Read about the truth concerning humanity and why it's important to know the state of it presently.
Just yesterday I stumbled upon a movie that tells the story of an evangelist couple that became incredibly famous all across the US with the intention of spreading the gospel. I'm not here to discuss or review this film and certainly not to judge these people in particular for I have no say in their choices or real intentions. What I wanted to discuss is what I learned through this true story, and how it is actually something the Bible teaches over and over again.
Sometimes we read verses in the Bible and we can skip past them ignorantly or simply believe that maybe they only apply in extremely rare situations. But we now live in a day and age where these truths are part of our world more and more. Some examples being: (expand for bible verse)
People only trust themselves and their money.
"For people will love only themselves and their money." (2 Timothy 3:2)
People are proud and only seek pleasure.
"They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God." (2 Timothy 2:4)
People are unstable and always quick to change.
"People are like the grass; their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field." (Isaiah 40:6)
People live in lies and no longer practice honesty.
"No one cares about being fair and honest. The people's lawsuits are based on lies. They conceive evil deeds and then give birth to sin." (Isaiah 59:4)
Society lives in a world where everything is twisted: good is evil and evil is good.
"What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter." (Isaiah 5:20)
People don't have any desire to learn the real truth but only trust in their own version of it.
"For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
People are living with the belief that the grass is always greener. And do anything either to get it or to destroy it for the other person.
"You want what you don't have so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them." (James 4:2)
People live in darkness and have no intention in changing their ways.
"You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?" (Acts 13:10)
Over and over again we can find numerous verses and passages that tell us explicitly the state of the world we now live in. And let's be honest, we can't exactly go through these statements and say they're not true. How many situations have we found ourselves stabbed in the back by close friends (2 Tim 2:4), finding people that are constantly double-faced (Isaiah 59:4), or they only seek their own comfort and pleasure, even if it means at the expense of another (2 Tim 2:4)?
Like it or not, this is the state of our society nowadays. Yet, we were warned about it and although we are now worse than ever -- denying God and living in our own perception of salvation -- if we think about it, humanity has always been this way. From the very beginning man was fascinated with the lie that we can be like God (Genesis 3:5), that we can have everything we ever wished and still somehow gain salvation. Only, we couldn't be more wrong.
What saddens me most is that who I'm referring to here more often than not are other Christians or so-called saved brothers and sisters in Christ. So many have this tendency to think we can belong to God and still build roots in this world. I see churches preaching how we can have a prosperous life regardless of what we do or who we are, but all that matters is faith. The Bible doesn't preach that. Yes, the Lord can most certainly provide for us and bring us into a life of abundance iffier He promised favour over His children, but our purpose on earth should never be merely to live in favour and ignore everything else. For we cannot belong and fit into this world so perfectly, all whilst saying that we are actually fighting for the gospel and the word of God. "You adulterers! Don't you realise that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?" (James 4:4)
Even leaders and pastors that are according to the real word of God are so hard to find nowadays. And I'm not trying to bash anyone, I simply speak out of desperation: a desperate need and desire to see real churches of God, men and women that truly seek the heart of God and do whatever it takes to follow His ways, and truth and justice. Too many times we only have people hearing only what they want and what they deem appropriate.
What we should always know is that we need to be different but live in awareness; open to the biblical teachings of the Lord but very careful in practicing discernment when hearing more modern teachings.
The biggest thing that this proves is that man is untrustworthy. We cannot trust in humanity, and certainly not in ourselves. "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord" (Jeremiah 17:5).
We can be betrayed by even our very spouse, our family, friends. It doesn’t matter how deep their loyalty may seem. There are limits to man's level of commitment. The love we give to others is limited and flawed. We ourselves do not carry and eternal level of affection: we are physically and emotionally incapable. Therefore we cannot reach limitless love without something or someone else that has that power. And that power is obviously God Himself.
So I encourage you today to pray for our society, to pray for our countries, leaders, pastors and churches. Pray for your loved ones that the Lord will open all of our eyes, that He may keep us close to His heart and in constant stability to what is true, and just and real. And if you are unsure as to what is the real truth, keep going back to the word of God and ask Him to confirm to you what is man-made and what is God's word. And I encourage you today to keep your eyes on Jesus and on the truth for only He can save, only He can change you, only He can bless you. Nothing in this world is worth putting your trust in but Him and His righteous word.
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
(Philippians 4:8)