What it Means for Christians to Live in Today’s Moral Downfall
The world we live in today is extremely sinful. People are sexually explicit, greedy, murderous, and hateful, among other things. Most Christians seem to ignore these things and hide from them. But we need to be able to confront sin head-on. God has charged us with spreading His Word to the world and part of this is confronting sinfulness. The Bible teaches of this in Matthew 28:19-20 and Galatians 6:1.
The Sins We Face
Sins are prevalent in every facet of life. For every good way to live life, there are many bad ways. Below is a shortlist of some of the most common sins that we see every day:
- Worship of other gods (or idols)
- Cursing God (or cursing in general)
- Hating, disrespecting, and/or murdering others
- Adultery, sodomy, and sexual obsession
- Addiction to gambling, drugs, etc.
- Envy, greed, and jealousy
- Theft
- Lying
Take a close look and you’ll notice that most of these sins are directly related to the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21). God gave us these laws so we would know how to live. Even though roughly a quarter of the world identifies as Christian, most of these sins are still rampant in this world. When bad things happen we hardly hear a peep out of the Christian community, whether it is a small issue only affecting us or a larger issue affecting an entire nation or the world.
We as Christians need to speak up and take a stand. And if we are Christians, we cannot continue to stand alongside groups whose beliefs are opposed to God’s teachings.
Human Organizations and Ideas are the Most Destructive
Organizations and ideas. These are great things that allow humans to accomplish astounding goals. Without organizations or ideas, we would never have been able to grow such a large civilization, eliminate many diseases, or travel to the moon. Yet the ability to accomplish great feats can be both good and bad, as many organizations have dark sides and many ideas start with good intentions but get twisted by sin.
Organizations
The Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, for instance, is an organization originally founded on Christian principles. However, they instill the idea of worshipping Mary so that she can intercede with Jesus on our behalf. This is a concept that the Bible clearly shows to be wrong. Furthermore, they have a checkered history with sinfulness. In the past, the Catholic Church labeled many people as heretics and executed them. They also ran the Crusades, murdering many in their wake. More recently, there have been so many cases of pedophilia by clergy members that there is an extensive Wikipedia article on the topic. Also, it should be noted that the Catholic Church is so powerful and wealthy that it has a bank, and that bank has been the subject of much controversy and scandal over the years.
The “Illuminati”
We know from Jude 1:4 that many people live among us who have already been condemned. These people are here to lead the world astray and they stand as a test that godly believers must overcome.
You may believe that these people act together to run the world and pave the way for the Antichrist. Or you may believe that they are individually propelled by Satan towards his plan. One thing is for certain: these “Illuminati” exist and are an organization of evil-lovers and Satan-worshippers who we must stay aware of.
Other Religions
Non-Christian religions all take people away from believing in Jesus Christ, who is our path to salvation. Sadly, these other religions, especially Islam, are expected to grow through 2050, while Christianity is expected to hold steady between now and then.
Ideas
Ideas are beautiful, but they are dangerous as well. God has given us all the ideas we need to know in the Bible. Yet, we humans always seek for more than we need.
Aliens
One example of these ideas is aliens. Many people believe in aliens and that we need to do all we can to contact them. Truly, these “lights” and “sightings” are all distractions put into place by Satan to keep people from focusing on the one person who matters: Jesus.
Abortions
Many people have taken the stand that they should have full control over their bodies. For some, that means cosmetic surgery or a sex change, but for others it means abortion. Abortion from the moment of conception onward is murder. It is by definition the unnatural ending of a human life that has been put on earth by God. Some places (such as New York) allow abortion up to the time of birth, an astounding smack in the face to all Christians.
Homosexuality
Many people, including those who identify as Christian, believe that homosexuality is a right and that they are simply “born that way.” However, the Bible teaches us that homosexuality is a choice that leads to destruction and that the things that go along with it (sodomy, sexual obsession) are actions condemned by God.
Immigration
While immigration is not a sinful idea, the very fact that nations with borders exist is. God created all humans as equal in His eyes, but we have divided ourselves into countries and many people worship their countries rather than God. This is evident in the fact that many people, especially in the United States, treat immigrants with disdain even though they all want the same things we enjoy: a safe place to raise their children and a place to establish a stable home.
What We Must Do
All of these sins, sinful peoples, and sinful ideas have been mentioned and taught to us in the Bible. None of this is new, nor should it be. As Christians, we have to stand firm and speak out against sin. There are not many true Christians in the world, and so what voice we have is drowned out by the cumulative voice of unbelievers. We must speak with love and with strength and we cannot afford to be silent any longer.
God has charged us to make disciples of the nations and to correct sinfulness through stern rebuke and we must carry out His divine orders.
We are living in the end times of Biblical prophecy. At some point soon, a powerful leader will emerge and he will make many believe in him as the “savior” of the world. This man is the Antichrist. Along with him will be a false prophet, and together they will lead the world astray. We must prepare for these events and ensure that we are strong in Christ.
Ask yourself this question: Are you ready to stand up and bear your cross, even to the point of death?
