Signs of His Coming—Spiritual Apathy.
1. How are conditions in the last days described by the apostle? “Know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS OF SELF, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” 2 Tim. 3:1-5. 2. Among whom are these eighteen sins to be found? “Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; holding a FORM of GODLINESS, but having DENIED the POWER thereof.” Verse 5. 3. What is one evidence that this condition now exists? The efforts of the church to secure religious legislation. Having lost the power of God in the preaching of the Gospel, “persuading” men as the apostle Paul admonished, they turn to the state for aid. 4. What will be the standards of worldly latter-day teachers? “The time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.” 2 Tim. 4:3, 4. 5. What does Jesus say of this time? “And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold.” Matt. 24:12. NOTE.—The world has always done wickedly. The perilous times come when the church joins the world; when the abounding iniquity gets into the church, so that the many who have once loved God have grown cold in love and service. 6. What is one form of error to which they will turn? “The Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons.” 1 Tim. 4:1. 7. How is this being fulfilled now? More and more the churches are neglecting evangelical work, many times utterly repudiating the principles of the Gospel. In the place of the Gospel, there is a turning to the doctrines of socialism, spiritism, occultism, psychic phenomena, etc., all of which center in man as the source of salvation. Most of these cults claim communion with the dead in some form, a system of worship described and expressly forbidden by the Scriptures, as shown by the following: “Turn ye not unto them that have familiar spirits, nor unto the wizards; seek them not out, to be defiled by them.” Lev. 19:31. “When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto the wizards, that chirp and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? on behalf of the living should they seek unto the dead? To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.” Isa. 8:19, 20. 8. What great doctrine will be denied? “In the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts, and saying, WHERE IS THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Peter 3:3, 4. NOTE.—If such conditions as these scriptures described are to be signs of the second coming of Christ, there can be no question as to their application in the present day. Men deny the fundamental principles of the Gospel; they hold to the form and not to the power of godliness; every form of error is harbored in the professed church of Christ; scoffers in multitude sneeringly raise the question, “Where is the promise of His coming?” Little do they dream that their own words indicate that the time is near; that they in their very apostasy are witnesses to the coming of the Lord. “Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of Man cometh.” Matt. 24:43, 44.