“To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” (2 Thessalonians 2:14-15)
In the light of the violence which rages across our globe, the increasing severity of weather disturbances, and the great social upheaval taking place not just across America but all over the world, should we Christians be looking forward to the Second Coming of Christ? If so, how should we be living? The first letter Paul wrote to the Thessalonians addressed similar issues, primarily the anxiety expressed by many of the saints over reports that the Lord had already returned, citing Paul himself as their source. Perhaps they had misinterpreted what he said in the prior letter. This gave him opportunity to expound upon the major event which would precede the 2nd coming, the great apostasy or the great rebellion against the Lord. This would be a time marked by rampant immorality under the leadership of the man of lawlessness, the antichrist who would be a major religious leader who would set himself up as god, deceiving millions.
Over the past 2000 years Christianity has grown and flourished spreading the love and compassion of God in Christ Jesus, and this despite the fact that it was tainted and corrupted by heresy, false teachers and antichrists. It has been a force for compassion, charity, righteousness, peace, and justice and this despite the fact that Christians have engaged in bloody violence and conduct antithetical to the love which Jesus taught His disciples to manifest. Nevertheless, the Church, in these last few decades, has lost its influence. Many people have forsaken the Church of Jesus Christ to follow pagan religions as well the cult of self-worship and self determination. Academia and the media proclaim tolerance for all who want to live as they please regardless of what Jesus has taught. The individual has become his or her god, determining his/her own truth. The individual has become the antichrist.
We believers are the Church. We are called to support the work of the Lord with our material and financial resources. More importantly, we are called by Christ to be the ones who carry out that work with our time and talents. We cannot sit by and let the antichrist continue to enslave millions of unwary souls. We must be righteous servants of the Lord, extending grace and compassion to all men and women. We are to hold fast to the truth we have through the church and the apostles, that is the word of God. We are to preach the truth in a world which has turned its back on God despite how they respond. We can trust that God by His Spirit will fill us with the strength, wisdom and perseverance needed for the task for He has promised the gates of hell cannot stand against His church.