The World We Live In Part 3

The fifth aspect of corruption we must never forget, is how hideously ugly it truly is. Try as it might to mask itself, try as it might to camouflage itself, try as it might to conceal its true nature, at its heart the corruption that is in the world, is hideous and ugly and disfigured and putrid.

If corruption is ugly on its own turf, if it is foul even in the world, it is doubly so when seen within the church.

In a perfect world, a world that God envisioned for His children, the corruption of the world would never be seen within the church. Sadly, due to our continual rebellion, due to our continued disobedience, due to our continual concessions in the hope that the world would embrace us, corruption is flourishing within the fellowship, and few even bother to preach the righteousness and holiness of God any more.

For those that still insist on preaching righteousness, repentance, holiness, and obedience, for those that still lift high the name of Jesus, and preach the whole counsel of God, it is an uphill climb to say the least, trying to stay true to Scripture while sidestepping the sticks and stones and arrows and rotten tomatoes being hurled at you not only by the world, but also by those you considered brothers, and fellow soldiers in the fight.

The sheep no longer care that the shepherds are accountable to God. They no longer care that they will one day have to stand before an omniscient God and answer for the omissions, the exclusions, and the diluted gospel the sheep demand the shepherds preach.

‘Tell us good things preacher! We pay your salary, we buy your food, we make the payments on your parsonage, and we leased you that new car. You’d better tell us something we want to hear, you’d better tell us we’re the apple of God’s eye, and no sin we commit, no matter how untoward, will be held against us.’

It’s not as though the word of God didn’t warn us that these times would come. It’s not as though this has never happened before. Yes, men, with the frequency and consistency of a Swiss timepiece fashion for themselves leaders that are nothing more than echo chambers, repeating to them the high and lofty opinions they already have of themselves.

Because shepherds no longer shepherd, and leaders no longer lead, the corruption that is in the world now also has a place of honor in many a church. From abortion, to homosexuality, to adultery, to prostitution, to drunkenness, to rebellion, to divorce, to theft, to deception, all these things and more are comfortably ensconced within the church. Those who embrace such things, are in turn embraced, classified as luminaries of their generation, progressive thinkers who wouldn’t let something as pesky as the word of God stand in the way of the overall global agenda.

I don’t know, I guess I’m just in one of those moods today, but I know that most of the few who are still preaching the truth nowadays are feeling pretty much as beat up and scarred as I am. We’re preaching something nobody wants to hear, even though it’s the word of God, and all we get in return is people hating us, and tearing us down every chance they get. I’ve never seen more vicious and vitriolic backlashes than when you highlight someone’s pet sin, or pet doctrine, and disprove their assertions or rebuke their sin biblically.

As a friend of mine said recently as we were having a cup of coffee and discussing the current spiritual climate throughout the world, ‘I’m glad heaven’s forever, because it might just take me that long to heal up and rest up from the battles I’ve been going through these past few years.’

Just remember this: someone willing to tell you a difficult truth loves you more than someone who indulges your flesh with a comfortable lie.

The sixth aspect of corruption that is self-evident is its deceptive nature. The corruption of the world is deceptive! It promises revelry and freedom and joy and bliss, and all it gives is bitterness and hopelessness and emptiness and darkness.

Everyone who has ever attempted to make a deal with the devil has always gotten the short end of it. No matter how great it looked from the outside, whatever it was the devil promised in return for one’s compromise, turned out to be less than advertised.

That momentary pleasure came with a terminal disease, that indiscretion came with a well-deserved and public shaming, the world’s embrace came at the expense of God’s offense, and the twisted gospel that propelled you to unimagined heights came at the expense of men’s souls.

The enemy will never give you something for nothing. Yes, he is generous, seemingly exceedingly so, promising Jesus the world, if only He would bow and worship him, but what he wants in return for his generosity is always worth more than what he is offering.

Matthew 4:8-10, “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

The seventh aspect of corruption that we must likewise be mindful of is that God is not ignorant of it. He knew of the corruption in Noah’s generation, He knew of the corruption of Sodom, He knew of the corruption of the Canaanites, He knew of the corruption of His own people, as well as the corruption of Nineveh, and dealt with each accordingly and at the appointed time.

God is not blind and God is not deaf. He sees, and He hears, and He will judge all things in righteousness beginning with His own house.

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.