).

The truth is that all references to end times, whether in Daniel, the Gospels, the Epistles or Revelation, can be interpreted literally or figuratively, spiritually or naturally. One should not allow specific interpretative approaches to cloud the fact that the period of time between Jesus' First and Second Advents is factually, theologically and biblically the last days.

The onus is on us then to be ready, live as if Jesus will appear any moment, and waste no time on pettiness, harbour no grudges, let love fill our hearts and souls and live at peace with God and our neighbour. In such a spirit we can say, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20)

Sobering Truth 2. Humanity will progressively get worse

There are many things that will improve with time because our knowledge, and hence our technology, will enable us to do more and do them better. Who can doubt the real, laudable benefits that have accrued to us because of the improvements in medical science, science generally and technology?

But improvements in man's ability to understand and manipulate his environment do not necessarily translate into a better, more humane, more moral, more livable society.

About 6,000 years ago humanity was generally quite poor but equal, apart from highway robbers and the odd tyrant. Today you have billionaires co-existing with starving people, billionaires and millionaires who throw in the garbage what could feed thousands for weeks if not years, and they are subsidised in their exorbitant lifestyles by tax breaks and loopholes by corrupt, fawning governments. Today's inequality is staggering.

In Moses' time (about 1600 BC) laws were made to prohibit and, where found root out and punish, the evil practice of homosexuality. In 1075 BC the Assyrians passed similar laws with respect to the military. Across the civilised world sodomy laws were made and enforced with vigour, Europe first sodomy laws were made around the late antiquity. Even a young country like the United States had sodomy laws that in 1963 according to Wikipedia "...the penalties for sodomy in the various states varied from imprisonment for two to ten years and/or a fine of US$2,000."

Today some countries are falling over themselves to legalise sodomy, they seem to have lost their sense of what is clean and unclean, and gay marriages are a trendy response to the immoral confusion.

Believers should prepare for things to get worse. Whatever the degenerate hordes may say now, let there be no doubt that their agenda of moral recklessness is only just beginning. They will push for and, with dirty money behind them, get incest legalised, then pedophilia made respectable, and then they will say, "so why can't I marry my dog, or horse or pig" or whatever.

At some point, this world would have degenerated to the same place the world was at, just before the Great Flood.

Sobering Truth 3. Few will be saved

It would be foolish for anyone to assign numbers in respect to those who will be saved, i.e. find salvation through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 20 million might seem a lot but that number is a handful (.003%) of the world's population. Even 60 million is just 1% of the current world's population, and 1% of anything is pretty minor.

We know that few will be saved because we have the evidence of our own eyes, the trends recorded in history, and above all the reliable word of God that tells us this; "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:14)

Even in the churches there are many who will fall away from the faith, turn their itching ears to false doctrines (we are witnessing this phenomena now) and deny the very God whom they have served, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matthew 24:12)

Sobering Truth 4. Preaching will become increasingly ineffective

This truth should not be misunderstood, whenever the gospel is preached God will reach out and call his own. Some people refer to this as irresistible calling but in truth God knows those who will accept him and the Holy Spirit will always do his job effectively.

Preaching is meant to be twofold; it certainly calls people to repentance, builds them up and encourages them but it also warns people.

As time goes by and as fewer people are saved, more and more preaching will just be the word being preached as a witness and warning so that degenerates are without excuse. Preachers have to be faithful to their mandate regardless of visible results, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine." (2 Timothy 4:2)

Sobering Truth 5. Some you know and love will go to hell

Talking about hell is, for some people, the hardest reality of all. It gets even harder when the staggering truth, that some of our love ones and friends will suffer everlasting torment, is fully taken on board.

God gives every human being a chance to choose his destiny. The Golden Text of the Bible tells us, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Believers need to remember that Hell is not God's choice for humans, for He is "...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9), but if humans exert their freewill to say no to God's offer of salvation then believers everywhere must respect that choice.

Truth is often like that, not glorious and exciting at times; often sober and demanding, sometimes discomfiting, sometimes touching a chord that you do not want touched (remember what Jesus said to the rich young ruler, "go and sell all you have and give to the poor and come and follow me Luke 18:22-23)

Believers must not be like that rich young ruler who turned away in pique and sadness but on the contrary show determination as advised, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 3:18)

Enough said.

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Dr. Henderson Ward received his Doctor of Divinity in theology, with distinction, from Masters International School of Divinity, USA, where he is currently a post-doctoral fellow. Dr. Ward's career involved pastoring, evangelism, and teaching. Copyright 2017

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