Do you see the separation happening around us? It’s happening within our culture, our world and, yes, even in the church. In Matthew 13:36-43, Jesus explained the parable of the wheat and the tares. He said, “The Son of Man shall send out His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who do evil, and will throw them into a fiery furnace” (Matt. 13:41-42a). This is said to happen at the end of the age. Look closely, and you will see that we are definitely in the last days now. The darkness is getting darker, causing the light to become brighter. The contrast between good and evil is becoming more evident.
1 John 2:19 the antichrist spirit is described. We can see it at work in the world now. John states, “They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us. But they went out, revealing that none of them were of us.” We see this today. This is happening before our eyes. The tares are mixed in with the wheat.
Those who were once thought of as trustworthy allies of the gospel have succumbed to deceptive teachings. They now persecute what is godly, water down biblical values and oppose those standing for truth. We see them in the political arena, in Hollywood and some within the church itself. They are filled with self-righteousness, quick to point the finger and reckless with their messages, stirring up divisiveness. They claim to be defenders of good, but in reality, they have become hypocrites. They are just as Jesus described the Pharisees in Matthew 23, “You are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness” (Matt. 23:27b).
Second Corinthians 6:17 says, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” The Lord is commanding every Christ follower to be separate from the world’s thinking. He is challenging us to turn from the beliefs and practices of a compromised society.
We must ask ourselves, “Have I allowed myself to take on the attitude of those around me? Am I making decisions based on anger and offense instead of godly principles? Am I following any ideas or teachings from people who have grown insensitive to God and His Word?”
We must be the light in the world as Jesus said in Matthew 5:14. Our standard of truth and good has not changed. Each of us must ask God to show us how to be more like Him in a world that desperately needs hope and uncompromised truth. {eoa}
For more information about Bill Wiese and Soul Choice Ministries please visit soulchoiceministries.org. You can find more of Bill’s teachings at his YouTube channel.
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