Originally published as universal introductory sample offer," February, 2011
Evil Men And Seducers Shall Wax Worse and Worse
Dispensationalism has often been credited as generating an attitude and atmosphere of negativity, pessimism, and defeatism within Christian churches and/or Christian institutions.
One of the so-called proof-texts whereupon this mentality of “no hope for the gospel in the world because we are living in the last days” mentality has been built are the words from II Timothy 3:13 cited above.
Now let’s think reasonably about this for a moment, if we may. Is Paul really saying in this verse that the time will come when there will be no hope for the gospel in the world, because evil men and seducers will then be waxing worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived?
No, friends, Paul is not saying that in this verse at all. What he is indicating, rather, is the fact that sin is progressive. Men who are evil and deceived will increase in their evil doings and in their delusionalism, unless and until, they get saved, that is.
Paul is not making any predestinarian end-time statements here that can at all affect the power and the dynamic of the gospel to do what God intends for it to do– save the world. He is simply indicating, we repeat, the truism that sin, both in individuals, and in society as a whole, is progressive.
Of course sin is progressive! We all know, or at least we should know, that! But this fact alone has nothing to do with the fortunes, or the destiny, of the gospel’s progress, or the expansion of Christianity in the earth (read Isaiah 9:7!!!). Has Paul here changed his view that the gospel is still the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth (Rom. 1:16)? I think not!
Friends, the negativity, pessimism, and defeatist attitude that one so often alledgedly finds in dispensational premillennial circles comes from the false gospel that has been embraced! The true Christian gospel of the New Testament, by contrast, still works just as powerfully, dynamically, and optimistically world-changeingly as it ever did.
Are we NOW seeing the greatest spiritual awakening and true holiness revival that the world has ever known? Yes indeed! It’s happening where ever the gospel of the kingdom is recovered.
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