The apostle Paul speaks of a great apostasy to come upon the earth in the last days. What is apostasy? It is “a rejection of truth once believed and proclaimed.” Simply put, it is a falling away from God’s truth. Paul writes of the apostasy to come: “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word … as though the day of Christ had come.
God has determined to accomplish his goals here on earth through mere men. One of the most encouraging scriptures in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 4:7: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” Then Paul goes on to describe those earthen vessels — dying men, troubled on every side, perplexed, persecuted, cast down.
For all the talk in the church about forgiveness, restitution, and healing, very little seems to be truly demonstrated by Christians. We all like to think of ourselves as peacemakers, lifters up of the fallen, always forgiving and forgetting. But even the most deeply spiritual are guilty of not showing a spirit of forgiveness.
“Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). The apostle Paul grew weak because of troubles and distresses but when he was cast down, he did not despair. He rejoiced in the process of being made weak because it was the secret to his power with Christ, and out of that weakness he became strong.
It is very true that Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). But Jesus fell under the load of his cross, weary, exhausted, and unable to carry it another step. John said, “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called … Golgotha” (John 19:17). The Bible does not tell us how far Jesus carried his cross, but we do know that Simon, the Cyrene, was compelled to pick it up and carry it to the place of crucifixion (see Matthew 27:32).
God has not forgotten you! He knows exactly where you are, what you are going through right now, and he is monitoring every step along your path. Too often in times of crisis, Christians forget that God has them in the palm of his hand. Instead, like the children of Israel, they are afraid they are going to be destroyed by the enemy. God must find it difficult to understand why his children do not trust him when they are down and in need. “Don’t they know I have inscribed them on the palms of My hands?
Is it possible for a Christian to stay clean and pure in a world filled with violence, immorality, and corruption? Or is it inevitable that the spirit of this age will wear down the saints of God and vex their souls? It happened to Lot and his family in Sodom, and it is happening to multitudes of Christians all around the world. The overwhelming temptations of this evil generation have already caused numbers of Christians to compromise and indulge in ungodly practices.
Sin causes Christians to become cowards and live in defeat. Some once knew what it was like to live victoriously and experience the power, courage, and blessing that comes from obedience to the Lord. But a besetting sin has robbed them of their spiritual vitality and the enemy raises one battle after another.
Growing numbers of Christians are at the breaking point. Young people, especially, are giving up in defeat. They feel they cannot live up to the image of a happy-go-lucky, rich, successful, always positive-thinking Christian. Their world is not that idealistic. They live with intense peer pressure, heartbreak, hour-by-hour crises, and horrible family problems. Their friends are hooked on drugs and too many are dying by suicide. They look into the uncertain future, frightened and worried; loneliness, fear and depression hound them daily.
“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:8). As God’s children, we are to resign ourselves to His care in everything. This is true freedom! Resigning yourself into God’s care is an act of faith. It means putting yourself completely under his power, wisdom and mercy. And it means being led according to his will. God promises to be totally responsible for us — to feed, clothe and shelter us, and to guard our hearts from all evil.