I remember once standing in a hall in which I was to speak and watching optimistic hosts put out dozens of extra chairs. I encouraged them not to do that because if the chairs remained empty, it was psychologically disheartening. I told them that if more were needed because extra people began coming to the meeting, it would then be encouraging rather than depressing. Optimism should be grounded in reality.
Most of us are optimists. We are hoping that things will improve politically and, therefore, morally. Optimistic though we may be, we may be setting ourselves up for disappointment—because the Bible doesn’t tell us that society will get better. It rather warns us of the opposite: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:1-4)
And in verse 13, we are given the most telling of words, with a further glimpse into the future: “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (emphasis added)
That word “worse” is repeated to warn us that evil men will become even more corrupt in the last days. Rotten will become utterly putrid.
When speaking of the world’s slow decline into an acceptance of evil, the analogy has been used of a frog slowly being boiled in a frying pan of water. Because the process was slow, the cold-blooded frog couldn’t detect the deadly increase in water temperature. Nowadays, the frog is in a microwave. The encroachment of evil is no longer subtle. It has become both blatant and celebrated.
This shouldn’t be disheartening to believers. When these things come to pass, we can rejoice that God is in total control. His Word said this would happen, and it certainly is happening. And so, we do what Jesus told us to do: we lift up our heads because we know that our redemption draws near (Luke 21:28). But we don’t bail out on our responsibilities.
After Scripture warns of evil increasing, we are told what we must do: “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:14-15)
Whatever the future brings, make sure you feed daily on the Holy Scriptures, and never forget why we exist in these dark days as the Church—to let our light shine. And we do this by boldly proclaiming the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. In climaxing a list of last days signs, Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
If you battle fear when it comes to sharing the gospel, don’t be discouraged—be courageous.
