LENT: Apr 14 - Galatians 5:19-22

Now the works of the flesh are obvious:

fornication, impurity, licentiousness,

idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife,

jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions,

factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing,

and things like these.

Galatians 5:19-22

 

This past week, while I rode with my son to visit a potential college, I gave him some fatherly advice. I said, "Robbie, when you go to college, you can find whatever you want. If someone wants academics, they can find academics. If they want drugs, they can find drugs. If they want a Christian groups, they can find plenty of Christian groups. If they want sex, they will find sex."

 

I said, "It was exactly the same in my generation. There was plenty of sex, drugs, and alcohol ... but there was one difference. My generation might have done all those things, but deep down we all knew it was wrong. (Fun. But wrong.)"

 

"In your generation," I said, "the rules have changed. Many people say that many of these things a just fine." 

 

Yesterday, I wrote about the fruits of the Spirit. Most Christians joyfully quote these verses. Few, however, memorize the three verses before -- the poisoned fruit of human flesh. Look at that list of the works of the flesh. Do you find sex, drugs, alcohol, and a dozen more snares?

 

Let me tell you why I bring these up today ... This week, we're going to focus a little on the coming blood moons and end-times prophecy. And I want to focus on the changing morays of our culture and a particular word -- "lawlessness."

 

·         Scripture says that one of the hallmarks of the end-times will be lawlessness -- indeed, read that Galatians 5 list again. 

·         "And because of the increase of lawlessness," says Jesus, pointing to the end times, "the love of many will grow cold" (Mt 24:12). 

·         To which the Apostle Paul adds, "[So] don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for [that day will not come] until ... the man of lawlessness is revealed ..." (2 Thes 2:3).

 

Every age has had lawlessness, drunkeness, and carousing. That's what I told Robbie on the way to college visit. But in our society there used to be a time when we still discerned right from wrong.

 

We all know that culture has changed. But Christian culture is changing too. I want to invite you to click the following link, and pray about why American Christians are looking more and more like the flesh than the Spirit. http://m.christianpost.com/news/sexual-atheism-christian-dating-data-reveals-a-deeper-spiritual-malaise-117717/
 

In Christ's Love,

a concerned father