{"id":6617,"date":"2015-06-29T21:47:10","date_gmt":"2015-06-29T21:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/?p=6617"},"modified":"2015-06-29T23:55:51","modified_gmt":"2015-06-29T23:55:51","slug":"from-bad-to-worse-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/?p=6617","title":{"rendered":"From bad to worse"},"content":{"rendered":"

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.<\/em> 2 Timothy 3:1<\/p>\n

But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse<\/strong><\/em>, deceiving and being deceived. You, however\u2026<\/em> 2 Timothy 3:13-14a, emphasis added<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve\u00a0heard several Christians say that they don\u2019t like to intercede about current events because they’re\u00a0concerned they\u00a0might\u00a0pray against the will of God. “After all,” they confide, “we\u2019re in the end times. The Bible says that things\u00a0will go from bad to worse. If we pray for things to change, aren\u2019t we in danger of praying against the plan of God?”<\/p>\n

Although\u00a0a survey of 2 Timothy 3 paints a very stark picture of what to expect in the last days, a closer look also reveals great hope for effective Christian\u00a0witness and prayer.<\/p>\n

Notice the wording of verse 13. Paul wrote that evil<\/em> men <\/em><\/strong>and <\/em>impostors <\/em><\/strong>will proceed from bad to worse. <\/em>Often, when I hear Christians\u00a0discuss our times, they refer to this verse but say it this way: \u201cIn the last days, things<\/strong> will proceed from bad to worse.\u201d I understand that thinking; I, too, have said that about the last days. But a beam of hope radiates from the true wording of this thought\u2014it\u2019s the evil men <\/em>who will proceed from bad to worse according to the Word. The times and culture will only decline because of <\/em>the ascendency of evil men (stirred up by the devil who knows his time is short). Therefore, since the gospel extends<\/em> to evil men and women (and gives believers authority to bind and loose in the realm of the spirit), I\u00a0believe\u00a0that hope\u00a0exists for individuals\u2014even evil ones\u2014to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ\u00a0in the last days.<\/p>\n

But get real<\/em>, I can hear\u00a0someone saying. Can evil men and women<\/em> really<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0be saved in the end times?<\/em><\/p>\n

We know that the apostle Paul wrote that such people will<\/em> proceed from bad to worse, but does that indicate that once the last days have arrived,\u00a0every single<\/em> wicked person has lost their opportunity for a saving relationship with Jesus?<\/p>\n

As long as the Church is alive on the earth, we remain in\u00a0an age of grace. Therefore, I believe that as long as an individual has a heartbeat and can breathe, the Word extends hope for their salvation. We know for certain from both the Old Testament and New that God takes no delight in the death and eternal damnation of the wicked. Ezekiel, by the Spirit of God, said, \u201cSay to them, \u2018As I live!\u2019 declares the Lord God, \u2018<\/em>I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked<\/em><\/strong>, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?\u2019<\/em>\u201d (Ezekiel 33:11.)<\/p>\n

Likewise, the apostle Paul wrote, \u201cThis is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, <\/em>who desires all men to be saved<\/em><\/strong> and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time<\/em>\u201d (1 Timothy 2:3-6).<\/p>\n

The fact that evil men and women will proceed from bad to worse in the last days does not negate the depth of God\u2019s love for them or the fact that the Lord Jesus died on the cross for each one of them. But His love\u2014demonstrated in the Lord’s sacrificial death on their behalf\u2014does not guarantee their salvation. Evil men and women\u2014just like you and me when we <\/em>were dead in our<\/em> sins\u2014must acknowledge<\/em> their sin and need of salvation, turn to God through faith in Jesus, and repent of their evil ways. It\u2019s always<\/em> been that way in the age of grace, and as long as we live in this age, it will continue<\/em> to\u00a0be this way.<\/p>\n

Remember the story of the man who tossed stranded\u00a0starfish back into the ocean? The starfish were not universally<\/em> saved; but several were<\/em> due to the compassionate efforts of the man. In a similar way, in the last days, many evil souls will remain marooned in their sins, going from bad to worse. But due to the prayer, compassion, and bold witness of faithful believers (combined with the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit), there will be men and women\u2014including some shockingly\u00a0antagonistic ones (think Saul of Tarsus)\u2014who will come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will <\/em>(see 2 Timothy 2:26).<\/p>\n

Sure, many evil men and women will proceed from bad to worse. But you, however,\u00a0are in Christ; you have access to the Father; you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit; you are covered by the blood of Jesus; and you wield the Sword of the Spirit. And like that beachcombing man whose act of compassion meant salvation for many starfish, you, too, by prayer, the Word of God, and direction from the Holy Spirit will be able to launch rescue missions for human “starfish” stranded\u00a0on the beach of\u00a0their sins\u2014whether one at a time or by dozens or hundreds, by thousands or millions or billions.<\/p>\n

You were born for such a time\u2014and assignment\u2014as this.<\/p>\n

Dorothy<\/p>\n

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.<\/em> 2 Thessalonians 2:7<\/p>\n

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, <\/em>for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, <\/em>who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.<\/em> 1 Timothy 2:1-4<\/p>\n

…with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.<\/em> 2 Timothy 2:25, 26<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 Timothy 3:1 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however\u2026 2 Timothy 3:13-14a, emphasis added I\u2019ve\u00a0heard several Christians say that they don\u2019t like to intercede about current events because they’re\u00a0concerned they\u00a0might\u00a0pray against the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[174,175,173,172,176],"class_list":["post-6617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-praying-for-america","tag-end-times","tag-i-take-no-pleasure-in-the-death-of-the-wicked","tag-in-the-last-days-difficult-times-will-come","tag-praying-for-america","tag-proceed-from-bad-to-worse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6617"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6641,"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6617\/revisions\/6641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}