The apostle Paul states that the days preceding the return of the Lord Jesus Christ would be perilous times (2 Tim. 3:1) or days that will be “hard to deal with” or “hard to bear.” “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” These perils are not limited to the world, but, lamentably, will also come from within the brotherhood — brethren who manifest a form of godliness, but are in the Spirit’s estimation, “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”
“Denying the power” is making a profession of faith that lacks substance and reality in practice. Such are those who presume upon their standing in the Truth; being hearers only and not doers of the word of God. They forget that they have been called to obedience of the gospel, which is essential for salvation. They speak the Truth in a technical sense, but their behavior is not consistent with their speech. The world, by one subtle step after another, can slip into our lives until the lines of demarcation are blurred. The cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust for “things” choke the Word and it becomes unfruitful. Therefore, the appeal of the Truth goes unheeded. The power of the gospel is denied. All that remains is an outward show of godliness, but no inner life. The new man is not formed.
Our claims are good
As Christadelphians, we profess to know Christ. We proclaim that we are first seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness; pressing continuously toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. We say we are setting our sights upon Zion; seeking to be kings and priests in the kingdom of God and longing to be clothed with glory, honor, and immortality. Our hope, we say, is of Israel; and like David, we cry “that this is all my salvation, and all my desire!” But do we deny the power in practice?
We deny the power if we insist upon our rights to the detriment of others or if we intimidate others by pushing our own point of view as if it were the only valid one. We deny the power if we suggest an evil motive lurks behind honest and good works. We deny the power if we are alive to the world.
Profession and practice
Let us examine ourselves searchingly, for these are perilous times where profession is contradicted by practice. A claim is made that we know the Truth, that we have found the way to eternal life; we have chosen Christ as our standard. But do we walk worthily of that calling? Do we arise to challenge the darkness around us? Is our character so tempered by the Word that we are led by its content? Have we purified our lives by the unfeigned love of the brethren, so that we love them with a pure heart fervently? Are we kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, having put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking? Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For those who deny the power, Paul’s command is clear: “from such turn away.”
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One