Scoffers in the Last Days

I can understand the reluctance to believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Many in his own time and even one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, did not believe, and they were actual eyewitnesses to His miracles.

Judas killed himself out of remorse for betraying Jesus before he actually witnessed Jesus’ death and resurrection, so we really do not know whether Judas would have finally believed if he had not killed himself and had witnessed the resurrection.  I would like to believe he would have believed.

Jesus’ other disciples were also eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ministry and His resurrection.  They went to their deaths of martyrdom believing and testifying to what they had seen and heard.  Death sentences carried out by Roman soldiers were so horrific you would think that at least one of Jesus’ disciples would have recanted their story if they had not been true, but none did.

So, Paul was correct when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Paul had a personal encounter with Jesus after Jesus’ resurrection as recorded in the ninth chapter of Acts, and he changed from being a persecutor of Christians to being a persecuted disciple of Jesus who would also die a martyr’s death for his testimony. 

As a follower of Jesus Christ and a student of end time prophesy, I believe we are indeed living in the last or latter days before Jesus’ second coming.  Many professing Christians do not believe Jesus’ will return.  Jesus is being denied daily, and many more will deny Jesus once persecutions begin to be lavished on anyone who outwardly professes Him.

Both Paul and Peter were cognizant of what the end time future of Christianity would be like with the coming of the Antichrist.  As Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:3-4,  “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised?’ Likewise, Paul wrote in 1Timothy 4:1, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.  Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.”

You would think educated people would not believe lies.  But, just look at what our government leaders, both Democrat and Republican, are espousing; unbelievable lies are being told as truth with these lies being believed by a blind and uncaring populace.  The end time Antichrist will have no trouble at all convincing most to believe in him rather than believing in Jesus.

If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead there would be no hope for humanity.  Lost hope and no God would cast us with the animals; survival of the fittest would be the law of the land.  Consider the darkness that would prevail if Paul’s words became truth: “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15, verse 14) and “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Corinthians 15, verse 19).

But for me, I have hope in my faith in Jesus Christ that he will one day return for all who have placed their hope and faith in him.  I know God’s Holy Spirit resides in me.  His Spirit can reside in you if you will only relinquish control of your life to the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

I know the truth and will forever testify to that truth.  You can also know this truth once you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  Read more about how in my “Good News” Blog posted 03-27-10.

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This entry was posted on 27. March 2010 at 15:40 and is filed under Religious. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.